16
The Challenge
Prologue
Word of Mouth
The answer begins here.
True, trusted recommendations.
Not faked, bribed, or bought.
Not a brand masquerading as our “friend” on social media.
It doesn’t have to be from a person we actually know in real-
life, but it must be from someone (or something) we trust
more than we trust a brand. And most of us still trust a total
stranger on Amazon more than the “brand friend” we “like”
on Facebook. (That we “liked” for a chance to win an iPod.)
Note: Amazon reviews aren’t entirely trusted either, thanks to well-
publicized stories of fake positive reviews by the author or fake negative
reviews by a rival. Even in the face of potentially fake reviews, we still trust them
more than we trust the brand’s own messages.
92% say they trust
recommendations from friends and family
above all other forms of advertising
70% say they trust online
consumer reviews, the second most
trusted recommendation above all other
forms of advertising.
Source: Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising report
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/reports/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages.html
17
The Challenge
Prologue
Sustained bestsellers NOT successful
If the common attribute of sustained bestsellers is
“recommended by trusted sources,” the real question is:
what inspires those recommendations?
We’re still left with the Big Question: If it’s
honest word of mouth that drives sustained
success, what drives word of mouth?
Why do users recommend these…
…but not those?
18
The Challenge
Prologue
First, a pop quiz:
Which would you rather have a user feel?
Which of these would be a better predictor of sustained success?
Which of these feelings inspires more honest word of mouth?
Imagine you were forced to pick just one*
A
B
C
*Yes, “it depends” but think
of it as, “In general, this one
would probably be the best
reection of success.”
This product is awesome!
This company is awesome!
This brand is awesome!
19
The Challenge
Prologue
It’s not about our product, our company, our brand.
It’s not about how the user feels about us.
It’s about how the user feels about himself, in the context of
whatever it is our product, service, cause helps him do and be.
It’s Secret Answer D
(Sorry, this was a trick question.)
But people don’t actually talk like that. Nobody
says, “I’m awesome” because of a product. They say,
“I love this” or “This app is amazing.”
It’s not about the actual words they say, but about the feelings
that inspired them to say it. “I’m awesome because of this” is
the feeling behind their actual words, “This thing is awesome”.
I’m awesome!
20
The Challenge
Prologue
They don’t say they like the product
because they like the product.
They say they like the product because
they like themselves.
What he says:
What he means:
Word of mouth as a key to our formula. We want people
to say, “You must get this!”
But behind their authentic recommendation is a feeling
about what this product enabled them to do or be.
This product is
amazing. You should
see what it does...
I am amazing. You
should see what I
can do with it...
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