Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand [Hardcover]

"Marian Salzman has a knack for telling you what you'll be doing before you know it yourself." (The Observer, 29 June 2003)

"...an enjoyable read, liberarally peppered with illuminating and insightful case studies..." (Marketing, 3 July 2003)

“…well covered…” (Gulf Business, July 2003)

“…brand owners must get their wares talked about. The question is: how? The authors of Buzz... believe they have an answer…”(Financial Times, 24 July 2003)

How to master the power of buzz
Trendspotters and bestselling authors Marian Salzman and Ira Matathia demystify buzz and show how marketers can create and leverage it for the success of their products and services. The world we inhabit is in constant flux, and the captive audience on which advertisers relied for years no longer exists. Branding today requires a flexibility and creativity that have thus far eluded many traditional practitioners. When there is no clear forum for communicating your brand message to the audience, you must have your audience do it for you. The authors show how and why buzz works, examining case studies like Kate Spade, Madonna, Bulgari, Ford, Nokia, and French Connection. They explore the role specific consumer groups play in setting trends, show how influence works, reveal the efficacy of shock ads, and explain how to manage brand momentum. This book is a dynamic guide that sheds new light on the topic of buzz using real-world examples and case studies that show how marketers can manufacture the seemingly authentic word-of-mouth to which today's cynical consumer responds.

It’s the most effective, least expensive way to put your brand name on the tip of everyone’s tongue and turn potential customers into paying customers. But buzz doesn’t just happen; you have to make it happen. How do you start buzz? How do you grow it? How do you make it work in a big way? In Buzz, three of the world’s most successful buzz brokers reveal the highly successful formulas they have used to set tongues wagging on behalf of such major brands as America Online, Esprit, and Nintendo.

Euro RSCG’s Marian Salzman, Ira Matathia, and Ann O’Reilly don’t just talk theory; they show you how buzz marketing works. They walk you step by step through the process of identifying Alphas and Bees, influential individuals who can best ensure that your message is spread to your target audience. They also present proven techniques for creating the illusion of spontaneity, taking advantage of existing social networks to carry your message just where you want it to go, and managing dialogue in a way that puts consumers to work for you.

Presenting case studies from successful buzz marketing campaigns for Kate Spade, Bulgari, Ford, Nokia, and Apple, this make-it-happen guide gives you the inside story on how person-to-person influence really works. You’ll also find out how effective shock ads really are, how to manipulate a brand’s momentum, and which products and services are most likely to benefit from a buzz campaign.

You’ll discover the different kinds of buzz, including viral marketing via the Internet, seeding, and roach bait, and learn how to determine which type will work best for a given brand or campaign. And, throughout the book, you’ll find "Build the Buzz" tips that suggest innovative techniques for going beyond simple buzz to generate continued brand loyalty.

There’s plenty of buzz about buzz, but until now there has been precious little useful information. From now on you’ll be in the know. So read Buzz and find out what all the buzz is about.

Praise for Buzz

"Buzz is ‘step-ahead marketing’ at its very best. No other book comes close to combining such fresh insights with compelling case studies on this crucially important marketing topic. It’s pure dynamite."
–Kevin Lane Keller
E. B. Osborn Professor of Marketing,
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

"As the authors so enthusiastically show, every marketer wishing to create a hot product today must first create a powerful wave of buzz. And as they do so authoritatively demonstrate, that buzz must be authentic–cultivated from the ground up via real experiences."
–B. Joseph Pine and James H. Gilmore
coauthors, The experience economy

"When Marian Salzman enters a room, she sucks out all the ennui, stagnation, and negative thinking–instantly replacing it with excitement, joy, and just plain buzz. If Marian’s spreading it, you need to catch it!"
–Seth Godin
Author, Purple Cow

"Here’s the buzz about this book: It’s smart, it’s timely, and it’s on target. If you want to apply the power of one of the oldest forms of marketing to some of the newest challenges in business, Buzz will show you how it’s done. Spread the word: This is a honey of a book!"
–Alan M. Webber
Founding Editor, Fast Company magazine

"All marketing practitioners are increasingly aware of the need to go well beyond the obvious in terms of communicating and building brands. This book caters admirably to that need, both in terms of the superb sweep of existing knowledge it puts together, as well as the insightful examples that the authors have pulled in from their own experience. As we make the transition to the 21st century, this is a must-read for all serious marketers."
–Anish Gupta
Director, Strategic Support Services, Reckitt Benckiser

MARIAN SALZMAN is a seasoned advertising executive and one of the world’s leading trendspotters. Chief Strategy Officer at Euro RSCG Worldwide, she is also the coauthor, with Ira Matathia and Ann O’Reilly, of the international bestseller Next: Trends for the Near Future. A trailblazer who was awarded the first online market-research franchise on AOL, Salzman is widely considered to be the inventor of online focus groups.
IRA MATATHIA is the bestselling coauthor of Next. He is also the Managing Director at Euro RSCG, MVBMS Partners, and a former president of Chiat/Day in Canada and New York. He is a well-known speaker on the international circuit.
ANN O’REILLY is a writer and editor who has worked for agencies such as Chiat/Day and Young & Rubicam. She currently serves as Editorial Director of S.T.A.R. (Strategic Trendspotting and Research) at Euro RSCG, and is also coauthor of Next.