Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing By Lois Kelly, Amacom (American Management Association), 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, ISBN 0814473830 , 978-0814473832, $24.95, 240 Pages, 2007
Lois Kelly’s first book Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing drills deep into how marketers must move beyond talking at their customers and align themselves in their lives, to make the relationship connection, and thus the resulting sales. Kelly has an impressive resume that includes time at Harvard and has contributed articles to Advertising Age, Brand Week, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Kelly understands the need to listen closely to consumers to find out as much about what turns them off and what turns them on, to drive sales. The bad news consumers share with service providers and manufacturer’s in surveys or in discontinuing use, might not be what corporations want to hear, but Kelly’s viewpoint has interested clients such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Sun Microsystems.
Chapters cover Enough with the marketing blah, blah, blah-let’s talk about something interesting, Make meaning, not buzz, Have a fresh point of view (or several), Listen up: Seven ways to uncover talk-worthy ideas, Nine themes that always get people talking, Straight talk: Talk like you talk, talk like you mean it, talk in these ten new ways, Shift to a conversational marketing mind-set, Building a “talk” culture, Be more interesting-conversations, passion, and an honest point of view. Additional features include a forward, an introduction, and a resource appendix. A must-have guide for prospective new-construction homeowners, manufacturers in the factory-built construction industry and those looking for a “green” alternative to site-built housing.
If you’re looking for a cutting-edge book on how to reinvent your customer relationships, pick up a copy of this important new business book.