Grapevine: The New Art of Word-of-Mouth Marketing [Hardcover]

Dave Balter (Author), John Butman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1591841100 | ISBN-13: 978-1591841104 | Publication Date: November 3, 2005 | Edition: 1ST

For the last few years, marketers have been obsessed with creating word of mouth and buzz to compensate for the declining effectiveness of traditional advertising. There have been several books on this important subject (including The Tipping Point), but none with the real-world insights that Dave Balter offers as today’s leading practitioner of word-of-mouth marketing.

Balter’s company, BzzAgent, has grown exponentially in just a few years; it now coordinates an army of 75,000 volunteers who talk up products they genuinely love, ranging from books, beer, and jeans to perfumes, restaurants, and sausages. These agents are not asked to follow a script when talking with friends and acquaintances in everyday conversations, nor do they conceal that they’re agents. The honesty of their opinions is what make these agents believable.

The big lesson of BzzAgent’s success is that companies don’t need to win over experts, “influentials,” “cool hunters,” or “magic people” to drive word of mouth. They just need to reach ordinary consumers—from all age groups and income levels—who might be excited to try out new products before they hit the market. The person who sits next to you at work might have a bigger influence on what book you’ll read next than any critic, or even Oprah.

Grapevine features many real Bzz Agent campaigns (and transparently highlights both successes and failures) to show readers what strategies work best in driving word of mouth. It’s both a practical book for business people and an enlightening read for anyone curious about why products take off or flop.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like most other marketing books, this intriguing but unconvincing volume dwells on botched ad campaigns, implying that those campaigns would have triumphed if only the advertiser had sought the authors' advice. In this case, all the reviled efforts overlooked "the most powerful marketing force in the world": word-of-mouth. "Everybody talks to everybody else about products every day," writes Balter, founder of three-year-old BzzAgent Inc., which enlists earnest volunteers to spread the gospel about products that the firm is hired to promote. Balter argues that the fact that BzzAgents actually tell people, "I'm a BzzAgent, and I'm pushing this product" aids the credibility of both the products and their advocates, with the result that Bzz campaigns succeed where shill campaigns (which employ paid actors) backfire. That may be true, but this volume doesn't adequately make the case that sincerity and product samples constitute a marketing revolution: the book's slapdash, "admittedly nonscientific" analysis is backed by little more than enthusiasm, quotes from The Tipping Point and three years of BzzAgent anecdotes. Balter's gee-whiz, narcissistic writing voice won't help win converts, either. (Though Butman is a coauthor, Balter narrates the book in the first person.) While it aspires to reorient current thinking on consumerism and social interaction, it's clear that this book's true purpose is to serve as a 210-page BzzAgent ad. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Why is it that normally talented, even cutting--edge innovators feel compelled to exhibit logorrhea when pen is poised over paper? Such is the case with Balter, who, with the aid of writer Butman, crystallizes his practice of word-of-mouth marketing. The concept is unique and differentiated from buzz by its credibility, its emphasis on genuine storytelling, and its theme: "not 100% goodness 100% of the time." There's research (and bottom-line sales results) that proves his points about the benefits of "one big cocktail party." But he spoils the effect by, in Seth Godin-esque fashion, choosing to insert a fictional account of Bardo, the perfect target customer; SparklyPerfect, a new product; and Annie, the designated marketer. First, a straight-out-of-fantasyland narrative goes against the honesty-is-our-policy foundation of word-of-mouth marketing. Second, real-life case histories--as with Apple iPod and its battery and the Coke C2 debacle--drive home the premise far better than any novel; real experiences and real perceptions make the product sing. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover; 1ST edition (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591841100
• ISBN-13: 978-1591841104
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,634,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Focus on the Book, November 7, 2005

By 

E. Pihl "just me" (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grapevine: The New Art of Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Hardcover)

Okay, let's set aside the BzzAgent debate and focus on the book.

I read it, I enjoyed it, and I agree that it does read somewhat like a commercial for BzzAgent. I don't see that as a bad thing, as the samples given and examples used effectively illustrate how Balter has used this technique to exponentially grow his business. To me, verifiable real life examples effectively validate the data presented in the book.

Did I agree with everything said in the book? No. Did I take away ideas that I can use both personally and professionally, yes.

If you have no interest in the Word-of-Mouth concept, move on. If this subject interests you, this is a good book to get you thinking.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read!, November 7, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Brightwell "Mrs. Codeforger" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grapevine: The New Art of Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Hardcover)

Word-of-mouth as a marketing tool? I was skeptical. After all, millions of dollars are spent on 30-second spot during the Superbowl. Oprah gave away a bunch of cars on her show one day. Magazine ads, TV commericals, rebates, coupons - that's what marketing is, not people talking about the coffee at their local coffee house. Grapevine has me reconsidering my opinion. Valid points are made about the effectiveness of some of these huge promotions we've seen over the years, such as the Oprah car giveaway. The show got people taking but was it about the product? Since reading the book, I've paid a lot more attetion to conversations around me and I've been surprised how often references to products come up. Grapevine has me thinking that maybe we, as consumers, actually do have power to make changes in the marketplace. Even if you're not in sales or marketing, I recommend this book because it will change the way you think about advertising in general. If you are a marketer, it will make you consider the power of people's opinions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Average Dry Business Book, November 6, 2005

By 

Jenn Roma (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grapevine: The New Art of Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Hardcover)

When I first got this book I wasn't sure I'd really enjoy it. Some of the business books I've read have been so dry and boring. This book kept me engaged until the end with the many interesting examples which Dave Balter highlighted throughout. I had heard about Word of Mouth Marketing, but reading this book gave me a much better understanding and has me looking at things differently. It's kind of a light read as far as business books go. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out more about WOMM.