Wolfstar Social Media News Room

WOM UK briefing on new consumer protection legislation

WOM UK, the trade association for the word of mouth marketing association, is holding an ‘Espresso Briefing’ on Wednesday 28 May 2008 on the implications of the new Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. The briefing will be presented by Steve Barton, President of WOM UK, Stephen Groom Head of Marketing and Privacy Law for Osborne Clarke and Marina Palomba Legal Director for the IPA.

The event will be held from 8:30am – 10:00am at Osborne Clarke’s office at One London Wall, London, EC2Y 5EB. Please register at http://www.womuk.org/Events.aspx.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Media attendance for this event is free of charge. In order to register, please call 0113 394 7960 or email sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com.

About WOM UK

WOM UK is the independent not for profit organisation representing the word of mouth marketing and communication industry in the UK. WOM UK was set to mirror the success of the USA’s WOMMA in establishing a member owned trade association designed to help he WOMM business grow in the UK. We do this by promoting ethical practices, skills development and access to the leading practitioners. Our membership includes a wide range of organisations including brands, creative agencies, research firms through to data bureaux. Member companies include: Unilever, Royal Mail, Experian, Nielson, Edelman, 1000heads, Weber Shandwick, Golin Harris, Wildfire, BzzAgent UK, Dubit, Face Group and RAMP Industry.

See www.womuk.org for a full list of members.

Technorati Tags: Consumer protection legislation,WOM UK,Espresso Briefing,Unfair Trading Regulations

WOM UK endorse new consumer protection legislation

WOM UK, the trade association for the word of mouth marketing association, has welcomed the new Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and said that it does not ban word of mouth marketing, but provides a regulatory framework that supports WOM UK’s existing code of ethics for its members.

WOM UK is hosting an ‘Espresso Briefing’ on May 28 to brief members on the implications of the new legislation. Speakers include Marina Palomba, legal director of the IPA and Steve Barton, president of WOM UK.

The new regulation does not ban or prohibit word of mouth marketing according to Fraser Chisholm of Royal Mail, a WOM UK council member: “The interpretation is that individuals are still free to advocate products and services. The key difference is that an advertiser must not falsely represent oneself as a consumer. The advertiser must disclose its relationship.”

Steve Barton, president of WOM UK, added: “We are very much in favour of protecting and acting in the consumer’s best interests. If fact, we go one step further. We actively promote ethical and professional word of mouth marketing practices. Every member of WOM UK must sign up to the WOMMA ethics code in order to be a member. Honesty of relationship, opinion and identity are the key to what we believe and how we behave. It is this focus upon ethical practice that helped the word of mouth marketing business grow to be worth $1.3bn in the US in 2007*. As an organisation we’re behind this regulation.”

The WOM UK ‘Espresso Briefing’ on the implications of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 is on May 28 from 8:30am to 10:00am. To book places visit http://www.womuk.org/Events.aspx.

ENDS

For more media information or a WOM UK spokesperson on the new legislation please contact:

Seb Mysko, womuk@wolfstarconsultancy.com, 0113 394 7960, Skype: sebastianmysko

About WOM UK

WOM UK is the independent not for profit organisation representing the word of mouth marketing and communication industry in the UK. WOM UK was set to mirror the success of the USA’s WOMMA in establishing a member owned trade association designed to help he WOMM business grow in the UK. We do this by promoting ethical practices, skills development and access to the leading practitioners. Our membership includes a wide range of organisations including brands, creative agencies, research firms through to data bureaux. Member companies include: Unilever, Royal Mail, Experian, Nielson, Edelman, 1000heads, Weber Shandwick, Golin Harris, Wildfire, BzzAgent UK, Dubit, Face Group and RAMP Industry.

See www.womuk.org for a full list of members.

