The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited: Real-life lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Just about every page of this book has an insight worth the entire price of admission. Tell your friends.”
—Seth Godin, author of Tribes

“Emanuel Rosen is to buzz marketing what Peter Drucker is to effective management. This book is the foundation upon which most buzz marketing knowledge is based.”
—Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop.com

“Buzz marketing is bigger and better than ever, which is why it is more important than ever to read this smart, smart book.”
—Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence: Science and Practice, and coauthor of YES! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review

Praise for ANATOMY OF BUZZ, REVISITED

"This is a must-read for marketers and an engaging book for anyone interested in social, digital or online media, or in social phenomena in general. [...] Importantly, while acknowledging the power of the Internet, Rosen refuses to fall into the trap of focusing only on online buzz. Recent research indicates that the vast majority of word of mouth is offline."
Andrea Wojnicki, Financial Post


"A recent survey of Ad Age readers' favorite media and marketing books credits the timelessness of a true marketing lesson: Six of the top 10 titles were published more than a decade ago. Ranking high on the list is Emanuel Rosen's "Anatomy of Buzz," a much-praised guide to word-of-mouth marketing that rode the bestseller lists in 2001 alongside "The Tipping Point" but predates the connectivity age of Facebook and Twitter -- a critical component of buzz-building today. Where most biz books would face becoming irrelevant, Rosen's chosen to rework his text to reflect today's social-media graph."
David Berkowitz, Advertising Age

“The only thing that could dislodge Emanuel Rosen’s Anatomy of Buzz from its place of honor on my bookshelf is an expanded edition of the Anatomy of Buzz. Rosen is the most insightful person I know on what makes buzz happen.”- Chip Heath, Author of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

“Emanuel Rosen is to buzz marketing what Peter Drucker is to effective management. This book is the foundation upon which most buzz marketing knowledge is based.” -Guy Kawasaki, Co-founder of Alltop.com

“Buzz marketing is bigger and better than ever, which is why it is more important than ever to read this smart, smart book.”-Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence: Science and Practice

"Rosen's new edition with 12 new chapters (out of 24) makes it the best contemporary guide to understanding and using Buzz." -Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Professor of International Marketing,
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

“This is one book worth talking about. Emanuel Rosen is one of the pioneers in the word-of-mouth marketing space. From the launch of the original Xbox to the recent release of blockbuster video games like Halo 3, you can see Rosen’s influence in our customer interactions, especially with the active online community. In The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited, Rosen sticks to the core principles of his first book while substantially updating them to reflect the changes that have taken place online. The book’s concrete examples will offer solid ideas to any marketer.” -John Porcaro, Director, Customer and Community Relationship Marketing
Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business

“Way beyond a revision, the book provides fresh insights and vivid case studies into how buzz is created and harnessed to propel business strategies.”
-David Aaker, Vice-Chairman, Prophet, Author Spanning Silos

“I’m sorry to say I can’t recommend The Anatomy of Buzz as my top pick anymore. There’s something better out there and it’s called The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited . Like its predecessor, it’s accessible, compelling and is based on solid principles of how word of mouth works, but this book has been completely revamped to include fresh material, new topics and the latest research.” - Walter J. Carl, Ph.D., Northeastern University; Founder, ChatThreads

“Before buzz had any buzz, Emanuel was onto it as the next big thing. The Anatomy of Buzz was a foundational book for our space, and now he does a perfect job building on all of those original concepts to present a state-of-the-art look at one of the most important societal factors of our time.”-Jonathan Carson, President — International, Nielsen Online, Co-Founder, Nielsen BuzzMetrics


“The definitive handbook on word of mouth marketing, updated”-Paul Marsden PhD — Author, Connected Marketing, Managing Director — Clickadvisor

“When it was published, The Anatomy of Buzz was extremely advanced in analyzing how some surprising activities seemed to work better than marketing as we had previously understood it. Eight years later The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited takes some of the best examples from the original book and weaves them together in a broader and richer context. Buzz has pushed new boundaries and raised fresh ethical questions about deception. It is more important than before that we understand this powerful force and use it, as one of several core tools in our toolbox, to build brands responsibly.” -Jim McDowell, Chief Motorer, MINI USA


“As a word-of-mouth junkie I read everything I can find on the topic and I can honestly say that this book is the most comprehensive. The stories are fun and fascinating, the research is complete and compelling, and the balance of theory and application gives people everything they need to ignite, encourage, and measure powerful word-of-mouth campaigns.” -Greg Stielstra, author of PyroMarketing and Faith-Based Marketing.


