Companies are increasingly relying on the phenomenon of word-of-mouth as a technique to market their goods and services. As a marketing technique, this technique is all about giving people a reason to talk about a product or a service, and making it easier for that conversation to take place. Some companies benefit from this marketing method without even planning for it as it takes place everywhere and in our everyday life. By simply recommending something you bought and have tried to a friend or to a family member, you are helping that product or service sell more and the company selling it to prosper. In fact, the voice of the customer is heard over and above advertising campaigns primarily because it is a natural, genuine and honest voice that does not seek any profit from supporting a certain product or service. This trend is most prominent amongst women who tend to discuss products and services with each other far more than their male counterparts. Forming a distinct part of female psychology, this instinct means that women are likely to discuss things as mundane as washing detergents to mobile phones. “I would trust a friend's opinion more than a commercial that I saw on T.V. because the ad wants to sell regardless of what the product is really like or worth,” stated Israa Al-Abadi, a housewife residing in Jeddah. “I experienced this recently while I was looking for a house in a nice neighborhood, and met with a lot of agents who recommended several compounds but without success. Finally, I came across an old friend who recommended a compound one of her relatives lived in. I took her word for it, visited the place and found what no agent could provide me with.” Another advocate of this marketing technique Al-Shaimaa Mashat is also the creative director in an advertising firm in Jeddah and a mother of two. “I listen to other mothers' recommendations to consider trying new products, especially when it comes to anything that has to do with my kids,” she said. “I trust this trial and error strategy and I trust other mothers' experiences with products.” This inherent trust is something marketing pundits bank on. “One of the objectives of advertising is to create word-of-mouth ‘propaganda' amongst customers,” added Mashat. “We specify our target group and reach them through directed campaigns and promotions, which stimulate word-of-mouth and generate it. It can work as the tipping point for any brand.” Saudi society seems to be uniquely tuned to this marketing tool. “Word-of-mouth is particularly valuable in societies that are highly collectivist, like Saudi society,” remarked Fahad Toonsi, a consultant in a leading international consultancy firm. “In such a society, people congregate and talk freely about their experiences, whether good or bad; people tend to trust each other's opinions and act on each other's advice. This can either make a product or break it.” The trend continues in an increasingly Internet-oriented age with many online shopping Web sites using customer ratings to products and services - evolved form of word-of-mouth. Many customers use these ratings to judge a certain product, especially in terms of technology. Mobile phones, laptops, cameras and other ‘gadgets' are too expensive to buy ‘blindly', so most customers read online reviews and use customer references to make their choice. The same is true for buying books, both online and in a book store. “Word-of-mouth is used extensively by book sellers to promote their best selling books,” said Toonsi. “Since people exhibit herd behavior, they tend to be influenced by the opinions of other buyers.” Whether a clever marketing tool or an essential resource for a variety of buyer, word-of-mouth is fast establishing itself as a primary advertising tool, in part because of a growing awareness amongst the public about the inaccuracy of mainstream advertising but also because of its reliable trial and error concept.
