Summit Agenda View Research Symposium Agenda →
Wednesday | Thursday
Welcome: Third Annual State of the Industry
8:00 a.m. — 8:45 a.m.- Ed Keller, CEO, Keller Fay Group
- Peter Waldheim, Interim CEO, Word of Mouth Marketing Association
Welcome to Las Vegas! Please join us to celebrate the recent successes of the word of mouth marketing industry. This session will also examine the challenges and opportunities of integrating with the mainstream marketing mix and take a look at where we've been this year, where we're going next, and how you can get more involved.
Keynote: Jeff Bell, Corporate Vice President of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft
8:45 a.m. — 9:45 a.m."Halo 3" was released on Sept. 25, 2007 to universal critical acclaim, and first day US sales of more than $170 million, making it the biggest opening day in entertainment history. Join Jeff Bell who will share the story of the “Halo 3” launch and how word-of-mouth marketing played a crucial role in the biggest entertainment launch in history.
Dell's Journey in Word of Mouth: A Company that Wins Applause for "Getting It" Today
10:05 a.m. — 10:35 a.m.- Lionel Menchaca, Digital Media Manager, Dell
On Aug. 17, 2005 a message that would end up being read by million of consumers and widely reported by mainstream media was posted to a blog. This message transformed Dell's reputation from the company that "revolutionized the production of personal computers" to the company that "doesn't 'Get It'" when it comes to building honest relationships with their customers.
Today, Dell is firmly committed to best practices in word of mouth, has adopted the WOMMA ethics code, and is garnering admiration for creative new initiatives like "Idea Storm."
What can you learn from Dell's experiences to help your company avoid embarrassment and ern enthusiastic supporters?
Radical Listening to Customers: Using WOM for Consumer Insight and More
10:50 a.m. — 11:35 a.m.- David Rabjohns, President, MotiveQuest
- Howard Kaushansky, President, Umbria
- Leslie Forde, VP Strategic Alliances, Communispace
To listen or not to listen cannot be the question any longer. The real questions are:
- How hard will you listen?
- What will you do with what customers have told you?
- How will you turn customer conversation into a positive and effective marketing effort?
Customers are talking about your brand. They are also talking about topics and issues that involve your brand and give you a chance to actually participate in the conversation. That's radical listening.
Social Networks: Do Consumers Want to Be Your Friends?
10:50 a.m. — 11:35 a.m.- Moderator: John Bell, Managing Director/Executive Creative Director, 360° Digital Influence, Ogilvy PR
- Jim Scheinman, Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Bebo.com
- Mateo Gutierrez, Habbo Hotel, Marketing Director, North America, Sulake Corporation Ltd.
- Pamela Johnston, Vice President of Community Engagement, Gather.com
- Perry Allison, Vice President, Sales, Eons.com
Online social networks have cropped up everywhere this year. They epitomize the digital conversation. People share both common interests and discussions through these platforms. Marketers, too, have also been stumbling around on social networking sites -- with some dire results.
- Can marketers provide value to members of social networks?
- How can marketers bring something to the party that makes them welcome guests and card carrying members not just exploiters?
Join Gather.com, Habbo Hotel, and Eons to hear best practices for engaging within social networks.
What's the ROI on Word of Mouth?
10:50 a.m. — 11:35 a.m.- Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen BuzzMetrics
- Bruce Ertmann, Corporate Manager for Consumer-Generated Media, Toyota
Ok, so we know consumers talk, but what's the real value of that conversation? Is the value higher now that consumers have more venues in which to talk and spread the word?
Don't expect consensus, and be prepared to hear some of the smartest experts in the word of mouth space offer competing models for valuing the consumer influencers. Bring your notebook -- you'll want to write this down.
Lunch Keynote
11:50 a.m. — 1:15 p.m.- Richard Tait, Grand Poo-Bah, Cranium Inc.
Cranium Inc. Grand Poo-Bah Richard Tait thrives on changing the rules. Whether pioneering a new approach to retail distribution, transforming the game and toy industry, or forging a fresh approach to corporate culture, Richard is always exploring new ways to do things differently. Find out how Richard broke the rules to create success and used word of mouth to make Cranium the fastest-selling board game in history.
Networking Activity: World's Largest Cranium Live Game
1:15 p.m. — 1:45 p.m.Take part in the world's largest Cranium Live game, a networking activity brought to you by Richard Tait, Grand Poo-Bah of Cranium Inc. Compete with and against other word of mouth marketers -- and make some connections while you do it.
Stunts vs. Science: What Does it Take to Spark the Conversation?
2:00 p.m. — 2:45 p.m.- Cricket Wardein, SVP, Account Services, PopularMedia
- Neal Stewart, Director of Marketing, Flying Dog Brewery
- Lloyd Silverman, CEO/Founder, Comunic8
What does it take to get people to talk about you? Where does spontaneous word of mouth come from? Join this session to find out the truths and dispel the myths about getting word of mouth started. Learn techniques and methods that you can apply to your business now.
The Influencer or Network: What Matters More?
2:00 p.m. — 2:45 p.m.- Ed Keller, CEO, Keller Fay Group
- Dr. Barak Libai, Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management
- Sean O'Driscoll, General Manager, Support Communities & MVP, Microsoft
Are influentials -- the one person in ten who tells the other nine what to think and buy -- real? Do they span product categories? Do they matter in the age of the social network, or has "group think" gained new power? Join the debate on influencers vs. networks -- and find out which has more impact for marketers.
How Does Washington View WOM?
2:00 p.m. — 2:45 p.m.- Tony DiResta, Partner, Reed Smith
One of the three pillars of WOMMA is ethics. We know that a strong point of view and guidelines can protect both the consumer and the industry. Meanwhile, Washington must keep an eye out for other marketing practices to fulfill its role to protect consumers.
Learn how the folks in Washington view a host of marketing ethics issues, as well as what it means for you.
Vegas, Mystique, and Word of Mouth: Shhh… Keep This a Secret
3:15 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.- Jordan D. Clark, Vice President of Sales, Las Vegas, Harrah Entertainment
Admit it … we all love to talk about Vegas. From Texas Hold Em' to Sunday afternoon pool parties, and more "I can't believe I did that" moments than any other city, Vegas is a town that benefits more than any other in so called talk-drivers. What's the secret sauce? Is it the mystique? Don't even think about missing this panel featuring Vegas cab drivers and other staple characters from Sin City.
WOM Tools: Ten Tools to Spread the Word
4:15 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.- Geno Church, Word of Mouth Guru, Brains on Fire
- Adi Sideman, President & CEO, Oddcast
- How can you sustain word of mouth?
- What are the latest tools that you use to amplify word of mouth around your business of organization?
Learn from WOM practioners who are deploying programs today. They will deliver 5 tools and techniques you can apply now. Audience members will deliver the other 5 in a rapid-fire segment that lets everyone participate; it's conference-meets-un-conference in a session that will give you practical tools that you can take back to the office and start using today.
Who Owns Word of Mouth? (And Who Should?)
4:15 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.- Rick Murray, President, me2revolution, Edelman
- Paul Rand, President & CEO, Zocalo Group
Since day one, WOMMA has attracted a diverse medley of potential word of mouth owners: Ad agencies, PR firms, specialty WOM shops, media firms, and more. All of these folks arel vying for a leadership position.
- Who is best suited to word of mouth marketing?
- Who really owns WOM -- or is that the wrong question?
Sparks will fly in this session because the answer has huge implications for future winners and losers in the agency services and brand management arena.