“This book is a true classic--the first book you should read if you want to really understand viral, buzz, and word of mouth.” - Andy Sernovitz, author, Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies get People Talking


"When I first read The Anatomy of Buzz, I found myself longing for more... and now I finally have it. In this long awaited update to his classic marketing text, Emanuel takes you deeper inside the idea of buzz and what makes a product or idea contagious."- Rohit Bhargava, SVP of Marketing at Ogilvy & Author of Personality Not Included.

“A true word-of-mouth marketer himself, Emanuel Rosen collaborated with his readers over the eight years since The Anatomy of Buzz. His revised effort drills deeply into both the HOW and WHY of word-of-mouth. As with the original book, Rosen once again authors the quintessential word-of-mouth text.”- Stuart Sheldon, President, Escalate Marketing LLC-Atlanta Division. Former Director of Brand Activation at Coca-Cola North America

“Emanuel Rosen’s update to the Anatomy of Buzz is truly a gem.  With an easy to read style and wonderful examples to make it come to life, Rosen tells us what need to know about why word of mouth is such a powerful force, and what savvy marketers can do to tap it.”- Ed Keller, CEO, The Keller Fay Group and Author, The Influentials



Praise for the first edition:

"Readable, intelligent, grounded, and, most important, useful. Check it out." —Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy

“Finally, here’s a book that explains the phenomenon and shows how companies actually stimulate their customers to spread the word.” --Geoffrey A. Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm

“A fascinating look at the nature of interpersonal networks and how they can be activated. I cannot remember being so influenced by a book in the past several years” --Professor Everett M. Rogers, Author, Diffusion of Innovations

“The greatest advertising medium of them all is the human voice. Emanuel Rosen’s book is an exceptionally useful guide to using this often-overlooked method of reaching customers and prospects”-Al Ries, Chairman, Ries & Ries Coauthor, Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Business (February 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385526326
• ISBN-13: 978-0385526326
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,730 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh perspectives on exciting new applications of rock-solid principles, May 2, 2009

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the first edition of this book, Emanuel Rosen explains how to create effective word-of-mouth marketing with material organized within three Parts: How Buzz Spreads, Success in the Networks, and Stimulating Buzz. It is important to stress that Buzz results only in combination with a superior product or service. As Seth Godin, Jeffrey Gitomer, Guy Kawasaki, and others correctly point out, "customer satisfaction" is achieved only on a per-transaction basis; the objective is to achieve and then sustain "customer loyalty" and, over time, create what Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba aptly characterize as "customer evangelists." It is not only possible but common for a new product or service to generate Buzz initially but if the quality is not sustainable (preferably enhanced), what I call Positive Buzz can become Negative Buzz. (Even under Rosen's personal supervision, no matter how much perfume you pour on a pig, it's still a pig. The only buzz it generates will be provided by insects.) The "interpersonal communication networks" to which Rogers refers can just as effectively (and probably more quickly) "get the word out" about a defective product or unsatisfactory service. Obviously, no Buzz is preferable to Negative Buzz except for celebrities whose only claim to fame is their ability to attract media attention.

Rosen is talking about Positive Buzz. He explains HOW to take full advantage of the marketing opportunities it permits. In Chapter 16, "Buzz Workshop", he asks and then answers a series of very basic but profoundly important questions. (All by itself, this final chapter is well-worth the cost of the book. I strongly recommend that this chapter be re-read on a regular basis. Competitive marketplaces do have a way of changing, don't they?) Once having read the book, the reader is well-prepared to select and then implement those concepts, strategies, and tactics that are most appropriate to her or his own situation.

