Buzz Builder:

July 2010

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Famous Hair Cards from Upper Deck & Topps Take Cues from Willie Wonka's Golden Ticket

I was fascinated with an article in today's Wall Street Journal about how trading card companies are including unusual collectibles in standard packs of baseball and other sports cards. Faced with a declining interest in trading cards, Upper Deck and Topps are trying to woo old and new collectors with cards containing locks of hair from famous presidents like Washington, Lincoln, and Kennedy as well as celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Babe Ruth. Based on the article, it appears that the unusual items are driving card sales. If the golden ticket for a tour of the chocolate factory worked for Willie Wonka, why not a famous hair?

I'm sure that the prominent space in the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets is something that struggling trading card companies couldn't afford to buy so I salute them for coming up with such a creative way to build buzz. If you offer something out of the ordinary for your customers, perhaps you can generate some buzz with them and the press. Then again, perhaps I'm just a person who is easily impressed since I'm excited when my local bagel and donut shops throw in an extra item when I purchase a dozen.

November 18, 2008 in Creating Buzz, Managing Buzz, Referrals | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 05, 2008

Free "Growing Your Business with Buzz" Teleconference Recording

Last month, Jacqueline Whitmore, a leading etiquette expert and colleague in the National Speakers Association, asked me to address a mastermind group that she meets with monthly via teleconference. I spoke about "Growing Your Business with Buzz Marketing" and covered a wide array of topics from how I broke the Guinness World Record for hammock swinging to create publicity for my father's hammock stores when I was in college to how to use social networking for business purposes. You can listen to this 40-minute teleconference for free on my website.

November 05, 2008 in Creating Buzz, Managing Buzz, Measuring Buzz, Negative Buzz, Podcast | Permalink | Comments (0)

Websites

Galvin Communications
The website for my word of mouth marketing and PR firm. Sign up for The Buzz Bulletin, a free monthly eNewsletter.
WOMMA: Word of Mouth Marketing Association
An outstanding resource for word of mouth marketing information. This respected organization also puts on a variety of well-organized and information-rich events and conferences which are worth attending.

Books

Al Ries: The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR
Credibility is the crucial ingredient in brand building. This book explains why PR should be used to launch a brand while advertising should be used only once major PR opportunities have been realized.
Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Why do major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly? Ideas, behaviour, messages, and products often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. This book will help you understand how social epidemics take off and reach critical mass.
EMANUEL ROSEN: The Anatomy of Buzz : How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing
Rosen pinpoints the products and services that benefit the most from buzz and offers strategies for creating and sustaining effective word-of-marketing campaigns.
Mark Hughes: Buzzmarketing
This book contains some great stories from an experienced buzz marketer that illustrate the importance of finding angles that make you stand apart from the competition. I loved the story of how getting the town of Halfway, Oregon to change its name to Half.com generated a flood of publicity. You'll learn some great practical tips from this book.
Ben McConnell: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
An interesting look at how to develop evangelism marketing strategies and programs that will create communities of influencers who will drive sales for your company.
Fred Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth
Too many companies are addicted to bad profits. These corporate steroids boost short-term earnings but burn out employees and alienate customers. Learn why the answer to one simple question can determine your company's future: Would you recommend us to a friend?
Andy Sernovitz: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking
This is the perfect book for an entrepreneur looking for a "how-to" on word of mouth marketing rather than a theoretical or academic overview. Andy Sernovitz built the Word of Mouth Marketing Association using many of the intriguing word of mouth marketing tactics he describes. His strategies are practical for both small and large businesses as his interesting case studies demonstrate. You may put this book down a few times while reading it so you can start implementing some of its excellent ideas.
T. J. Walker: Media Training A-Z
Walker, an accomplished media trainer, provides great practical insight into maximizing the value of the media spotlight. By following his simple suggestions, you'll go into interviews much more confident and come out of them with much better results for your business.
Chip Heath: Made to Stick
This is the best business book that I've read since The Tipping Point since it provides a new way at looking at how you try to tell people about your products or services. You'll have lots of new ideas for promoting your business when you've finished reading this book. And, you'll discover that the best way to promote yourself doesn't involve spending money on marketing rather its all about learning how to tell your business stories better.
Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz: Go for No!
A great parable about a salesman who learns that every "no" brings him closer to "yes" - an important lesson for anybody who wants to create buzz.