BzzAgent Word-of-Mouth Reaches 10.5MM Consumers in 2006 Consumer Involvement, Activity Level Doubles Annually

BzzAgent volunteers spread honest word of mouth to 10.5 million friends and family members in 2006, a 100 percent increase over the previous year.

Washington, DC; Word of Mouth Marketing Summit & Research Symposium (PRWEB) December 11, 2006 -- BzzAgent, Inc., the industry's fastest growing word-of-mouth marketing and media firm, today announced top-line results from the 108 word-of-mouth programs it implemented in 2006. The company's campaigns topped 450,000 Agent registrations, who in turn shared their unscripted opinions about products and services with 10.5 million consumers.

The average size of a BzzAgent program has more than doubled since 2005, indicating that managed word of mouth is becoming a standard item in a brand's media mix. A year ago, campaign registrations approached 225,000 Agents who "bzzed" nearly 5 million friends and family members.

The depth of engagement our Agents have with our clients' brands is equally, if not more, critical. BzzAgent volunteers personally experience the products they discuss and they commonly engage in lengthy conversations. Word of mouth is a marketing medium that extends well beyond simple impressions or even click-through rates.

"Reach is only part of the value of this medium," said Dave Balter, founder and CEO of BzzAgent. "The depth of engagement our Agents have with our clients' brands is equally, if not more, critical. BzzAgent volunteers personally experience the products they discuss and they commonly engage in lengthy conversations. Word of mouth is a marketing medium that extends well beyond simple impressions or even click-through rates."

BzzAgent based its analysis on reported incidents of word of mouth as well as industry norms for generational reach. Specifically, in 2006 the company's network of unpaid volunteers reported that they had discussed campaign-related items with nearly 4 million friends and family members, who - according to third-party studies - were likely to tell an additional 6.5 million people about the products.

The latest discoveries in the word-of-mouth industry contradict conventional marketing wisdom. For example, university researchers determined the act of disclosing one's involvement with a marketing program does not impede reach - as many experts had assumed - but rather amplifies it. In recent months, BzzAgent has removed "reporting points" from many campaigns to test the correlation between word-of-mouth activity and rewards. According to John Bigay, BzzAgent's vice president of marketing, "More than 220,000 different people joined BzzAgent campaigns last year. Engaging a population of this size provides us with a valuable looking glass into what motivates everyday people to share their opinions on behalf of brands. We will continue to study how effective word of mouth is triggered, and we will continue to refine our model accordingly."

About BzzAgent, Inc.
BzzAgent Inc. is a word-of-mouth marketing and media firm that helps companies to organize and manage honest, real-world conversations among everyday consumers. BzzAgent's innovative process, platform and programs enable the acceleration and measurement of word-of-mouth as a marketing medium. Using such systems, BzzAgent's clients can generate awareness and shape perception about their products and services either via BzzAgent's growing community of nearly 250,000 trained, volunteer brand evangelists or by way of their own client-branded word-of-mouth networks that are customized, hosted and built by BzzAgent. In four years, BzzAgent community members have engaged in more than eight million product-related conversations. For more information, visit www.bzzagent.com.

BzzAgent is a registered trademark of BzzAgent, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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