Presumably many of those who read that first edition do not know that almost 70% of the material is new. As Rosen explains in his Introduction, he offers lots of new examples and case studies "from the trenches" that made him focus on concepts that he previously ignored (or almost ignored) "such as the need to measure buzz, storytelling, the power of participation, ethical issues, conversation hooks, secondhand buzz, and visual buzz." Also, Of the 24 chapters in this "revisit," twelve are completely new (1-16, 13, 15-17, and 19-20) and only two are essentially the same (9-10). "The other chapters [i.e. 7-8, 11-12, 18, and 21-24] fall somewhere in between."

I was pleased to see Everett Rogers acknowledged in the Introduction. He passed away almost five years ago when Rosen last visited him, "he gave me a lecture on the economic development of New Mexico, a state he loved and called home." Rogers is the author of a book I highly admire, Diffusion of Innovations, and provided the Foreword to the first edition. He observes, "New products and services spread among the consumer public through interpersonal communication networks. These networks are for the most part invisible. They often operate in mysterious ways. Thus we are largely blind to this very powerful marketing process. No wonder that we fail so often in our efforts to diffuse innovations." He's right. This substantially revised and updated edition is most welcome. I think the core principles that Rosen introduces and explains in the first edition are still sound. However, opportunities to apply them -- to "get out the word" about a product or service experience, and perhaps offer a positive or negative comment about it with others -- have become almost unlimited. Therefire, those primarily responsible for creating or increasing demand for whatever they offer in a competitive marketplace need fresh perspectives on exciting new applications of rock-solid principles. Emanuel Rosen responds brilliantly and generously to that need in this completely updated and revised edition of what is already viewed as a business "classic."

Those who share my high regard for this book really should check out the previous edition, if possible, as well as Rogers' aforementioned Diffusion of Innovations, McConnell and Huba's Creating Customer Evangelists, almost anything by Godin and Gitomer, Kawasaki's Reality Check, and Martin Lindstrom's Buyology.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good stories lacks substances, April 27, 2009

By	Brad M. Remillard (Tustin, Ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This has a lot of good stories, but after so many it gets repetitive. NOLS is a nice story the first time but overdone.

It lacks details on how to generate buzz. Author seems to be selling on the need to create buzz. I agree and his stories make a great case to create buzz, but once convinced I was hoping for some "How To" or "Try these" and didn't find that helpful.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective on buzz - compliments original title, June 18, 2009

By	J. A. Dierschke "Joyce Dierschke" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited: Real-life lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing author Emanuel Rosen takes a look at buzz from a new perspective. He figures that by now, we already know what buzz is, and he's right. For the most part we do. We get buzz, but Mr. Rosen uses this new edition to address the parts of buzz we may not yet get: How to do it and Why it is so important.

Mr. Rosen continues the tale of buzz that he began in original The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing. So in essence, this is not a revised book - but practically a whole new book, written from a new perspective. I mean with 12 new chapters - I'd call that a new book. That said, you can't discount the first book at all. You really need them both to understand buzz in its totality.

The best thing about this new edition is the stories - examples and anectdotes of companies who got buzz right. Mr. Rosen cites NOLS outdoor school, Tom's Shoes, the book Cold Mountain, video game Halo 3, and other products and companies you've heard about and may not have even realized the buzz architecture behind them all.

Architecture - yes, successful buzz takes planning. When I first heard the term buzz, I thought it was something that generated itself. And there is some buzz that pops up, but that sort of buzz usually doesn't last. Well planned and executed buzz is what creates real excitement - if done right, as many stories in this book show.

Mr. Rosen shows us the importance of measuring buzz and how its being done. He describes how on-line buzz and off-line buzz are like love and marriage - you can't have one without the other. Well, you can, but the result is less impressive to say the least. The key to effective buzz is that it transcends both worlds and manifests on the lips as easily as on the keyboard. He talks about negative and positive buzz, experience based and second-hand buzz.

I think my favorite chapter was number 7 - Why We Talk. Its fascinating to explore why buzz exists, why people have a need to spread the word - from barbers in New Jersey to Bedouins in Sinai.

The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited: Real-life lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing is chock full of good stuff about buzz. And its told in such a masterful way as to be entertaining, enlightening and intelligent. If you have any interest at all in this new world of marketing, you'll get a hold of The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited: Real-life lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing as well as The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing.