Abstract:

The rise of word-of-mouth is placing increasing importance on consumers at the centre of the conversation. These consumers, once identified, can be a valuable resource not only for carrying messages, but throughout the marketing cycle from identifying emerging new-product opportunities to brand and ad tracking to managing existing customers. This presentation discusses research on harnessing the grapevine including the development of a three-tiered approach to identifying 'Influential' consumers at the societal, category, and brand level, with applications of word-of-mouth marketing and case studies of successful campaigns.