Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee...

BzzAgent is a Boston based company that functions based solely on Word of Mouth marketing. The way it works is simple. ANYONE (even you!) can sign up to become a BzzAgent, and pick out campaigns on their website that you would like to help spread Buzz about. Then the agent will receive a BzzGuide in a few weeks, usually toting a product sample and a guide on how to best spread their "Bzz" about the product or service. The agent is also given a list of activities that make it "easier and more fun to spread Bzz."

Agents fill out BzzReports each time they talk about the product and tell BzzAgent the who, what, when and how of the buzz created. Points are accumulated for each BzzReport filled out by agents, and rewards can be redeemed after saving up a certain amount of points.

I think this is an amazing idea - taking the popularity of WOM and using it to start an empire of consumers who want to help market products. BzzAgent uses volunteers to spread its buzz so they know the people doing the talking are going to do the best they can to help the product/service. This in a way helps to stop the spread of negative WOM. The idea of sending a guide to consumers for each campaign they buzz is also brilliant.

And the BzzReports make the Word of Mouth MEASURABLE!! Can you believe it? An easy way to measure when people talk about your brand.

BzzAgent has found an effective way to make ordinary people spokespeople for products and services, and has given them the tools to do so with the right information in hand.

In my mind, the difference between BzzAgent WOM and regular WOM looks something like this:

Regular WOM:
Guy: Hey I really like your new sneakers.
Guy2: Thanks, me too.

BzzAgent WOM:
Guy: Are those new sneakers?
Guy2: Yeah, they are the new Nike's you can use to connect to your I pod when you run and it will tell you how fast you are running, how far you've run, and how long you've been running. It's really cool and I use whenever I work out. ***
Guy: Whoa, that's awesome! I'm going to buy some!

***(Guy2 probably would say better things about the product because he would have had a guide on how to talk about it)

http://www.bzzagent.com

Anyways, check out their website, it's pretty cool. I'm out for now, gotta go decide if I wanna become a BzzAgent! Later.