• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Wednesday, December 20, 2006 11:45 AM

M80, a word-of-mouth promotion company bought by ad-holding firm WPP in June, has developed campaigns for marketers as varied as Texas Instruments, Sears, 20th Century Fox and Nestlé.

Dave Neupert, who founded M80 in 1998, believes that online conversations can have as much weight in today's world as face-to-face encounters, even though the latter are admittedly "more powerful." He says that influencers online can drive offline conversations and social events.

While admitting that not every brand is right for word-of-mouth marketing, Neupert contends that there are enthusiasts for even mundane products. "You might not have the same level of enthusiasm for a band that you would for a refrigerator from Kenmore," he says, "but there are people that want information.

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