Keller Fay Blog: WOM Matters

Peter Guber: “Tell to Win,” and Tell it Face-to-Face

by Ed Keller, March 9, 2011

Entertainment mogul Peter Guber has written a new book, Tell to Win. This is not a celebrity tell-all, nor a personal memoir of “my forty years as a mover and shaker in Hollywood” from this former studio chief of Columbia Pictures and Sony, and producer of Rain Man and Batman, among other positions he has held in major entertainment companies. Rather, it is a business book about the pathway to success and has won wide praise, from such . More >

Second Course on Food & Dining WOM

by John Moore, TalkTrack® Conversationalist, March 7, 2011

We’re in the middle of our three-course meal sharing interesting research from a client-only Keller Fay TalkTrack® report about the Food & Dining category. In our first course, we shared how active Americans are in talking about food & dining brands and which brands they most often mention. For this dish, we’ll serve up the gender differences that exist and share how credible and actionable word of mouth conversations about . More >

Dishing on Food & Dining WOM

by John Moore, TalkTrack® Conversationalist, March 4, 2011

The Food & Dining product category is one of the more interesting categories Keller Fay measures through its ongoing TalkTrack® study. It’s interesting because brands in this product category range from quick service restaurants (QSR) to casual dining to grocery stores to packaged goods. It’s also interesting because these are beloved brands that are highly talkable. Christine Cea, Unilever Brand PR Director, defines a talkable . More >

Social Brands: A Tale of Two Worlds

by Ed Keller, February 23, 2011

Monitoring consumer conversations that take place on social media is becoming increasingly prevalent. Among the major benefits are that there is a lot of conversation that can be monitored in real time, and it is unstructured and authentic. It has become a critical tool for PR/corporate communication practitioners and customer service organizations. Companies which excel in quick response have gained competitive advantage. Best Buy’s . More >

Being Recommendable is Powerful

by John Moore, TalkTrack® Conversationalist, February 21, 2011

Last week we shared Keller Fay TalkTrack® data showing which retail brands are more talkable and thus, more valuable. The value of being talkable cannot be understated for the simple reason that the more talkable a brand is, the more recommendable a brand becomes. The Retail category is full of talkable brands from department stores to discount retailers to specialty shops. Keller Fay research shows conversations Americans have, both offline and . More >

The Retail Category is Valuable and Highly Talkable

by John Moore, TalkTrack® Conversationalist, February 14, 2011

Retail brands make the American economy hum. The retail industry contributes about $4.0 trillion dollars to the US economy and is responsible for nearly 12% of all US employment [source]. According to an Interbrand 2010 study, Walmart, for the second consecutive year, is the most valuable American retail brand as measured by its financial strength and brand equity. Target moved up from being the fourth most valuable retail brand in 2009 to being . More >

Razorfish “Gasps”: Consumers Aren’t Feeling the Love from Facebook and Twitter

by Ed Keller, February 9, 2011

Each week we all see trade press stories outlining the latest and greatest ways that marketers are using social networking technologies to connect better with consumers. One story last week jumped out to me, both because of the headline, and also the source. “Razorfish: Facebook, Twitter Don’t Make Customers Feel Valued” wrote MediaPost, followed by this lead: “While marketers have flocked to social platforms like Facebook . More >

Sports Catalysts are a Marketer’s Dream

by John Moore, TalkTrack® Conversationalist, January 31, 2011

The most active and passionate talkers about sports are men. That’s not necessarily a surprising statistic. What is surprising is how active, passionate, and influential the most talkable men are about sports. Keller Fay keeps a close eye on the activity of people who disproportionately drive brand-related word of mouth (WOM) conversations. These talkative Americans are called Conversation Catalysts™ by Keller Fay because, when compared . More >

Who’s Talking About Health Care? Not Main Street

by Ed Keller, January 25, 2011

Members of Congress of both parties are talking again about health care. The House of Representatives made a vote to repeal “Obamacare” its first legislative agenda item for the new Congress. They said it was what they were elected to do. But are the American people talking about health care too? Not particularly, according to the most recent word of mouth tracking by my firm. In the fourth quarter of 2010, a period that included the . More >

Sports Word of Mouth

by John Moore, TalkTrack® Conversationalist, January 24, 2011

The NCAA recently crowned its national champion in football. NFL playoffs are in full swing. The NBA and NHL are in mid-season. MLB teams will be reporting to spring training soon. And, the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament is just around the corner. We’re in the throes of sports, sports, and more sports. Because we are in the throes of sports, Americans are talking about sports. A Harris Interactive poll from 2010 finds . More >