Word of Mouth Movements need Strong Identities

Posted on March 23rd, 2009 by Spike and currently 2 commenting.

Almost a year ago, I touched on how and why Identity Development and Word of Mouth belong together. This isn’t going to be a repeat of that post, but instead it’s going to be a different angle.

In a forthcoming manifesto, we’re going to reveal the 8 Lessons Learned in Creating Word of Mouth Movements. And one of those lessons is that Movements have Powerful Identities.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record: It is hard-wired in all of us that we desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. But a part of what? And how do you know what that “what” is unless it has an identity? And do you want to be a part of it if it’s an identity that you can relate to? That “gets” who you are and what you stand for? And that’s waaaaaaayyyyy beyond the logo. It’s the language and imagery. It’s the tone of voice and how that identity is presented consistently over many, many touchpoints.

All of us have a unique identity. And we’re drawn to different things or at least draw to things in different ways. When it comes to word of mouth movements, the identity of the movement – what you’re hoping your fans will be a part of – is crucial. It must be authentic. It must be transparent. And it must be a powerful extension of the company/organization.

If not, you’ll end up in “just another” land faster than you can say, “Hey, let’s start a Twitter account.”