I've always wondered how P&G's Tremor unit goes about "building buzz" via its teen connectors. Now that it's feeling some heat due to the Commercial Alert complaint, people are writing about how they actually do what they do. A column in the Philadelphia Inquirer (reg. required) explains how Tremor works:
"Tremor teens aren't told what to say about them. Nor are they paid - if you don't count coupons, discounts, free downloads and product samples, or the status that some may get from being trendsetters.
...But Tremor's underlying purpose is plain before you get that far. If you check it out yourself or with your teen, remember to adopt the right persona. You'll be turned away if you give the wrong answers to such questions as, 'What do you typically do when you find something new that you like?'
Tremor's goal is to find teens who are 'connectors,' chiefly because of their large social networks and a knack for persuading others to follow their lead.
It sets a high bar: A connector's instant-message buddy list will likely have 150 to 200 names, says spokeswoman Robin Schroeder.
About 15 percent of Tremor wannabes are initially invited to join. But nearly half of those don't make the final cut, because Tremor continues to watch to make sure their actual behavior measures up.
Tremor members are constantly asked for their opinions and assured that they matter. One e-mail, for instance, offers a synopsis of a proposed movie and a chance to respond. 'The next movie you watch might be the one you gave us feedback on. Sounds pretty good, huh?'
More important, no doubt, are the Tremor 'programs' that expose them to new products through samples or coupons."
The article goes on to quote a Tremor spokesperson who says "there's nothing sneaky about Tremor's approach, even if the teens keep quiet about their marketing role." Personally, I think without full disclosure up front it is sneaky (and btw, goes against The Word of Mouth Marketing Association's (WOMMA) values of "Honesty of relationship, opinion, and identity). Neither Tremor or P&G are listed as WOMMA members. If buzz marketing firms like Tremor don't push for full disclosure by its connectors (even if they're saying bad things about the product), I think that WOMMA is going to constantly be fighting this type of PR battle...
Posted by anastasia
Marketing
Comments
I recently posted about Commercial Alert's complaints about Tremor on our blog. The crux of the issue seems to be whether or not the teens that tremor members talk to know they are talking to tremor members. P&G claims that their tremor members identify themselves as such, so if this is the case, I see no problem with their activities.
Posted by: Mack Collier | October 31, 2005 9:12 AM
Hi Mack. I was responding to the Inquirer column in which P&G's spokesperson specificially says, "there's nothing sneaky about Tremor's approach, even if the teens keep quiet about their marketing role." To me this implies that they are not required to identify themselves as such.
Posted by: Anastasia | October 31, 2005 9:23 AM