Keynote
People are the Killer App: Lessons Learned from Creating Word of Mouth Movements
Authentic, sustainable word of mouth marketing is one of the truest forms of brand communication, and it can’t be manufactured or bought. And yet, as more institutions dedicate marketing dollars to assemble word of mouth and buzz marketing programs, how can you build an effective, meaningful movement for your brand that will directly impact your bottom line? How can you identify those brand advocates already speaking out on your behalf, and work with them to develop a natural two-way word of mouth program?
Geno Church from identity company Brains on Fire will explain how word of mouth marketing works and how it doesn’t, providing techniques on how you can start to identify movement-building opportunities for your brand, with authenticity and clear measurement results in mind.
He will highlight successful WOM case studies, including data from the just launched Best Buy Musical Instruments movement and the nationally-recognized Fiskars Brands ‘Fiskateers’ movement, as well as talk about ways to define ROI for your word of mouth marketing programs.
Geno Church - Word of Mouth Inspiration Officer, Brains on Fire
Geno was born and raised in the South and proudly calls Greenville , SC his home. He spent two years at Furman University and went on to the University of South Carolina to receive a degree in Advertising. In his 13+ years with Brains On Fire, Geno has helped build word of mouth into the identities of brands that include Fiskars Brands, the American Booksellers Association, Rawlings Sporting Goods, National Family Partnership, Earshot Independent Music Stores, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, and Rage Against the Haze (South Carolina’s youth led anti-tobacco movement). Geno is responsible for developing word of mouth, buzz, viral and evangelism strategies for Brains on Fire’s clients.
Geno has been repeatedly recognized as a thought leader in both the identity and word of mouth realms and has also received awards from numerous organizations, including the 2004 National ADDYs, where he received honors for his work with Rage Against the Haze. Rage also won a coveted gold Effie award in 2008 and a Wommie award in 2006 from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. The Fiskars Brand Ambassador movement, of which was Geno’s brainchild, was also recognized by ad:tech and the Forrester Groundswell awards in 2007. In addition, the children’s book he helped illustrate and create, The Red Ribbon Works, was used as a backdrop for President Clinton’s War on Drugs.
Geno has given presentations at numerous events, including the National Conference on Tobacco and Health, the American Public Health Association Exposition, several Word of Mouth Marketing Association conferences, Social Media 2007 in Atlanta and Customer Management World 2007 in Johannesburg , South Africa . He is a frequent contributor to the Brains on Fire blog, which is one of the top marketing and word of mouth blogs in the world and referenced industry wide on a weekly basis.
Geno is a co-author of the book Brains on Fire published by Wiley Publishing in 2010. Books will be sold at the event and Geno will remain for a booking signing after his keynote address.
Geno Church: Word of Mouth Inspiration Officer at Brains On Fire
Arbitrary Facts:
• USC grad
• Furman football fanatic
• Scored 50 points in a basketball game
• Played in a glam-rock band
Old-Fashioned Contacts:
864.676.9663
geno (at) brainsonfire.com
Brains on Fire 148 River Street, Suite 100 Greenville, SC 29601
