One measure of the strength of a brand is the willingness of consumers to say something positive about the brand to others. This is referred to as a brand’s positive “word of mouth” (WOM). If something is interesting or useful enough for a person to say something positive about it to others, it is generally thought to be a strong brand. In a recent Kelly Fay Group study, the brands with the highest net positive scores were Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Sony, and Toyota. In a study of teens (ages 13-17), the top brands were iPod, American Eagle, Dr. Pepper, Chevrolet, and Nintendo.
Research indicates that the attributes that make a brand worth sharing include such things as value, reliability, and offering something worth sharing. It is understandable that these brands would rate highly in these areas. In our research, we rarely find radio stations that rate highly in positive WOM. The percent of people willing to tell others about their favorite radio stations rarely reach double digits. Soon after signing on a new station might reach higher net positives, but after a few months even these stations trail off.
The irony of radio’s poor WOM is that success of word of mouth has little to do with innovation or novelty. New products or services do not inherently generate higher positive WOM, as the top scoring brands demonstrate. Positive WOM is generated by a product’s ability to solve a problem or serve a useful purpose. Apparently few people see radio stations doing either very well.
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