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A word (or two) about word of mouth

Gone are the days when big companies can feed messages to captive audiences. The rise of social networking websites and on-demand technologies has fractured the mass media model and created a new order in which consumers are in control of the message — and the medium. And they like it.

When asked by Advertising Age to name the best innovation from a marketer in 2006, CEO of Arnold Fran Kelly said, "I would say ... BzzAgent is a terrific tool to drive brands ahead. I am proud of a programme we're doing with Hershey for their Take Five candy bar."At the same time, the proliferation of advertising has made consumers less receptive to the thousands of messages they are bombarded with each day. Age-old issues of reach and receptivity take on new meaning in a world where companies must compete for the attention and business of an increasingly elusive and empowered consumer.

Amidst all the noise and the clutter, consumer-generated messages ring loud and true. Consumers spread their own messages about the products and services they like and trust through their personal social networks. These messages are credible and influential because they're delivered in supermarket aisles, by the sides of football pitches, in online communities and in workplaces everywhere. It's called word of mouth (WOM), and it works because the messages are unscripted — and the messengers are trusted.

Word of mouth is the most powerful and influential form of marketing there is. It captures attention, spreads awareness, shapes perceptions, informs opinions — and drives purchasing decisions. In order for marketers to succeed in this consumer-driven world, they need to work consumer-generated messages into their marketing mix. BzzAgent lets marketers lever the power and pervasiveness of natural word of mouth, and put it to work for their brand in a controlled, replicable and measurable way.