Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand

Citation

Fortin, D.R. (2005), "Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 168-169. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760510596011

With a refreshing perspective on a centuries‐old phenomenon, this book definitely breaks the mold of the formulaic approach usually found in the marketing section of the bookstore. Yes, “buzz” is the word‐of‐mouth effect as we commonly know it, but “buzz marketing” includes the carefully‐scripted actions that one can orchestrate to actually generate buzz. The key here lies in providing the illusion of spontaneity while keeping the actions of the marketer elusive to the end consumer. So what is new about that you say?

Well, as the book so aptly points out, the concept itself is not a novel one, but its application to the new realities of our increasingly communication‐rich world is where buzz really becomes powerful. Centuries ago, opera singers used to secretly hire people in the audience to shout “Bravo!” at the end of a performance to stimulate a favorable reaction and hence create a form of buzz. Today, firms can find ways to implant the seeds of what will eventually transform public opinion via non‐traditional forms of communication like events, text messaging, chat rooms or powder room conversations …

Say you have a new brand of beer to launch in an already overcrowded market; you can blast the airwaves with traditional media or … hire a team of seductive undercover agents who will prominently display their choice of beer in selected bars and discos across the country in order to “seed” the desire for this brand. No posters here, no t‐shirt giveaways with oversized logos, simply unmarked and subtle word‐of‐mouth influence, get it?

The power of buzz is its ability to generate forms of viral transmission of information from a small group of individuals to eventually a mass audience. And that's why the authors claim it is one of the cheapest forms of communication around and, in some cases, perhaps the only thing that will work to reach certain targets. The toy industry certainly is one example where this applies; remember the hype behind Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, Tele‐tubbies, Tickle‐Me‐Elmos, et al.? Now often these situations will happen by random chance or as a result of one key recommendation. But what if one could harness the power of this incredible tool and make it happen in a more systematic fashion?

Well, if that sounds appealing, then this book will show you how to do it. The authors, who all boast an extensive agency background, claim that “buzz marketing speaks to prosumers' desire for power” (p. 17). “Prosumers” are proactive consumers who are savvy about marketing and know what they want, expecting to be courted and having their needs met. Buzz marketing can be effective with this group as it allows them to experience a brand rather than simply use it.

What I like about this book is that it reinvents what most of us already teach in marketing classes under different terminologies, and it seems to work as it transforms the concept into our current reality. For instance, on page 49 they explain the buzz continuum as a series of groups including lunatic fringes, alphas, bees, mainstreams and laggards; of course many of us will recognize the diffusion of innovations model here.

The first three chapters essentially explain what buzz is or is not, while chapter 4 starts to explain how to actually get buzz going. The fifth chapter looks at lessons learned from the perennials, providing a wonderful historical review of classic brands like Madonna, Apple Computers, and Calvin Klein, there is some great material for classroom discussion here.

Other chapters also focus on specific areas, like chapter 8 on media and cyberspace and chapter 9 on buzzing youth. In chapter 10, the authors provide a useful ten‐point checklist to organize your next buzz effort.

I believe this is perhaps one of the most useful books of this type to cross my desk in the last few years. It is not overly simplified and it is backed by some solid case studies to illustrate specific concepts. It is not one of those “how to” books either, but it does provide some insights on how to organize a buzz program for a client. It is also well documented with a list of references organized by chapter at the end of the book.

Although I quite enjoyed the book, I think it conveniently skips over some of the ethical issues involved with this kind of approach. By not disclosing buzz‐enhancing activities, which by definition is the whole point of this, firms risk being perceived as manipulative and not very trustworthy. There is a reference to the decreasing usefulness of product placement, now referred to as product integration (p. 153), where it over‐exposure in most mainstream films now generate angst instead of goodwill among movie‐goers. Similar outcomes could materialize as buzz marketing activities multiply in the marketplace.

In conclusion, I believe this book will definitely appeal to practitioners as well as academics who want to get a pulse on what is happening now in this area. It should also appeal to a global audience as case examples are not limited only to North America. For those who want to know more about buzz, I also recommend “The Buzz on Buzz” by Renee Dye in HBR November‐December 2000 where “The five myths of buzz” are reviewed within a managerial perspective.