The Buzz on Buzz Marketing
The Internet is changing the face of how products are marketed in Japan. The increase in number of internet community portal sites where those with common interest spread information word off mouth are what brought buzz marketing to a new level. One of the most well known community sites in Japan is cosme.net, a portal site specializing in cosmetics. With 600 thousand registered members and more than 3 million written reviews on a variety of cosmetics, the influence the site has is large enough that any item with a good review is said to sell well. The surprise is that this trend can be seen regardless of how large or small the cosmetics manufacturer. Cosmetics developed by previously unknown manufacturers are selling extremely well without investing millions on advertising fees, which is forcing large cosmetic manufactures to rethink their sales and marketing strategies. There are now companies that have utilized the site's influence to their advantage as a cost efficiently way to do research and development.
Blogs have also become major players in this buzz marketing phenomenon because of affiliate programs where individuals recommend products on their blogs. It is important to note that this trend towards buzz marketing is not just present in the consumer goods market but other industries as well, such as the food service industry, etc.
B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Puget Sound in Washington.