4/14/2014
Buzz, viral, and word of mouth marketing are three main marketing techniques that involve consumers actively participating in the process of propaganda to reduce the cost of commercials. Buzz marketing, stemming from the old way of spreading about product person to person, involves utilizing close personal interaction to subconsciously convince potential customers to purchase the product. There are two main methods as how to proceed: hire opinion leaders and hire actors as “customers”. Hiring opinion leaders are one of the most observed commercial strategies nowadays, which is to have famous actors endorsing the product. The second method was made famous by Sony Ericsson in 2002, when the company hired actors to pretend they were tourists in New York and asked passersby to take pictures for them. The actors then subtly introduce the camera phone to the passersby. While buzz marketing are effective, it can only work on products that requires involvement such as cars, toys, phones, but not sandwiches, drinks, or spices.
Word of mouth marketing, one of the most ancient marketing methods, was recently remodeled to better fit in the modern world. With the rising usage of the Internet, sharing has become ever so easy, with just one click away to all your friends. Through effective and interesting campaigning, companies seek to spark interest in customers. Unlike the usual AIDMA model, word of mouth uses AISAS, with sharing after action to bring the product to the attention of other potential customers, thereby increasing more customers. To make customers share about a product, the companies must create value within their product, allowing people to feel better about them and feel genuinely sincere when introducing it to their friends. Some common methods include, catchy commercial lines, give out free samples, etc. One of the most successful one in Asia is the ACNES lotion by CLINIQUE. With effective acne tackling