What's Wrong with this Picture?

Share this

"When Sears Portrait Studios wanted to lure new mothers, it didn't just order more ads of smiling babies or mail out big coupons," writes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Instead, the company hired the Vandiver Group "to create a word-of-mouth marketing campaign in mid-2003." First, Vandiver identified "influentials" - people others look to for information or advice - who are mothers, using phone surveys. Survey questions included whether the moms engage in "influential" activities like writing letters to the editor or attending public meetings. Then panels of these "mom influentials" were asked "about proposed product changes, advertising and marketing strategies, other studios and what the company could do better. These conversations were designed to give insights into the company and spark the mothers to spread the word about Sears Portrait Studios. ... After the panels, the mothers received free portrait packages as a thank-you for their time."