I've just read Buzzmarketing. It's a lively, fun to read book. Can't be too shabby - its promotional website claims it's been chosen as part of the curriculum by two business schools at prestigious universities.
Many of the ideas were new to me, and I was sincerely surprised by some of them. Hughes presents six rules for buzzmarketing, that is, marketing that is so interesting that it causes people to talk about it.
That's important, he says, because the amount of advertising we're subjected to each day causes us to increasingly tune it out. And, buzzmarketing, also known as "word of mouth" marketing, is ten times more effective than paid advertising. I don't recall if he offers to document that claim, but I find I do believe that it's mostly true.
After all, I know I often prefer to ask someone I know for advice or a recommendation rather than do even the simplest research. I'd rather ask someone where the nearest drugstore is than look up drugstores in the yellow pages.
Back to the rules. One of the rules he names if you wish to inspire buzz, you might break a taboo. The example I remember most of taboo breaking that led to Buzz is several of Britney Spears' decisions -- to bare her navel in a music video, to perform with a snake.
I want to implement buzzmarketing, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what would be comparable -- and still consistent with a public library's overall aims and image -- in the library world.
