Lost in Translation: The Social Shaping of Marketing Messaging

Kozinets Robert V. (), Kristine de Valck (), Wojnicki Andrea () and Wilner Sarah J. S. ()
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Kozinets Robert V.: Professor of Marketing, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada
Kristine de Valck: Associate Professor of Marketing, HEC Paris, France
Wojnicki Andrea: Marketing Communications Consultant, Canada
Wilner Sarah J. S.: Assistant Professor of Marketing Wilfred Laurier University, Canada

NIM Marketing Intelligence Review, 2014, vol. 6, issue 2, 22-27

Abstract: Word of mouth marketing (WOMM) does not travel as unidirectionally and straight as previously assumed. Rather, consumers are active co-producers of value and translate and transform marketing meanings. Word of mouth resulting from marketing communications can be anything from euphoric to resistant, and the discourse evolving around a product seeding has a strong impact on how this product is perceived. As messages become translated into meaningful, communally shared material, particular cultural restraints cause possibilities open up, rules to become less constraining, and the principles and guidelines for successful social branding engagement to become much more about human relationships than one-way communication. Social brand engagement is a genuine, natural interconnection between brand mentions and consumer-to-consumer social experiences. Therefore, simply observing the reach and valence of product mentions is too short sighted. To effectively attain social brand engagement, promotions need to seem authentic and congruent with people, media, other content and the offline or online context. A deep analysis of what is going on in the prospective environment of a message to be seeded is a precondition for the optimal design of a WOMM campaign and the accurate interpretation of its success.

Keywords: WOM; Blogs; Social Media; Product Seeding; Network Co-Production; Consumer-Marketer; Social Brand Engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:gfkmir:v:6:y:2014:i:2:p:22-27:n:5

DOI: 10.2478/gfkmir-2014-0094

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