• The New York Times, Friday, November 24, 2006 11:15 AM

People discuss about a dozen brands each day, according to new research from Keller Fay Group--and the ones they like to chat about most are media and entertainment products like movies, TV shows, and publications. But many people also discuss food products, travel brands, and stores. Target, K-Mart, Sears, J.C. Penney, Gap, Victoria's Secret and Wal-Mart rank among the retailers most frequently mentioned.

Word-of-mouth marketing has grown in popularity in recent years. But most of it focuses on generating buzz among consumers--often by distributing free products. Keller Fay aims to understand what customers are saying on their own. Since April, it has asked people to keep a diary of conversations that mention products or brands. It then interviews about 100 of them a day for details. In return, the participants receive points that can be redeemed at places like stores and restaurants.

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