• by Adrienne W. Fawcett , December 4, 2006

Quick: What's the most memorable shampoo ad of all time? If you've passed a certain chronological milestone, you may recall Faberge Organics' "two-friends" commercial from the 1970s, where a model coos: "If you tell two friends about Faberge Organics With Wheat Germ Oil And Honey, then they'll tell two friends and so on ... and so on ... and so on."

The brand is no longer available (except on eBay), but the ad's philosophy is as fresh as winter wheat in spring, according to new research about the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

Among the study's findings: 15 percent of consumers account for 1.5 billion brand impressions per day. The most important influencer is not a splashy TV spot or a memorable print ad or some kooky blog: It's your best friend. And the biggest proponents of word-of-mouth marketing are the very people who saw that Faberge Organics TV spot in its prime: Baby Boomers.

According to the research by Keller Fay Group and Manning Selvage & Lee, more than a third of all "conversation catalysts"--aka influencers, cool people, the popular crowd--are Boomers aged 40 to 59. This runs contrary to the marketing industry's infatuation with youth, points out Amanda Glasgow, senior vice president/director of word-of-mouth marketing at MS&L, New York.

Glasgow, who is the offspring of Boomers, says the research proves marketers should refocus their energies on the middle-aged crowd.

Not surprisingly, the research found that women are more likely to be influenced by--as well as catalysts of--word-of-mouth marketing. Fifty-five percent of women catalysts said they are spurred to buy products recommended to them vs. 47 percent of men. The same percentages of women vs. men said they find the recommendations more credible than marketing.

Running contrary to contemporary relationship-building trends, most w-o-m conversations by catalysts take place face-to-face as opposed to phone calls, e-mails, text messages, social-networking sites or blogs. Score one for chats at the sandbox, kitchen table and long lines at the commuter train.

While face-to-face is the No. 1 exchange method, a lot of variance exists between demographic groups. Gen Y catalysts are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to engage in w-o-m conversations via text messages, instant messages and online forums; Gen X is likely to cite something they read about on the Internet; and Boomers are more likely to mention things from the newspaper.

So how do marketers infiltrate consumers' personal conversations without acting like Big Brother? Focus on touch, not tech, says Ms. Glasgow. Since most word-of-mouth conversations are based on personal experiences, marketers need to create events through programs such as tastings, test-drives or in-store consultations with friends.

For example, in the fashion/beauty category, marketers could offer a free makeover to shoppers who bring their best friend into the store. "Having the consumer in the store with their best friend are the two most important things," she says.