More and more people are joining in on our weekly conversation (convo in Twitter language)!

If you would like to suggest or recommend a topic or questions, please POST IT ON THE WALL of the BRANDCHAT Facebook page located at http://tinyurl.com/brandchat-FB

Here’s the recap!

Q1: (by @aliciafalcone): WOM can kill a brand and its products even quicker than it can build them. Share some examples



McCourtRealtor: Q1: 4 me, top of mind is the whole Motrin debacle. Mommy blogger WOM really nailed them. #brandchat



McCourtRealtor: Q1: Good WOM is Coca-Cola + their use of FB. Allowing fans who developed their FB fanpage 2 continue good works #brandchat



brandingexpert: No matter how many times they launched the Today sponge (now it’s 3x), it fails due to WOM. #brandchat



brandcowboy: A brand banks goodwill. The higher its balance, the harder it is for WOM to kill that brand. #brandchat



brandingexpert: The Yugo car is another failure due to bad WOM. In theory, the public should have loved a cheap car…. #brandchat



GetResults: brands like TODAY go stillborn, others like TYLENOL can come back – upstream swim all the way. Costly when +WOM lost. #brandchat



GetResults: @mariaduron often like new restaurant – first everyone reacts, then headlines fade, then recovery or death. #brandchat



Thandelike: wonder how much bad WOM killed New Coke — ppl hating the idea more than the taste #brandchat



neilmckenzphoto: Are most brand failures finally done in by word of mouth? #brandchat



craigritchie: WOM is the fastest growing marketing vehicle according to eMarketer. More than 70% of Inc500 companies implementing WOM programs. #brandchat



andrewmueller: If negative WOM is caught in infancy and addressed through interactive engagement damage can b limited, a benefit of Social Media #brandchat



BPerzanowski: One of the strongest brands, Starbucks, suffers from a sort of WOM backlash. #brandchat



CEO_INGDIRECT: @SirHendrix & @brandcowboy brand power & word of mouth must be very related. oh, to have both is powerful. #brandchat



brandingexpert: WOM kills a brand when its product fails to deliver on the brand promise. So brand’s lack of trust is what drives WOM. #brandchat



wiseleo: International translations come to mind… Microsoft just made a major blunder with cibai (thankfully, only a research project) #brandchat



SirHendrix: Škoda’s WOM was bad, including cynic jokes. they capitalized on their brand values which had been shared by their small fan base. #brandchat



Thandelike: @andrewmueller absolutely SM is a chance to address and nip in bud negative WOM, as well as demonstrate that company is listening #brandchat



brandcowboy: @andrewmueller A negative turned positive is gold medal branding, better than happy passivity. #brandchat



DrFernKazlow: @brandingexpert Exactly – so a product that kills gets killed, ie Sponge, Pinto, Corvair… #brandchat



BPerzanowski: RT @andrewmueller: Negative WOM caught in infancy/addressed thru interactive engagement can limit damage. Benefit of Social Media #brandchat

pmarckworth: Q1 Word of mouth is the ultimate 3rd party credibility, which is why it can kill a brand so quickly and completely. #brandchat

craigritchie: 74% of people hearing a personal, negative recommendation were influenced to buy another brand – Millward Brown study, 2005 #brandchat



McCourtRealtor: @wiseleo Although Domino’s did good w/their YouTube response + even a local Dominos in Chicago really addressed it. #brandchat



brandingexpert: WOM succeeds/fails based on expectations set by brand. The stronger your brand strat, the less chance of neg WOM. #brandchat



neilmckenzphoto: Word of mouth is all about perception, reality may not have anything to do with it. #brandchat



innovate: A juicy story showing brand inconsistency (especially where values are involved) will generate lots of negative WOM #brandchat



brandcowboy: @brandingexpert All due respect, wasn’t Yugo just a lousy car when it was sold here? No brand can cure that. #brandchat



brandcowboy: I think WOM is best understood as endorsement, not branding. It’s the echo of the brand you’ve built. #brandchat



craigritchie: Does WOM really ever “Kill” a brand? Hurt, yes, but other factors are involved when a brand is mortally wounded. #brandchat



jemcgrew: @BPerzanowski Totally agree with you. Social Media can help limit damage and provide spin control. Kodak, Ford, GM and others use #brandchat



GetResults: @neilmckenzphoto WOM, if strong, will catch up w & can change perceptions – FAST #brandchat



SirHendrix: @pmarckworth WOM can only kill a brand quickly if the brand image is weak and brand owners don’t act. #brandchat



brandingexpert: RT @brandcowboy: “I think WOM is best understood as endorsement, not branding.” Agreed. It’s mobilizing your evangelists. #brandchat



