A Letter From Atlanta

Partner Ted Wright’s words to the Editor of Forbes, in response to Jack Trout's take on Word of Mouth. Article link at bottom.

Dear Sir –

Wow. I don’t know which day I was sadder, the one when I found out that Santa Claus was not real or today, the day that I found out one of my marketing heroes, Jack Trout, was no longer innovative. I’m really upset. If there comes a point in the life of Jack Trout where he “just doesn’t get it” anymore what hope is there for any of us mere mortals?

With all of the data out there clearly saying that word of mouth is what drives sales and adoption in the United States, and that broadcast media (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines) is rapidly losing what little power to move markets it still retained, it is beyond me how anyone could doubt the power an organized word of mouth campaign could have on the life of a brand. Word of mouth isn’t confusing at all. Simply, it is people telling people stories about brands or services that they have used or heard about. What is confusing about this? Organizing word of mouth campaigns might not seem revolutionary or “new” to a marketing god like Jack Trout but there are lots of companies out there that have not even investigated this effective marketing discipline and spent millions or billions on communication channels that are less and less effective over time.

With tips like, “A third-party endorsement of your product has always been the Holy Grail,” “Buzz can kill you if you don't have the right product” and “You just can't buy mouths the way you can buy media,” we’d all be silly not to listen to Jack. Right? So let’s all follow Jack’s suggestion and keep shoveling money into advertising because it’s been proven to be so effective in today’s marketplace.

On a personal note, for my friends who are reading this, the day that I publish or even write a paragraph bemoaning the fact that I must learn new vocabulary about anything--much less my chosen profession--please take me to my local golf course, show me to the first tee, take the keys to the office out of my hands and wish me luck. My remaining employees will thank you for it.

To paraphrase my hero, it’s a sad day when I could even think about telling one of my CEO clients , “You just put a big chunk of money into hiring Jack Trout? Good luck”. How very sad I must feel today.

Ted Wright
Partner, Liquid Intelligence
Atlanta, Georgia

http://www.forbes.com/columnists/2006/03/02/gm-harley-marketing-cx_jt_0307trout.html