Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example   In 2001, BzzAgent sought to create a platform that â€Å"would allow people to experience new products and services, share their honest opinions with people they knew and report those activities and opinions so marketers could directly see the results† (What is BzzAgent?). The company claims that it has since generated positive responses from businesses in promoting their diverse products and services. From 50 programs after two years operations, it has already handled a total of some 350 programs, recruiting some 2,000 to 4,000 â€Å"volunteers† each week which are being added to its current list of some 370,000 members in the United States, Canada, and U.K. Essentially, buzz marketing seeks to initiate involvement of enlisted individuals (called buzz agents) in directly influencing, through their social networks, would-be consumers through word of mouth instead of first creating  consumer satisfaction naturally. Conversations where positive buzz is injected can take place in the workplace, in social gatherings (meetings and parties), store aisles, playfields, and in online communities, among other venues. How are agents chosen?   From the list of agents the company can pick the right agents on the basis of their demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics.   BzzAgent provides such services as recruitment, management and communications, polls and surveys, 24-hour access to live program data, as well as data analysis and metrics, from quantitative impact of the campaign to the insights about attitudes and perceptions. (What is BzzAgent?) It has been shown that word of mouth is considerably more effective than conventional corporate media advertising because receivers of such referrals tend to trust that the communicator is honest and has no ulterior motive in talking positively about a particular brand or  product. Besides, buzz marketing has an edge over other promotional methods