“Word of mouth is not created, it is co-created. People will only spread your virus if there’s something in it for them.” – Hugh MacLeod.
Something I said on Twitter recently. Thanks to John Moore of Brand Autopsy fame for picking it up. Rock on.
"Brands become interesting to us once interesting people start using them, not the other way around."
[Back in 2004, I tried merging The Cluetrain with the ad industry, perhaps a couple of years before the world was really ready. Heh.] One …
“Meaningful brands outperform stock market by 120%”.
Havas CEO David Jones tweeted the following news story earlier tonight: “Meaningful brands outperform stock market by 120%”. 120%. And why is that, you ask? …
The Hughtrain, Mark Two
THE HUGHTRAIN MkII 1. The market for something to believe in is infinite. We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people …
Awesome! I try to tell people all the time. Appeal to individual self interest.
Something in it for them = emotional rewards, never monetary rewards.
They must feel smart, happy, important, love, fun, belonging. Or angry.
surely the point of “word of mouth” is that it isn’t in a vacuum, its a twoway street. its trust ‘loaded’, theres social investment in it.
Its also ‘on approval’
just a thought
P
True. But the “something in it for them” doesn’t necessarily connote selfishness. Just finished Gladwell’s Tipping Point (yes, superslacker for reading it way after Blink, and I heartily agree with his ideas about Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Some people share because they get off from sharing – not because they’re actually compensated beyond the emotional high. I’ve felt that personally, time and again.
This reminds me of a similar train of thought. . .
People pay attention (and may ultimately spread the word) when there is a compelling argument that that speaks to their life instincts – their emotions or their economics (or both).
When I saw the headline “word-of-mouth is not created”, I thought brilliant. But I expected a follow-up a little more profound, coming from you’n’all. The continuation I had in mind was rather: “Word-of-mouth is not created. It is earned”.
Hello Hugh, great cartoon !!
You rock !!
Thanks a lot, Miguel, from Brazil