2social_soho: build strong relationships with your customers, and chatters to build your brand and create evangelists w WOM #brandchat



McCourtRealtor: Was on a conference call + said U have less than 2 hrs. 2 respond 2 negative WOM w/SM #brandchat

brandingexpert: WOM engines like Twitter are the reason why REAL brand strategy is more important now than ever before. #brandchat



brandcowboy: I worry that looking at WOM as a marketing variable might be a teeny bit arrogant. WOM is a consequence. #brandchat



craigritchie: Brands must increase positive WOM by 7% to generate 1% of business growth — or reduce negative WOM by 2% (London school of econ) #brandchat



neilmckenzphoto: Consumer packaged good cos seemed to employ WOM by their sampling programs – little boxes of cereal in the mail. #brandchat



BPerzanowski: @innovate Think Starbucks, by nature of size, scrambling 2 stay on top social media influence. Absolute critical 2 con’t success. #brandchat



Whistletree: @andrewmueller I believe that WOM is the result of creating a strong brand. It’s the result you hope to happen #brandchat



brandcowboy: @andrewmueller I have a lot of faith in the consumer’s nose for authenticity. #brandchat



andrewmueller: @Whistletree You need to give the customer something to talk about. Positive WOM it is a result of the thing that makes u unique #brandchat

Q2: @garyvee on CNN talking branding, let’s discuss+share thoughts



BPerzanowski: Like @garyvee ’s analogy of Twitter being like a cocktail party. #brandchat



brandingexpert Um, re: GaryV CNN video: How do you “care” about 350,000 followers? #brandchat



garyvee – it’s about the convo, it’s about the interaction, they want 2 touch + feel their brand + products #brandchat



GetResults: @garyvee comments strongest – Twitter is WOM on steroids, SM like working a room, but issues w his stand on product placement. #brandchat



brandcowboy: A brand is an election campaign that never ends. All the same chaos, all the same feedback loops. #brandchat



jemcgrew: Twitter is to today what the Television and Media coverage of WWI was to the past #brandchat



pmarckworth: Q2 I liked @garyvee’s focus on listening and following your passion. #brandchat



GetResults: @andrewmueller +WOM may be many convos w different benefits – what’s important to them and how you make them feel using UR prod. #brandchat



BPerzanowski: Size of following becomes 1-way communication. RT @brandingexpert: re: GaryV CNN video: How do you “care” about 350K followers? #brandchat



brandingexpert: “Eyeballs turn into cash” Wow. Not sure that I agree with that, either. #brandchat



brandchat: Q2 continued: @garyvee says that a product needs a platform, a home, a place 2 live. True or false? #brandchat



brandchat: Q2 cont’d: @garyvee UR listening all the time – you don’t control the brand UR fans do – have 2 have the chops #brandchat



DrFernKazlow: Q2 @garyvee strongest message was interaction +content, essential to be present #brandchat



Whistletree: @GetResults How important is it to make “talking points” part of branding? Should you try to create simple message 2 B shared? #brandchat



brandingexpert: Yikes. “You don’t control your brand?” Game over. GaryV CNN video = bad advice. Sorry GaryV fans…. : ( Just my opinion. #brandchat



andrewmueller: @brandingexpert Gary makes some broad general statements eyeballs can turn into case but far from automatic. example =Youtube #brandchat



innovate: Q2: I like the fact that he says that content is king – too often marketers forget that and just focus on tactical comm. itself #brandchat



neilmckenzphoto: You can care about 350K followers just as you can 35 followers or Not! #brandchat



GetResults: @Whistletree you start with some probes, listen to mkt, reprobe using more and more of their input . It’s all about them. #brandchat



pmarckworth: Q2 what about @garyvee comment that legacy is stronger than currency? #brandchat



brandchat: Agree w/the comment that Twitter + Facebook are TOOLS…just TOOLS, period. #brandchat



SirHendrix: Q2 “you don’t control your message any more, your fans do.” this is a no-sense statement, sorry. #brandchat #brandchat



BPerzanowski: Max positive exposure is good thing. RT @brandingexpert: “Eyeballs turn into cash” Not sure that I agree with that, either. #brandchat



richmeyer: RT @brandingexpert:”Eyeballs turn into cash” Wow. Not sure that I agree with that, either. #brandchat Not accoding to Facebook model



SirHendrix: @innovate content is not king any more, only the basis. HOW you package it, makes the difference (=CONTEXT). #brandchat #brandchat



