Situation: A company wants to quickly create high profile buzz around a new offering. What have other companies done or seen that could help the company quickly create this type of market presence? How do you create buzz?

Advice from the CEOs:

• Buzz is hard to measure. It is also difficult to link buzz directly to sales.
• Getting press, assuming that it is positive, is often called “free advertising.”
  • If a company is paying a professional public relations (PR) consultant, positive press is not free. When PR is successful and sustained, however, it arguably has a better ROI than advertising.
  • Published articles, particularly those by authors not associated with the company, are viewed by the customer as more legitimate than advertising. Additionally, with the Internet, the longevity of these articles can be quite long. The reach extends far beyond publications’ off-line circulation, and search engines make the articles easy to access.
• Successful companies want to do business with other successful companies. What can the company highlight to show prospective clients that it is successful?
  • Substantiation is critical to getting positive coverage – assure that there is no “vaporware.” Given the power of social media vaporware can quickly destroy an offering.
• One member of the group suggested that the ownership of patents might generate positive press and social media coverage.
• Leverage in-house thought leaders.
• Seek help from celebrities – “Hollywood” investors and individuals with substantial social media followings.

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