@mediaczar, front second from left

Our renowned director of digital planning, Mat Morrison (@mediaczar) was the speaker at the Word of Mouth Association Espresso Briefing this week, discussing Porter Novelli’s approach to WOM (read about it here).

 Word of Mouth marketing is on the rise and is something Porter Novelli has been getting increasingly involved with over the past couple of years and we’ve just become a member of WOM UK.

We think it’s important to give WOM the respect it deserves. It’s well known that marketing and PR have been democratised by digital and WOM is a recognition that two-way conversations – online and offline – between brands and influencers, experts, communities and advocates, are the way to build lasting relationships in an increasingly cynical climate.

WOM marketing is very much a fledgling discipline within the UK, but if the US is anything to go by, we can expect it to grow significantly over the next few years. US spending on WOM marketing during 2008 grew by 14.2% to $1.54 billion, making it the fastest growing marketing discipline in the US bar none.

Where WOM marketing fits within the existing mix, however, is still up for debate. Judging by WOM UK’s varied list of members, we’d suggest that ownership is very much up for grabs as numerous marketing disciplines, ranging from PR and digital to advertising and market research, try to stake their claim.

Naturally, we would argue that PR is better placed than other marketing disciplines to help drive the WOM marketing industry forward. Yes, we would say that, but PR is and always has been THE conversational marketing discipline. PR is hands on, not hands off when it comes to communicating. We don’t begin with an idea and release it into the ether. Rather, we start with audience insights which help us develop our creative and strategic thinking – all the while listening and engaging with our client’s audience in an ongoing dialogue.

Of course ‘traditional media relations’ is still a key part of what we do, but so now is social media, influencer relations, seeding programmes, empowered involvement initiatives and direct-to-consumer ‘experiential’ activity. All of these elements have one thing in common – they’re designed to get people talking.

That’s not to say that mass media doesn’t have its role to play, with almost 50% of WOM conversations about a brand referencing something seen or heard in the media or in marketing material. However, it’s by combining all of these different elements – real world, digital, traditional media – that brands can really start to harness the true potential of WOM marketing.

Ultimately, WOM marketing isn’t just part of the mix. It IS the mix and is here to stay.