Talkative Product Categories
by John Moore TalkTrack Conversationalist, September 13, 2010Tags: Brands, Conversation Catalysts, Food & Dining, Keller Fay Group, offline, online, research, Social media, TalkTrack®, WOM, word of mouth
So far in these TalkTrack® Abstract postings we’ve established that Americans are a talkative bunch, mentioning brand names at least 60 times per week in everyday conversations with people. We’ve also established that credibility disparity exists between offline and online word of mouth. And, we’ve learned who a Conversation Catalyst™ is and what product categories they discuss most often.
Let’s dig deeper into the product categories the general American public discusses by looking at a just-compiled TalkTrack® report.
As a reminder, the TalkTrack® study from Keller Fay is a continuous measurement service that tracks brand-related word of mouth conversation regardless of medium and includes both offline and online conversations. The study involves 36,000 Americans (ages 13-69) annually and uses a mix of online surveys and diary-assisted reporting to record a person’s daily conversations about brands, products, and services.
Think back to your conversations yesterday. Did you mention a restaurant to someone? You probably did. I did. I was traveling back home to Austin through Chicago O’Hare and I mentioned to a friend on the phone that during my three-hour layover I was going to eat at the newly-opened Goose Island Brewing Company restaurant. Later that same day I mentioned to another friend on the phone that I was stopping by Whataburger to cure my late night munchies.
According to Keller Fay TalkTrack® stats, I’m not alone when it comes to talking about restaurants with people. 57% of the American population will have at least one conversation with someone about a Food & Dining brand during any given day.
Same goes for the product category of Media & Entertainment, where 54% of us will talk to someone, at least once in a day, about a movie, TV show, iPhone app, or something else entertainment/media related.
The following chart details interesting TalkTrack® stats on which product categories Americans are most likely to have at least one conversation about per day.
I realize most marketers do not have the luxury of marketing stuff in highly talkative product categories. That shouldn’t stop you from trying to spark conversations. The Household Product category doesn’t have the same volume of customer conversations of the Food & Dining category. According to Keller Fay findings, only 2 out of 10 people will mention a household goods product at least once in everyday conversation. Again, that shouldn’t stop marketers from trying to spark conversations. Doesn’t stop Charmin toilet paper from sparking customer conversations…
Since 2006, Charmin has provided clean restrooms for holiday shoppers in midtown Manhattan. These restrooms are clearly branded Charmin and are clearly conversation starters.
More recently, Charmin became the sponsor of the highly talkative Sit or Squat app. Yes, this is an app where you can locate a tidy toilet anywhere in the world.
The implication for marketers is best summed up by Eric Ryan, the co-founder of household cleaning products company Method Home. Eric says, “There is no such thing as dull product categories, only dull brands.”
Charmin proves this to be true. Now it’s up to you to make your brand, no matter the category it is in, to be more talkative.
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