How Proctor and Gamble established The WOM model in 2002

A lot of our success stories are about how the latest WOM models have taken the business world by storm, but most people don't know that Proctor and Gamble was one of the first companies to engage in WOM strategies to capture an international audience.

Established in 2002, a time where blogging was in its infancy, Tremor is a word-of-mouth firm directly established by P&G specifically to engage in WOM services.

Having a specialized department like this allows P&G to refine specific WOM models for every different product and service.

What can we learn from P&G's WOM strategy? Let’s take a look.

1. “Influencers are different from Trendsetters” – Erika Brown, Teen Experience Director of Tremor

Don’t just hire popular people that other people want to look at. Get people that other people will listen to.

Based on their consumer data, Tremor identified two groups of people that were influential – teenagers and moms.

The WOM strategy works best when done through credible, everyday common people, creating not only tight community but taking advantage of the social fabric that ties people together, not just consumers.

While targeting particular audiences is not uncommon, this strategy uses a 'chain reaction' mechanism. One influencer pulls in many other people to be interested in the product, and those other people pull in other people...and the chain goes on!

2. Set up a platform for communication

Established in 2002, Vocalpoint.com is The Meeting Place for moms actively engaged in the community.

More than just being an online platform for sharing feedback and reviews, Vocalpoint extends itself into the household with mums sharing new ideas and meeting other mums, building a strong network of trust and familiarity.

This is the key to Tremor’s success and why it has such a huge influence on the household product market.

Vocalpoint is more than social media connectivity – it brings people together through events and parties and personalized gift packages, drawing people into their close-knit network.

3. More than that, keep evolving with the times

In the advent of social media, Tremor launched Bzzagent, bringing teenagers onboard to the extent of their influence. Teens were invited to participate deeply in brand marketing and strategizing.

By inviting your influencers to be a part of you, you get their sustained dedication. The need to develop a “relationship of trust with your network” is one principle that drives this evolution.

Jumping on to the social media bandwagon is but the first step, and the company still engages in offline WOM and advertising strategies, ensuring no consumer is left out.

4. Have different platforms for consumers so that they get information that they actually want

Instead of just encourage mailing list subscriptions, Tremor offers personalized portals for their consumers, depending on the type of service and products that they personally engage in.

This connects them with like-minded consumers and specific departments that consumers will communicate with. Not only is this service incredibly personal, the most loyal of fans can act as your company's customer service helpers, answering questions and discussing about the latest products!

With the tremendous success that Tremor has had, the company extends its service to other business that want to get in on this program.

Not only does this generate even more WOM hits, it reinforces the success and achievability of this business model. This only makes the portal even more diverse and relevant.

Recap: What can we learn from P&G's successful model?

1. Go from ground-up by involving people who have influence from the ground - Teenagers and mums
2. Create/use platforms where communities can form and networks can be built between individuals
3. Keep evolving! Make sure to use the latest and most powerful social tools to help your marketing.
4. Provide your customers with a variety of services they can use

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