Ten Reasons Why Word-of-Mouth Marketing Works [MediaPost.com]

The Internet provides so many ways for users to spread information in ways never before possible. E-mail, for example, can easily extend the reach of someone's brand by a factor of 10, 100, 1,000 or over 10,000. The Internet also serves as a vast digital repository of such information - accessible at any time, from anywhere and by anyone. Millions of opinions about your company's brand are only a click away on search engines, blogs, product ratings sites, podcasts and other digital platforms.

The immediacy of the Internet is giving way to more word-of-mouth marketing and viral campaigns. Below are eMarketer's top ten reasons for the explosive growth of word-of mouth marketing, and why we feel it will continue to be a major factor in consumers' and companies' lives.

1. The consumer is in control.
2. Growing Distrust of Advertising Messages
3. Empowered consumers are fighting back!
4. Increased spending behind interactive advertising.
5. Emphasis on targeting and relevance in ad campaigns.
6. E-mail and other platforms ease use of viral programs.
7. Word of mouth/viral marketing are relatively inexpensive to deploy.
8. Accountability and measurement.
9. The "Energizer Bunny" effect.
10. Word-of-mouth marketing has a ripple effect on other media.

입소문 마케팅의 4가지 도구에 이어 10가지 작동원리를 보면, 첫번째 팩터로 소비자들이 이제는 상품/서비스에 대한 여러가지 통제권(Control)을 가지고 있다는 것이다. 예를 들어 MP3 파일의 다운로드 및 저장, 배포, 공유, 다른 디바이스를 활용한 소비, 감상 환경 등 제반을 소비자가 직접 원하는 적시 적소에 활용한다는 것이다. 이는 PC 기술의 발전과정을 보아도 여느 기술보다도 하드 드라이브 Storage가 가장 급성장했다는 것과 일관성을 보인다. 즉, Motivation에 있어 통제권 부여는 사용자로 하여금 Ownership을 느끼게 해주는 보편타당한 마케팅 접근이다.