Rating: 
Summary: Not what I was expecting
Review: The author starts out great, detailing the concepts of buzz. But then he gets too deep into explaining and proving his points. I had purchased this as an audible book. Had to skip numerous chapters as they were redundant. I was looking for something that would provide me with the concepts and tools to take advantage of buzz for my products. The concepts are there, if you are willing to listen/read all of the filler. I've gotten through about 3 of the 8 hours of the tape and I've lost interest
Rating: 
Summary: Very disapointing
Review: The book attempts, but horibbly fails, to catalog the different mechanisms for buzz, or word of mouth marketing. There is nothing here that you couldn't draw from high school level social dynamics, observable by anyone who invests 10 minutes of consideration. Popular people have more points of contact. There. You don't have to read the book now.
Rating: 
Summary: Invisible but Powerful Human Networks
Review: Think about it. How many times have you been asked "Seen a good movie lately?" or "What's your favorite Italian restaurant?" or "Where can I get the best deal on an air conditioner?" The single most powerful but least understood form of marketing is word-of-mouth and yet, until now, no one has devoted to it the attention it deserves. In the Foreword to this book, Everett M. Rogers observes, "New products and services spread among the consumer public through interpersonal communication networks. These networks are for the most part invisible. They often operate in mysterious ways.. Thus we are largely blind to this very powerful marketing process. No wonder that we fail so often in our efforts to diffuse innovations." He's right.Rosen explains how to create effective word-of-mouth marketing with material organized within three Parts: How Buzz Spreads, Success in the Networks, and Stimulating Buzz. It is important to stress that Buzz results only in combination with a superior product or service. As Jeffrey Gitomer correctly points out, "customer satisfaction" is achieved only on a per-transaction basis; the objective is to achieve and then sustain "customer loyalty." It is not only possible but common for a new product or service to generate Buzz initially but if the quality is not sustainable (preferably enhanced), what I call Positive Buzz can become Negative Buzz. (Even under Rosen's personal supervision, no matter how much perfume you pour on a pig, it's still a pig. The only buzz it generates will be provided by insects.) The "interpersonal communication networks" to which Rogers refers can just as effectively (and probably more quickly) "get the word out" about a defective product or unsatisfactory service. Obviously, no Buzz is preferable to Negative Buzz. Rosen is talking about Positive Buzz. He explains HOW to take full advantage of the marketing opportunities it permits. In Chapter 16, "Buzz Workshop", he asks and then answers a series of very basic but profoundly important questions. (All by itself, this final chapter is well-worth the cost of the book. I strongly recommend that this chapter be re-read on a regular basis. Competitive marketplaces do have a way of changing, don't they?) Once having read the book, the reader is well-prepared to select and then implement those concepts, strategies, and tactics which are most appropriate to her or his own situation. This book will be especially valuable to small-to-midsize companies with limited resources but the success of any marketing efforts (Buzz or otherwise) will still depend upon the quality of the product or service offered. All of us now actively involved in marketing owe a substantial debt to Rosen. Revealingly, the quality of his thinking and the originality of his ideas created Buzz long before his book was published. The acclaim he continues to receive is richly deserved.
Rating: 
Summary: Practical ideas for anyone who's trying to make some noise
Review: This book demonstrates the power of grass roots marketing at its finest. There are lots of thought provoking suggestions that will inspire new ideas for your specific circumstance.
You should read this book all the way through...and then go back with a pad of paper and pencil handy. Let the whole concept sink in...and then re-read it with your own business in mind.
Well worth the read and re-read!
Rating:
Summary: Buzz only works with the right products
Review: This book isn't really about creating buzz for just ANY product but about how, for instance, an already good book can be turned into a bestseller or a small, but engaging, movie into a "must-see" phenomenom. In other words, don't think you can buy this book and discover how to turn an average or lackluster book or product into a winner - but if you have a potential winner already, you can find out how to make the nost of it by utilizing word or mouth and other promotional methods- the "buzz" that builds around a standout in the marketplace.
