Blog o' RAMA

Word of Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth marketing has always been recognized as not only simple and effective, but as a good way for any business to get noticed - without spending a lot of cash.

For small and mid-sized companies, this method of marketing can be tricky and mysterious. How do you get people talking about you - and spreading the 'good' word?

Well, WOMMA, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association was developed to teach you just how to do that. Their premior training event is being held in Orlando, Florida January 19-20, 2006. They've labelled it: WOMBAT: Word of Mouth Basic Training.

This event is being held at Colorado Springs - and promises to be not only a fabulous training event, but a good time, also! The WOMMA executives have gone all out to provide 16 How-to's and over 60 Amazing speakers - including one of RAMA's own, Yvonne DiVita, who will be on a panel discussing, "How to Get Women Talking."

One of the focuses at this training event will be how to use a BLOG to get valuable word of mouth. Master blogger and author, Jeremy Wright, isn't scheduled to be part of the WOMBAT, but he is scheduled to be HERE on February 9th, to give a presentation on Blog Marketing: The Revolutionary New Method to Increase Sales, Growth and Profits.

If you're within driving distance of Rochester - you need to attend this event -- or sponsor it! Get some word of mouth marketing going for yourself. Visit the RAMA website for more information TODAY!!!

The Next Big Idea

I recently attended The Next Big Idea - East: The Future of Branded Entertainment conference that was held in New York City.

This is one of the most comprehensive branded entertainment conferences in the industry. The conference was a day long event that consisted of networking opportunities, panel discussions and presentations on how to make and measure deals; the convergence of sports and entertainment; product placement and video games; creating integrated marketing campaigns, and much more. Keynote speakers included representatives from CBS Sports, Billboard, Massive, Armani Exchange, TBS, TNT, Sony Corporation of America and Brandweek to name a few.

It was very interesting to learn how 2005 has taken marketing in a new direction. Many companies and individuals make “buzz” the key factor in building an entertainment brand. Product placement, branded sponsorships, celebrity association / endorsement are the future of branded entertainment. Brands are now heavily dependent upon word of mouth promotion.

We’ve also seen the rise of virtual persona such as the gecko in all of the Gieco ads.

TV is still the core of advertising & marketing plans. However, the distribution of information is changing with the introduction of pod casts, PDAs & cell phones - distribution over multiple mediums with consistent messaging over each medium. We’ve also seen that interpersonal networks are becoming extremely important. If you think about it, kids in particular are not aware of much outside of their network.

And finally, media is changing. We now see advertisements in the most bizarre places – turn keys at the subway, on the nozzle at the gas pump and even in bathroom stalls. Overall in the world of branded entertainment, marketers look at the brand to provide entertainment.

The Next Big Idea - West: The Future of Branded Entertainment will be held on January 17, 2006 in Los Angeles. When you register, be sure to register as an AMA member to take advantage of the $200 discount. To find out more about the conference, visit this link.

Upcoming RAMA Events for Marketing Professionals in Upstate New York

We have a dynamic calendar of events schedule for 2006 which includes many more informative presentations with professionals from Upstate New York and national marketing experts. We welcome your input on topics you would like to see at RAMA events, so please feel free to visit with RAMA board members at any of our events.

The following seminars have been scheduled as a part of the RAMA power marketing series:

January 31, 2006

Marketing ROI: A Practical Approach to Improving Campaign Measurements, Analytics and Profitability

A workshop designed for marketers, agencies, and business unit managers.

Improving the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing initiatives requires a pragmatic approach to the measurement of marketing effectiveness and outcomes. This 2-hour workshop will take you through the basic marketing ROI techniques:

• Understand the range of measurement possibilities available to capture the impact of marketing programs
• Learn when to consider pragmatic results versus empirical evidence.
• Determine how to assess appropriate time horizons and campaign expenditures
• Bring the discipline of measurement and financial accountability into marketing’s strategic decision process

Are you the next Marketer of the Year? Through interactive presentations and tabletop discussions, participants will learn how to use measurements, analytics, and discipline to guide the development of more profitable strategies and tactical marketing campaigns.

Presenters:

John W. Huppertz, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, MBA Healthcare Management Program, Graduate College of Union University

Chris Van Zandt, Strategic Planning Group Manager for Professional Output for Americas, Eastman Kodak Corp.

Facilitated by Holly Ferrell, Marketing Consultant and RAMA Board Member

The seminar will take place at Mario’s Via Abruzzi on Monroe Avenue in Rochester, New York.

To register for this event, or for more information: visit the RAMA website

Sponsored by: Agility Advertising, Bob Wright Creative, Innovative Solutions and the Rochester Business Journal; with special thanks to Kurt Brownell Photography.

February 9, 2006

Blog Marketing: The Revolutionary New Method to Increase Sales, Growth and Profits.

What if you could listen to millions of people--customers, employees, competitors, partners, even the media--as they candidly discuss your company, your products, and your advertising? And what if you were able to use this real, up-to-the-minute feedback to determine exactly what your customers want and how to improve your business exponentially? Sound too good to be true? Then you haven’t tapped into the power of the blog.

Today, 50 to 100 million bloggers are communicating on the Internet, expressing their thoughts on and experiences with products, and sharing industry information. With millions of voices being heard, this revolutionary medium is now a worldwide forum. No business can afford to be left out of the conversation.

Our February lunch presentation is based on the book of the same name written by Jeremy Wright, a blogger, author, consultant and all-around business and technology die hard. Made popular for being controversial on the Google IPO, by selling himself on eBay, and being accosted by US border guards, Wright started a blog consulting company and has written the ultimate book on blogging for business.

With an exclusive look inside Google, Disney, Yahoo, IBM, and others, Wright will shares the formula for how your company can use blogs to raise its visibility and transform internal communications without spending a lot of money. Mr. Wright will also be on hand to autograph copies of his book which will be for sale at a special RAMA table.

Join RAMA and learn how to tap into the power of blogs to create a direct line of communication with customers, raise your company's visibility, and position your organizations as an industry thought leader:

• Extend company branding
• Create positive experiences with your customers
• Provide real feedback on your company and its products
• Transform the way your company does business
• Simplify a variety of project management tasks
• Impact the bottom line

Sponsored by: Innovative Solutions, Bob Wright Creative, and the Rochester Business Journal; with special thanks to WME Books, the eBusiness Association and Kurt Brownell Photography.

The seminar will take place at the Hyatt Regency Rochester located at 125 East Main Street in downtown Rochester, New York.

Luncheon seminars: Noon to 1:30 PM (networking & registration begin at 11:30 AM)

To register for this event, or for more information: visit the RAMA website.