Marketing buzz

Marketing buzz or simply buzz — a term used in word-of-mouth marketing — is the interaction of consumers and users of a product or service which serves to amplify the original marketing message, a vague but positive association, excitement, or anticipation about a product or service. Positive "buzz" is often a goal of viral marketing, public relations, and of advertising on Web 2.0 media. The term refers both to the execution of the marketing technique, and the resulting goodwill that is created. Examples of products with strong marketing buzz upon introduction were Harry Potter, the Volkswagen New Beetle, Pokémon, Beanie Babies, and the Blair Witch Project.

The term "buzz marketing" originally referred to oral communication but in the age of Web 2.0, social media such as Facebook and Twitter are also being used to create marketing buzz.

Buzz marketing works because individuals are easier to trust than organizations that may be perceived to have vested interests in promoting their products and/or services.

It is possible for firms to track the marketing buzz of their products online using buzz monitoring. For some companies it is important to understand the buzz surrounding a product before committing to the market.

Examples

• Gmail by Google achieved a great deal of buzz with no marketing budget through a careful release of Gmail accounts to only a few users who were invited. This gave Gmail accounts an air of exclusivity and thus increased desire for the accounts.

Further reading

• Salzman, Marian; Matathia, Ira; O'Reilly, Ann (2003). Buzz: harness the power of influence and create demand. John Wiley and Sons. p. 246. ISBN 0-471-27345-7. Retrieved 2009-06-08. 
• Pursuing Marketing Buzz - NY Times article