The company ultimately used Bzzagents' suggestions to retool the game channel. And Balter and his team learned a lesson: Research the product before committing to a campaign. BzzAgent now rejects about 80% of companies that seek to hire it, and refuses to do campaigns for politicians, religious groups, or products it finds offensive. "We wouldn't do anything for Smith & Wesson," says Bzzagent Jon O'Toole, who manages a team of five coaches who wrangle the daily barrage of BzzReports, email, and instant messages.
Hiring this hive of buzzers doesn't come cheap. Deploying 1,000 agents on a 12-week campaign typically runs about $85,000, exclusive of product samples. But results can be impressive. According to Rick Pascocello, VP of advertising and promotions for the Penguin Group, the Bzzagent community managed to revive The Art of Shen Ku, a book that had gotten lost in the nonstop news blitz following September 11. A year after publication, backed by a preholiday BzzAgent schmoozefest, it sold two-and-a-half times its original printing, a near miracle for a backlist title. And Rock Bottom Restaurants saw sales grow by $1.2 million in one quarter after 400 members of its frequent-diner program became Bzzagents.
Still, some companies are having a hard time figuring out where this technique fits in their marketing budgets. Is it a media buy or a research tool? And how do you measure its return on investment? That kind of talk exasperates Balter. "We say, you want ROE from us: return on evangelism. This is a different beast. Let word of mouth create for you, let it do its thing, let us tell you what's happening, but don't try to compare buzz to a line item on your television spend because it will never work."
Senior writer Linda Tischler buzzes--on her own--about books, movies, and bargains.
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