CathyWebSavvyPR: @brandchat Yes a product needs a home/platform. That’s not new, what’s new is that the “home” is public and comm. = 2way #brandchat



GetResults: @brandingexpert in old consumer products world, U could control brand, now 10% control, maybe. #brandchat



pmarckworth: @McCourtRealtor I agree it’s who comes back, stays loyal and becomes an ambassador. #brandchat



innovate: Q2: At the World Innovation Forum and someone from INSEAD asked a speaker “How do you make money from social media?” – groan – #brandchat



brandingexpert: @GetResults If you only control 10% of your brand, you deserve to fail. #brandchat

BPerzanowski: @neilmckenzphoto @brandcowboy Has 350K but follows only 8K, is that caring about/interacting with your audience? #brandchat



DrFernKazlow: Q2 @garyvee impt of “eyeballs”! U can connect/communicate/care abt 350 K even though U can’t 1 to 1 w/ them #brandchat



wvpmc: Many small biz testing the SM waters discover their brand is more dilute than they expected – need to rework trad mrktg #brandchat



innovate: Q2: Eyeballs don’t always turn into cash – Are we forgetting the lessons of the Internet bubble already? #brandchat



andrewmueller: @GetResults Yes Twitter is forcing the brand to be more creative and think in new and different ways #brandchat



CathyWebSavvyPR: I think that large # of eyeballs is more impt 2 some biz than 2 others. If selling a small, inexpensive item, big #’s can = $$$ #brandchat



innovate: Q2: @neilmckenzphoto – Actually only following 8k of 350k shows that he is an influencer – # of followers by itself is rubbish #brandchat



CathyWebSavvyPR: @brandingexpert Q2: I agree, leadership is impt, but branding is no longer about controlling the message; you must engage cust #brandchat



SirHendrix: the brand message is crucial. it’s purpose is to create a specific intended context for the brand, refered to by the brand name. #brandchat



























Q3: Recent WOMMA conference says ‘automation of social media recipe 4 failure’, thoughts?



nrohrbach: Q3: automated soc media is failure. We like to interact with people not robots. Soc Med is about that real connection not spam #brandchat



DrFernKazlow: Q3 Blog in the works on this issue – automation( most uses): How to kill a brand w/out even trying! #brandchat



andrewmueller: content used to be king, now is queen – Conversation is King (via @markcollier) #brandchat



McCourtRealtor: Q3: I agree. It’s all about the convo. Look at us here! If I was just blasting out auto tweets THAT would be negative WOM #brandchat



CathyWebSavvyPR: RT @GetResults @brandingexpert Not at all, control is not the issue, it’s sales as demo of market acceptance. Customers in ctrl #brandchat



SirHendrix: @brandingexpert @GetResults Skoda strategically regained control over their damaged brand image and revitalized the brand. #brandchat



brandingexpert: RT @brandchat: Q3: Recent WOMMA conference says ‘automation of social media recipe 4 failure’, thoughts? #brandchat ABSOLUTELY TRUE.



abrahamlloyd: @neilmckenzphoto See, I don’t think that looks bad. You shouldn’t be judged on your interaction, not your follower ratio. #brandchat



brandingexpert: Q3: The big failures are those that refuse to recognize tht technology merely links humans; tech itself is no solution. #brandchat



craigritchie: @brandingexpert @innovate If we haven’t, I know some great sites I’d like to sell you space on! MAD HITS! #brandchat



GetResults: @andrewmueller Absolutely, when mkts were “mass” brands could identify w lowest common denom. Now, more people selectively choose #brandchat



wiseleo: Automated DMs – bad. Scheduled tweets – good. I am considering scheduling some tweets so I don’t have to do them manually. #brandchat



abrahamlloyd: RT @brandcowboy: A brand is an election campaign that never ends. All the same chaos, all the same feedback loops. #brandchat



brandingexpert: @CathyWebSavvyPR IF you don’t lead, they can’t follow. If you don’t set their expectations, they make them up. #brandchat

nrohrbach: Social Media is supposed to be fun as well as productive. Automated tweets put the F-U in FUN. #brandchat



SirHendrix: @andrewmueller CONTEXT is king (conversation is part of it). #brandchat #brandchat



mariaduron: #brandchat RT @brandcowboy: A brand is an election campaign that never ends. All the same chaos, all the same feedback loops



craigritchie: #brandchat Q3: Tech without Strategy is gimmickry.



