Ofmouth can be positive but also negative

"For the first time, the consumer is the boss, thing fascinating and frightening, because all what we were doing or what we knew, no longer works", Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, 2005.

The managers are realizing that their consumers have never been as powerful. The consumer to consumer ("C to C") relationship is disrupting the traditional relationship of the business to consumer ("B to C"). It is ironic that at the time it becomes very easy to reach a particular hearing, firms control less targets. However, this formidable interconnection of consumers between them is also a unique opportunity for businesses.

A market interconnected

-Of-mouth is an informal communication between consumers on products, brands, services, stores, promotions, and businesses. This concept was originally developed in 1954 by William h. Whyte in an article in the magazine "Fortune". Whyte is developed the idea that possession of new products, such as televisions or air conditioners, reflected the modes of social communication in a neighbourhood; the people discussing the products with their neighbours grew to purchase and use behaviour identical to those of their neighbours. More recently, the term "buzz" appeared, making reference to what people say of a product or service at a given time. -Of-mouth is the oldest and the most recent tools marketing, according to George Silverman, President of Marketing Navigation.

According to a study by NOP World (2005), consumers are the recommendations of products primarily to their relatives, friends or family (87.5), persons sharing the same centres of interest (66) and colleagues (61).

Consumers themselves are a source of primary information at the time when the influence of mass advertising is diminishing. Thus, while a study by Deutsche Bank (2004), only 18 of us TV advertising for consumer goods generates an annual positive return on investment, another study (Euro RSCG Wordwide, 2002) shows that consumers inform priority to other consumers for high-tech goods.

Identify opinion leaders

They are the young consumers who generate the most "buzz": 50 of the 12-21 years seeking advice to their families or their friends and 65 are their preferences for products (Forrester Research). Today the most powerful opinion leaders are the teenagers whose blogs or Web sites provide criticism or recommendations on products, through, for example, for sites like Shoewawa or Beautyaddict.blogspot for the beauty sector. Internet is one of the major factors of the development of the buzz, with among others, the emergence of blogs, including the number double almost every six months.

-Of-mouth can be positive but also negative. It then provides to the consumer the opportunity to avenge a business that would have not taken seriously into account its claims. Thus a disgruntled American consumer of the Starbucks company has created a site () where he invites users to tell their bad experiences with the chain of cafes and offers to try other competing channels.

Buzz marketing: marketing in the 21st century

In "Connected marketing: the viral, buzz and word of mouth revolution" (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005), Justin Kirby and Paul Marsten present the marketing techniques used to facilitate connections between consumers and thereby influencing the informal communications. If the term viral marketing is more used for communication via the Internet, buzz marketing made reference to all informal forms of communication regardless of the medium. Use buzz marketing implies prior consumer listening, dialogue, and engagement of consumers more than the simple transmission of a message.

Listen to consumers and to promote their commitment. The marketers have access to the same tools of communication that consumers, allowing them to capture what is said on their products. Blogs such as Technorati, Feedster or BlogPulse search engines are useful resources for tracking online conversations. Marketing men may also seek to meet young leaders of opinion and interact with them in suitable urban environments (sports grounds, nightclubs), thus practicing "coolhunting" (Malcom Gladwell, "the tippping Point", 2000).

Some companies promote the development of communities of marks. Thus, Saab, through a constant relationship with the communities of the Saab brand, allows them to interact with the President, financially supports the clubs owners of Saab or annual meetings.

Participate in blogs of mark. Bloggers like that mark seems to worry about their discussions. A recent study conducted by Technorati and Edelman to 821 bloggers showed that the majority of the respondents said they were ready to receive information from companies and only 16 of them reported receiving such information.

Promote the birth of brand advocates. Such preachers, defenders of marks may become a significant asset in the conquest of new customer marketing strategy. Should first identify consumers to hard power influence in social networks. These opinion leaders are perceived by other consumers as having a high degree of expertise on a particular product and have frequent contact with others. At the launch of Whitestrips, product whitening for teeth in 2001, Procter & Gamble has convinced the early adopters to talk to their friends by providing $ 3 for each contact. Knowledge of the addresses of contacts has also helped P & G to adjust its distribution, by fostering close contacts addresses distributors. Agencies are now specialised in buzz marketing. BzzAgent offers companies a basis of "agents", ready to spread the good word, selected based on their profile and the profile of the target consumers and equipped with a manual of the buzz, explaining how to talk about the products of the company to their friends or relations.

The power from the marketer to the consumer, but companies must not relax their efforts, by integrating these new techniques of buzz to traditional marketing tools