Tony Marconi Gave Me a GR8T Deal!!!

Disclosure of Identity is the cornerstone of all the Standards of Conduct required of WOMMA (Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association). Imagine you are talking to a new friend, Fran, about car troubles. Fran raves about her mechanic. She swears that Tony Marconi provides great service at a great value. In fact, he even vacuumed the interior and picked her up from work after finishing the job. Take my word - Tony is the best, she says. You whip out your smart phone and search for Tony Marconi Auto Repair. Yelp and Judy’s Book bring up a mix of good, bad and lukewarm reviews. The only glowing review was posted by Fran007.

“Uh oh. Tony Marconi got some bad reviews,” you say

“He’s always been good to me,” says Fran.

“How do you know Tony again?” A trace of doubt flashes across your mind.

“Tony and I go way back,” she says with a swish of her hand. “Oh, that’s right. I thought you already knew. Tony is my son-in-law.”

Fran didn’t benefit from sharing her opinion of Tony Marconi Auto Repair. Her words were genuine, she wasn’t paid or otherwise compensated, she wasn’t restricted in what she said, she wrote reviews for her personal blog as well as Yelp and Judy’s Book, she wasn’t targeting her message to kids and if she did, she would have complied with all requirements. And yet, it’s weird that she never told you that Tony was her son-in-law. Clearly, she’s biased, and you don’t fully trust her opinion now.

A word of mouth campaign boils down to building relationships and building trust. Would you have brought your car to Tony Marconi if Fran told you in the first place that he was her son-in-law? Maybe not, but her forthrightness would have gained your trust. Revealing any kind of relationship, paid or otherwise, shows integrity and builds trust and respect between your representatives and your customers.

Moreover, Disclosure of Identity as a membership requirement of WOMMA safeguards the value and reputation of word of mouth marketing as a whole. After all, one bad apple spoils the bunch.