*** My WOM Enthusiast hat is on with this post.

It’s a few weeks until WOMMA’s Creating Talkable Brands Conference (Nov. 18 – 20, Las Vegas). Sign-ups have been strong. And for good reason — the agenda is strong.
There are over 40 sessions with 4 learning tracks and 4 keynotes addresses (.pdf agenda). For each of the breakout sessions, WOMMA is pairing up a Brand with an Agency. So you’ll hear both perspectives, the brand-side and the agency-side, in each breakout.
To help make sense out of the packed agenda, I’ve been sharing highlights from Day 1 and Day 2 on the ALL THINGS WOM blog. Here’s a sample of how I’m breaking down the agenda...
DAY ONE Highlights
The Annual State of Word of Mouth Address
[Wed. Nov. 18 | 2:00 - 2:45]
Dr. Walter Carl has been a fixture in past WOMMA Conferences. Of course he’ll share new information on measuring WOM, that’s what he’s known for. He’ll also give us marketers more ammunition to better sell-in our WOM programs up the corporate food chain.
KEYNOTE: The Anatomy of Buzz
[Wed. Nov. 18 | 3:00 - 3:45]
Emanuel Rosen, an author and marketer who helped to spark interest in word of mouth marketing nearly ten years ago with the publication of THE ANATOMY OF BUZZ, returns to keynote a WOMMA Conference. Earlier this year Emanuel updated his influential book on WOM to include new learnings, new methods, and new case studies. His presentation will share the latest insight on all things WOM.
Choosing the Right Agency for your Social Media Marketing Projects
[Wed. Nov. 18 | 5:15 - 6:00]
David Witt (public relations manager, General Mills), Christine Morrison (social media manager, Intuit), and Steve Knox (ceo, Procter & Gamble Tremor) will advise brand marketers on what to look for in a social media agency partner. The beauty of this session is you’ll get both sides of the story (brand and agency) to help you better prepare your RFP and to whittle down the seemingly endless agency options. A must-attend session for brand marketers.
DAY TWO Highlights
Answers from Academics to WOM’s Toughest Questions
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 9:35 – 10:30am]
There is an art and a science to word of mouth marketing. This session will focus more on the science of WOM. Brad Fay from the KellerFay Group will ask Professors (Walter Carl & Jonah Berger) and PhDs (Lezan Aksoy & Barak Libai) important questions about the motivations for why people talk. The differences between how online and offline WOM spreads will no doubt be covered. And, I’m expecting a heated debate about targeting “influentials” versus “influenceables.” Answers from these academics will be steeped in research and deep analysis. Every marketer is sure to learn something new from this session.
True Believers: Turning Skeptical Co-Workers into Progressive WOM Marketers
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 11:00 – 11:45am]
I read the proposal Sean McDonald (Ant’s Eye View) and Sam Decker (Bazzarvoice) sent in for this session and thought this will be the most creative session at the conference. Sean and Sam have outlined all the corporate characters who can derail the success of a WOM marketing plan. We’ll meet the finance guy ("Eddie Excel") who always cries out for the ROI. “Fanny Facebook” is the marketer manager who thinks all she needs is a Facebook fan page, without any strategy, and WOM will happen. “Freddy Filabuster” shows up to grandstand against a marketer’s plan, but he’s only interested in advancing his career and not advancing the business.
Fun and creative stuff, for sure. But the session will also be helpful in giving us advice on overcoming the objections and misguided approaches from co-workers, thus, paving the way for our WOM marketing plans to succeed.
Power Lunch with Kristian Bush of Sugarland
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 12:45 – 1:45]
Sugarland is one of the more popular country music acts, winning Grammy awards and winning fans. Much of Sugarland’s success stems from the band’s LOVE THE FANS philosophy. The band does creative things to keep their fans involved from scavenger hunts for hidden tickets to a continuous stream of interesting tweets on Twitter.
A band is indeed a brand. We marketers can learn lots from how Sugarland broke through the clutter of country music bands to become a success. Ted Wright from Fizz will set the stage for Kristian Bush, singer and guitarist from Sugarland, to share how Sugarland uses word of mouth marketing strategies to make his band a success.
That's only a smidgen of all the happenings on Day 1 & Day 2 at the upcoming Creating Talkable Brands Conference. I haven't begun to highlight the afternoon sessions on Day 2 nor the morning sessions on Day 3. (BTW, you can save $200 on the registration fee. Learn more here.)
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