Learning Objectives For A Course on WOM, Buzz, and Viral Marketing Communication

This is how it begins. When I design a new course I start with what I want the students to take away at the end. Here's a list that I came up with.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Identify factors contributing to the recent resurgence in word-of-mouth (WOM);
• Trace the history of academic and popular press ideas that inform the current WOM, buzz, and viral marketing industry;
• Articulate how WOM is both a set of activities and a larger philosophy;
• Identify reasons why consumers engage in WOM;
• Compare and contrast characteristics of everyday (organic) and organized (amplified) WOM;
• Apply effective strategies of monitoring, tracking, and listening to consumer WOM in both online and offline venues;
• Demonstrate how WOM concepts and principles inform a WOMM company’s business practices;
• Integrate effectively WOM principles into an organization’s business practices;
• Measure and track ROI and other key outcome metrics for organized WOM programs;
• Distinguish between ethical and unethical WOM practices;
• Reflect critically on your own WOM communication practices.

What else should students come away with?

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Tags: WOM word of mouth Word-of-Mouth Marketing buzz marketing viral marketing marketing communication