• Adweek, Monday, August 24, 2009 10:04 PM

Word-of-mouth marketing is one notable sector that has bucked the recession and continued to grow. As a result, agencies are devoting more resources to WOM departments to meet client demand.

Case in point: Omnicom's OMD is preparing to launch a new WOM practice this fall called OMD Word, say insiders. The offering has been in the works for months. The agency plans to discuss it in detail and conduct a formal launch in the fourth quarter of 2009.

PQ Media estimates that WOM spending this year will reach $1.7 billion, up 10% from 2008, at a time when outlays in most of the key media sectors are down. By category, consumer package-goods marketers spend the most on WOM campaigns, accounting for more than 17% of spending in 2008, per PQ.

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