Buzz Builder

Wineries Turn to Social Media Contests and Announcements to Generate Buzz

A couple of months ago, Murphy-Goode Winery in California generated tons of buzz when it announced that it was looking for a social media guru to "demystify wine" using Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites. The six-month dream job included a $10,000/month salary and free lodging.

The marketing folks at Murphy-Goode were inspired to create the position when it saw how Tourism Queensland in Australia generated a lot of online and mainstream media attention when it sponsored the "Best Job in the World Contest" that paid its winner $150,000 Australian dollars to live on a Great Barrier Reef island for six months. Interestingly, Ben Southall, the winner of the Australian contest, is now being criticized in the blogoshpere for an online diary that followers say sheds little light on what a normal tourist would experience.

Approximately 2,000 people applied for the Murphy-Goode position and 900 videos were posted on the company's website, a key part of the application process. However, when the winery announced the 10 finalists, controversy erupted when some of the top vote-getters weren't selected. Seemingly, the PR snafu was smoothed over when Murphy-Goode Winery selected Hardy Wallace, a noted wine blogger from Atlanta as its social media guru.

Murphy-Goode is not the only winery trying to leverage the buzz surrounding social media. Today, the front page of the business section of The Oregonian highlights how Willamette Valley wineries are successfully using Twitter and Facebook to boost sales - particularly with younger consumers. It was particularly cool to read how this year's Indie Wine Festival was able to to sell a lot of unsold tickets simply by getting the word out to its Twitter followers.

Should a San Francisco Chiropractor Sue a Former Patient Over a Negative Yelp Review?

I'm convinced that customer review websites will be absolutely critical to the success of all businesses. That's why the front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle about a San Francisco chiropractor suing a former patient over negative reviews published on Yelp, a popular website that rates companies, is so fascinating.

The Chronicle reports that Christopher Norberg posted his first Yelp review in November 2007 after visiting Steven Biegel at the Advanced Chiropractic Center on Valencia Street. In his six-paragraph review, Norberg criticized Biegel's billing practices and said the chiropractor was being dishonest with insurance companies.

The story details how Norberg and Biegel exchanged emails about the complaint. And, when Norberg refused to take down or edit his commentary, Biegel decided to sue for libel and invasion of privacy. Biegel's business has been hurt by the reviews, said his attorney, Eric Nordskog of San Francisco. "Although negative reviews are fine, there are certain statements that are false statements of fact," he said. "He accuses Biegel of dishonesty and of committing insurance fraud, which is a crime in California."

If Norberg's comments are false or exaggerated. I can certainly see why Biegel would be frustrated enough to undertake legal proceedings. However, even if Biegel wins a lawsuit, he might end up hurting his business. Based on the hundreds of comments that the story has already received on the Chronicle's website alone, many are siding with the Norberg for reasons of free speech.

In the words of Andy Sernovitz, my friend and word of mouth marketing pundit, when it comes to bad online customer reviews, "the solution to pollution is dilution." That is, Biegel would be much better served laying out reasons why Norberg claims aren't true without suing him. And to counteract the negative weight of Norberg's review, Biegel should ask his satisfied patients to go to Yelp and share their perceptions of his practice. These steps would be much easier and less controversial than a lawsuit which has an uncertain outcome both in terms of the judgement and how the public will perceive it.

BzzAgent Wisely Requires Volunteer Disclosure

Buzz marketing firm BzzAgent has recently decided that all new BzzAgent volunteers confirm that they've read and will adhere to the company's code of conduct. That code requires participants to "make certain others are aware" that they've volunteered to be part of a buzz marketing effort. Until now, BzzAgent has received some bad buzz in the media about their tactics being deceptive. This move will certainly help the company on the PR front. Additionally, it will likely increase the effectiveness of it volunteers according to a recent Northeastern University study. To learn more, read this interesting article on ClickZ News.