GetResults: programmed buying hurt Wall St., Direct Response adv, and “e-blasts” became spam. Yes, automation can hurt – OUCH. #brandchat



andrewmueller: Social media automation defeats the purpose, but guiding “rules of engagement” are a good idea #brandchat



wiseleo: Q3. To expand on that – scheduling things like followfriday will save a lot of time. A relevent promo post every 2 hours is OK. #brandchat



innovate: Q3: You can’t automate social media – Anybody ever tried having a conversation with a robot? – SM is about conversations #brandchat



neilmckenzphoto: Automation for social media/marketing is great if you are just looking for numbers. For building relationships it fails. #brandchat



McCourtRealtor: RT @innovate Q3: You can’t automate social media – Anybody ever tried having a conversation with a robot? – SM is about convo #brandchat



GetResults: @SirHendrix Many recover from brand loss to touch, ambush mkt attacks, other crisis elements. Trust can be rebuilt. #brandchat



BrandAide: Q3: Automation = NON-social Media #brandchat



craigritchie: Content was King? Disagree. Conversation is King? Close. Engagement is King. #brandchat



wiseleo: Q3 @pmarckworth The basic idea is to engage in conversation and to automate the promo messages to reach other time zones #brandchat

andrewmueller: A good strategy with clear values that permiate throughtout the company are automation of sorts #brandchat



craigritchie: #brandchat How about “Experience is Emperor.” ? (TM)

pedalprincess: @craigritchie Maybe, but you need the great content first in order to get there. #brandchat

wvpmc: Q3 for those opposed to automation in general, what do you think about a service like ping.fm that posts to multiple sites? #brandchat



DrFernKazlow: @innovate: Q3: Like auto-no human on the phone when u have prob, robo calls – Know anyone who likes those? #brandchat



innovate: Q3: Figuring out when to tweet is key – People don’t read Twitter 24/7 at a constant rate – There are hot spots to schedule for #brandchat



abrahamlloyd: @BrandAide: Q3: Automation = NON-social Media #brandchat; Automation in place of conversation is where people go wrong with Twitter.



brandcowboy: Q3: Automating social media? Digital equivalent of an outsourced call center. No. #brandchat



GetResults: @wvpmc Ping can be good provided the sites reached R right ones for same msg. #brandchat



pmarckworth: Q3 I agree – social media is all about interactiona and conversation. #brandchat



abrahamlloyd: Q3: You can’t automate social media, but you CAN automate tertiary elements of your communication strategy. (ex. broadcast links) #brandchat



























Q4: What’s UR brand doing 2 create necessary ties to customers + potential customers + rise above all chatter?



ideaAnglers: Q4: We’re engaging folks on twitter, sharing information, being real and appreciating the great WOM we’ve recieved. #brandchat



GetResults: Q4. best formula I’ve found is: authentic self/svc/prod + wide audience + law of attraction + discover, leads to mkt potential #brandchat



brandingexpert: Q4: Fulfilling a clearly articulated brand strategy is what connects – and drives positive WOM. #brandchat



CathyWebSavvyPR: Q4: I find where my prospects hang out & engage with them there.4 point-touch works: LI, FB, TW + Blog = Hire me #brandchat



Thandelike: @brandchat aiming for positive WOM by creating, sharing distinctive and valuable content #brandchat



brandcowboy: Q4 Make CEOs evangelists. Leading begets culture, begets consistent behavior, begets brand. Online or off, paid or WOM. #brandchat



andrewmueller: @brandcowboy absolutely it should be part of their job description and if they are not suited to it, you need another CEO #brandchat



wvpmc: Building bridges between companies + people they want to reach using mix of trad + new media marketing communications tools #brandchat



andrewmueller: @brandcowboy I will take a look, it is key that they evangelize interally as well as externally #brandchat



RobAdvertising: My equation for clients: #brand promise + brand reality = happy customers + more business = sustainable business #brandchat



fairbanksphoto: wvpmcMany small biz testing the SM waters discover their brand is more dilute than they expected – need to rework trad mrktg #brandchat







Pitch, C2A, Plugs etc.

neilmckenzphoto: Pitch: Working on being the most well known people photograper in CO with master photography and marketing expertise. #brandchat



ideaAnglers: Call 2 Action: Visit our new mini-site http://ideaanglers.com, offering free 3mo memberships under Depth Finder! #brandchat



brandchat: PITCH: Join the brandchat Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/brandchat-FB (expand) + post the Q’s 2 discuss on the wall. #brandchat



nrohrbach: Pitch: I think ouside the box, not off the shelf! Marketing|Graphics|Web #brandchat




brandingexpert: Pitch: http://www.robfrankel.com for branding videos, articles. The book is http://www.RevengeOfBrandX.com