Keller Ed - The face-to-face book : why real relationships rule in a digital marketplace

Praise for THE FACE-TO-FACE BOOK

Ed Keller and Brad Fay have tapped into the secret of becoming a must-have brand: Its the word you spread in the real, rather than virtual, world that matters. Jean Chatzky, financial editor of NBCs Today show and bestselling author of Make Money, Not Excuses

See why despite the hype, social media is not always so shiny and definitely not so new. The Face-to-Face Book is the real word-of-mouth book. Jon Bond, CEO of Big Fuel and cofounder of Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners

Word-of-mouth is a topic all businesses should understand, and no one has better data on consumers face-to-face conversations than Ed Keller and Brad Fay. Before you jump on the social media bandwagon, be sure to read this book. Jonah Berger, Marketing Professor, The Wharton School

This book is approachable and immediately applicable for the marketer who wants to understand the new consumer landscape. Keller and Fay shine a well-documented light on a new marketing model that reimagines social media and word-of-mouth at the center of a marketing mix. The book is filled with examples that inspire and demonstrate the link to business results. Mark Addicks, SVP / Chief Marketing Officer, General Mills

In a world being reshaped by technology, customers crave a sense of humanitycompanies that exude a sense of values, brands that engage emotionally. In this important and timely book, Ed Keller and Brad Fay remind marketers, executives, and innovators of all kinds that the best way to get people talking about what you offer is to offer them something worth talking about. Yes, the Internet is changing everything. But if you want to make your organization more memorable, make it more human. William C. Taylor, cofounder of Fast Company and author of Practically Radical

IN 1848 GOLD WAS DISCOVERED IN CALIFORNIA, setting off a frenzy that sent men and women from across the American continent flocking to the West Coast in search of fortune. The Gold Rush brought wealth to some, but most left empty-handed.

Today, marketing consultants Ed Keller and Brad Fay say social media is unleashing a new kind of frenzy. Blinded by the shiny allure of sites like Facebook and Twitter, companies are spending billions, pinning their hopes on social media marketing without appreciating how social influence truly functions in the marketplace. Thats where Keller and Fay come in.

For the past six years, they have undertaken a unique, ongoing study of consumer conversations. The surprising result? Over 90 percent of consumer conversations still take place offline, primarily face to face. The implication is clear: Social media is big and growing, but it is dwarfed by the real world in which people live and interact.

Make no mistake. There is a hugely important social wave rolling across the world of business today. New scientific evidence reveals that we humans are fundamentally social beings for whom social influence determines nearly every decision we make. And the greatest impact comes when those conversations happen face to face, as emotions and nonverbal cues are communicated along with words.

In The Face-to-Face Book, Keller and Fay offer key insights and recommendations for how businesses, both large and small, can best succeed in todays socially motivated consumer marketplace by looking at how consumers act in real life as well as online. The authors share their extensive research and the stories of companieslarge, such as Apple, General Mills, KimberlyClark, and Toyota, as well as innovative small businessesthat have hit pay dirt with a balanced and holistic approach to social marketing. They also discuss those that have bet big and lost by over-committing to online social media alone.

The Face-to-Face Book does not overlook the extraordinary growth and importance of social media, which offers important new tools for businesses of all kinds; however, the authors caution against placing too grand a bet on online social media at the expense of other forms of social marketing.

This book is a celebration of the supremely social nature of all human beings and how that drives the consumer marketplace. Its a story that will leave you thinking anew, and talking.

KEVIN VAN TASSELL

ED KELLER is the CEO of the Keller Fay Group and has been called one of the most recognized names in word-of-mouth. The publication of his first book, The Influentials, has been called a seminal moment in the development of word-of-mouth. He is a past president of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) and of the Market Research Council. He lives in New York.

KEITH GRIESINGER

BRAD FAY is the chief operating officer of the Keller Fay Group. Brad won the Grand Innovation Award of the Advertising Research Foundation for the development of Keller Fays TalkTrack, a continuous measurement system for all consumer conversations about brands and companies, both offline and online. He lives in New Jersey.

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Praise for The Face-to-Face Book

A timely reminder from two of the most influential minds in business that creating real relationships requires more than counting likes and shares. For brands that want to avoid chasing the latest social media trend and harness the power of a face-to-face relationship, this book will give you the inspiration and tools to do it!

Rohit Bhargava, SVP of Social@Ogilvy and author of Likeonomics

Ed Keller and Brad Fay are at the very front edge of the industry conversation about how to get consumers talking, and they are creating new wisdom on the subject every day. The Face-to-Face Book is a must-read for anyone looking for inspiration to drive buzz in new ways, as we have been doing at NBCUniversal.

Tony Cardinale, EVP Brand Planning and Strategic Insights at NBCUniversal

The Face-to-Face Book presents cutting-edge thinking in a great book. With the explosion of digital marketing and the increasing hype of social media we tend to forget that a table and several chairs is still a favorite way for word of mouth to spread. If you want to understand the true impact of your marketing, pick up this book. You are in for a great ride!

Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist, Intel

The Face-to-Face Book is incredibly useful for anyone in marketing. Keller and Fays research covers the broadest spectrum of brand-relevant conversations, which then lays the groundwork for communication strategies that are social by design instead of simply social as a channel. At SMG we have found that more meaningful conversations about brands will lead to the more meaningful human experiences that truly drive long-term marketplace success.

Kate Sirkin, EVP, Global Research, Starcom MediaVest Group

Charles Handy once said, measuring more is easy, measuring better is hardthats what this book is about. Keller and Fay have cracked the code on providing a complete assessment of the origins and impact of word of mouth, its multiplier effect, and the ultimate in earned media.

Artie Bulgrin, SVP Research and Analytics, ESPN, Inc.