"Marketing experts Keller and Fay, of the Keller Fay Group, argue that the move toward electronic social networking does not—and cannot—replace good old word-of-mouth. Using numerous examples and case histories of successes and failures, Keller (coauthor of
The Influentials) and Fay focus on the 'social' in social media, and suggest that producing conversations, interactions, and social influence should be the objective of marketing. The authors offer ideas that marketing professionals ought not to ignore."
—Publishers Weekly
"The Face-to-Face Book is another don’t-miss-it read. . . . [T]he detailed examples will hammer home the duo’s main point, over and over: All media is social media. Insights about what makes brands talk-worthy, the role of positive and negative word-of-mouth, rethinking your brand’s influential, and the best routes to earned and owned media are straightforward and helpful."
—MediaPost
"Finally, a book that shows the full picture of the impact of the word of mouth and marketing done right—both offline and online. Keller and Fay's critical finding is that 90 percent of conversations still happen offline, and that those conversations are more positive and more credible than conversations that happen in social media. One of the most important messages, to me, is that we need to think about social consumers and what motivates them. This means finding out the stories that people tell (online and offline) and where our brands fit; target the right conversations and build relationship with advocates. Social marketing is about people, not technology."
—Huffington Post
"Everyone who's on the social-media-is-the-future bandwagon should get off for a minute and read this book."
—Chuck Porter, Chairman, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
"Ed Keller and Brad Fay have tapped into the secret of becoming a must-have brand: It's the word you spread in the real, rather than virtual, world that matters."
—Jean Chatzky, financial editor of NBC's Today show and bestselling author of Make Money, Not Excuses
"See why despite the hype, social media is not always so shiny and definitely not so new. The Face-to-Face Book is the real word-of-mouth book."
—Jon Bond, CEO of Big Fuel and cofounder of Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners
"Word-of-mouth is a topic all businesses should understand, and no one has better data on consumers' face-to-face conversations than Ed Keller and Brad Fay. Before you jump on the social media bandwagon, be sure to read this book."
—Jonah Berger, Marketing Professor, The Wharton School
"This book is approachable and immediately applicable for the marketer who wants to understand the new consumer landscape. Keller and Fay shine a well-documented light on a new marketing model that reimagines social media and word-of-mouth at the center of a marketing mix. The book is filled with examples that inspire and demonstrate the link to business results."
—Mark Addicks, SVP / Chief Marketing Officer, General Mills
"In a world being reshaped by technology, customers crave a sense of humanity—companies that exude a sense of values, brands that engage emotionally. In this important and timely book, Ed Keller and Brad Fay remind marketers, executives, and innovators of all kinds that the best way to get people talking about what you offer is to offer them something worth talking about. Yes, the Internet is changing everything. But if you want to make your organization more memorable, make it more human."
—William C. Taylor, cofounder of Fast Company, author of Practically Radical
“A timely reminder from two of the most influential minds in business that creating real relationships requires more than counting likes and shares. For brands that want to avoid chasing the latest social media trend and harness the power of a face-to-face relationship—this book will give you the inspiration and tools to do it!”
—Rohit Bhargava, SVP of Social@Ogilvy and author of Likeonomics
“The Face-to-Face Book presents cutting edge thinking in a great book. With the explosion of digital marketing and the increasing hype of social media we tend to forget that a table and several chairs is still a favorite way for word of mouth to spread. If you want to understand the true impact of your marketing, pick up this book—you are in for a great ride!”
—Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist at Intel
“Ed Keller and Brad Fay are at the very front edge of the industry conversation about how to get consumers talking, and they are creating new wisdom on the subject every day. The Face-to-Face Book is a must read for anyone looking for inspiration to drive buzz in new ways, as we have been doing at NBCUniversal.”
—Tony Cardinale, EVP Brand Planning & Strategic Insights at NBCUniversal
“The Face-to-Face Book is incredibly useful for anyone in marketing. Keller and Fay’s research covers the broadest spectrum of brand-relevant conversations which then lays the groundwork for communication strategies that are ‘social by design’ instead of simply social as a channel. At SMG we have found that more meaningful conversations about brands will lead to the more meaningful human experiences that truly drive long-term marketplace success.”
—Kate Sirkin, EVP, Global Research, Starcom MediaVest Group
“Charles Handy once said, ‘measuring more is easy, measuring better is hard’—that's what this book is about. Keller and Fay have cracked the code on providing a complete assessment of the origins and impact of word of mouth, its multiplier effect and the ultimate in earned media.”
—Artie Bulgrin, SVP Research & Analytics, ESPN, Inc.