Rating:
Summary: Create some Buzz
Review: This is a great topic, and explains the phenomenon of buzz in a new and informative way that I have yet to come across. I am entering the field of PR and this book has offered insight that none of my university classes have managed to touch on. For more inspiration, pick up M.Levine's "Guerrilla P.R Wired," which I picked up because of the "buzz" on the Internet.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Stuff
Review: This is a wonderful book that goes into legitimate, real-life methods of how Word of Mouth(buzz) is created. A great read...The Anatomy of Buzz is full of interesting stuff for the general reader, but even more helpful for the businessperson, beginning marketer, advertising executive, etc., very thought-provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Stuff
Review: This is a wonderful book that goes into legitimate, real-life methods of how Word of Mouth(buzz) is created. A great read...The Anatomy of Buzz is full of interesting stuff for the general reader, but even more helpful for the businessperson, beginning marketer, advertising executive, etc., very thought-provoking.
Rating:
Summary: This book is brilliant
Review: This is the best book on "buzz" I have ever read. I will give every one of our clients this book- and you should too.
Buzz is where it is at in the world of PR and Emmanuel Rosen has taught it well. Buy this book- give it to your friends....Rick Frishman- Pres. Planned TV Arts (NYC) Co-author GUERRILLA PUBLICITY & GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS
Rating:
Summary: Bustling Buzzers Busily Boost Business
Review: This is the first book I recall that looks at the word-of-mouth phenomenon as a management activity for modern marketing. While Edward Bernays often recounted fascinating tales of how public relations helped move products by setting fashion, he never focused on the face-to-face aspects of how new ideas spread. Robert Cialdini has done remarkable work on describing how influence is created, but does not squarely focus on the word-of-mouth aspects of that influence. Mr. Rosen has done a sound job of providing a number of interesting, behind-the-scenes examples as well as a context for thinking about word-of-mouth marketing. (I actually ended up trying some products describe here that I probably wouldn't have otherwise, such as the novel, Cold Mountain). The book's main weakness is that it focuses on word-of-mouth about products rather the broader question of how word-of-mouth creates opinions in all areas of society. Mr. Rosen defines buzz as "the sum of all comments about a certain product that are exchanged among people at any given time." Naturally, you can have either good buzz ("It's great!) or bad buzz ("Avoid at all costs."). It is easy to us to underestimate the power of these comments before we consider our own experiences. For example, if audiences hate a new movie, the word soon gets out and ticket sales plunge. You have probably seen people waiting in line to buy tickets asking those leaving a theater how the movie was. Here you have an example of perfect strangers advising each other and making purchase decisions based on these interactions. Naturally, this occurs much more frequently with authority figures (like Oprah for books) and people we know well (our family, friends and neighbors). For example, I always ask my older son before seeing any movie. He will have already seen the movie and knows my tastes. I will always have a good experience if I follow his guidance. The examples in the book formed the core of the interest for me. The concepts in the book were familiar to me from my days as an executive in the alcoholic beverage industry. Because of significant limitations on selling liquor with advertising, new brands are built almost totally through buzz aided by bar parties and other activities. I was surprised that there were no substantial stories from liquor or cigarettes (remember the cartoon of Joe Camel?), both of which depend heavily on creating buzz. In addition to learning more about how buzz works, this book also offers guidance on how to encourage and accelerate that buzz. The book is divided into three parts: The first looks at how buzz spreads (a small percentage of all the people do all of the connecting together of information networks); the second examines what makes for success with buzz (having things people want to talk about and encouraging that talking); and the third details how to stimulate buzz for your business (this is summarized in a workshop for you in chapter 16). Publishers, book authors, music companies, companies that provide breakthrough technology (the Palm Pilot), and people who make exciting consumer goods (like the BMW) will get the most benefit from this book. The examples and lessons best apply in those markets. People with limited marketing budgets should consider the book also to help organize the questions to ask oneself for stimulating interest in a product. I also suggest that you read up on Edward Bernays, Robert Cialdini (Influence), and Ernest Dichter. A recent book, Networlding, is a very helpful complement to this book in describing how to create more effective and meaningful relations with others to transfer information and assistance. After you have finished reading this book, I suggest that you step back and consider how you could improve the value of what you make for your customers and potential customers, reprice it to make it more accessible, and reduce your costs so that you have more resources to share with your customers and other stakeholders. In that way, you will have something better to buzz about! Provide great products first!
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