Sources:

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44861.pdf

Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Guidance for Business:

www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/CPRguide.pdf

Word of Mouth Marketing Association Code of Ethics:
www.womma.org/ethics/code/read/

Technorati Tags: consumer protection legislation,Royal Mail,IPA,WOM UK

Leeds PR firm celebrates leap year’s extra day by giving it to a good cause

Public relations and social media specialist Wolfstar is celebrating the extra day it gains from 2008’s leap year status by offering up its entire team’s services to help a local community project on 29^th February.

Wolfstar managing director Stuart Bruce,said: ”Everyone has a moral responsibility to give something back to society. That’s why we want to give-up the extra day we’ve gained from the leap year in order to do something that will benefit a local community group. We want to get our hands dirty with whatever needs doing whether it’s litter picking or painting a local community centre - we are happy to help out. Any community group that wants our help should get in touch and then the team will vote to decide who we want to help.

“We’re also challenging other businesses to put something back into the community by stepping forward and volunteering to give up their extra day. We’re happy to put any volunteer companies in touch with the groups that contact us.”

Community groups that can provide work for Wolfstar’s team of volunteers should call Beth Kay on 0113 394 7960 or email bethk@wolfstarconsultancy.com, by 5pm on Wednesday February 27.

Wolfstar was set-up in 2007 by Stuart Bruce, a former Leeds councillor and Tim Sinclair, the founder of integrated corporate marketing communications consultancy Sinclair Mason. Wolfstar offers its clients multiple way communications solutions combining traditional public relations with social media and word of mouth communication techniques. It is a founder member of WOM UK, the new association representing the word of mouth marketing and communications sector in the UK.

ENDS

For further media information please contact:

Sebastian Mysko 0113 394 7960 / 07855 323728 Skype sebastianmysko sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Stuart Bruce 07852 135456 Skype stuartbrucepr stuartb@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: WOM UK,Wolfstar,word of mouth

US Word of Mouth Marketing Association signs alliance with WOM-UK

Technorati Tags: Word of Mouth,marketing,public relations

WOM-UK has agreed a global alliance with the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) in the USA. After several months of negotiations the alliance was formed during WOMMA's Word of Mouth Marketing Summit in Las Vegas, when representatives from both organisations signed an agreement that ensures an independent coalition of WOM-UK and WOMMA.

The alliance between WOM-UK and WOMMA will promote the furthering of best practices, research and measurement, and ethics in both the United Kingdom and the United States, while respecting the unique relationships that exist between marketers and consumers in both arenas.

“When I first researched WOMMA in 2006 I immediately knew that the UK needed to be engaging in this market. We have worked hard to build the foundations of this association over the past eight months, and are delighted to have now formed this alliance with our US ambassadors.” said Tim Sinclair, CEO WOM-UK and chairman of public relations and word of mouth consultancy Wolfstar

"This announcement comes on the heels of tremendously important research unveiled at the WOMMA Summit showing that word of mouth is the fastest growing segment of marketing services, with over $1billion in US spending in 07, and a 30%+ growth rate forecast for the future," said Ed Keller, WOMMA Board President and President and CEO of the Keller Fay Group. "We have every reason to believe that word of mouth marketing has and will continue to enjoy similar growth in other markets, and with this alliance our industry makes an important first step in insuring that global marketers are equipped with the latest WOM strategies, tools, and tactics to reap the rewards of word of mouth marketing."

Steve Barton, president of WOM-UK added: “We have been watching WOMMA with respectful eyes since its creation, and now with a strong calibre of founding members and newly elected council, our aim is to fast forward the growth of word of mouth marketing in the UK.”

"We are thrilled with this opportunity because we view WOM not just as a new marketing discipline, but as a transformative opportunity to help marketers connect and build ties with their consumers," said Peter Waldheim, WOMMA's Interim CEO and Senior Strategist. "In view of the historic relationship between our countries, it is wholly appropriate that our first overseas alliance is with smart marketers in the UK."

About WOM-UK

WOM-UK is the organisation representing the word of mouth marketing and communications industry in the UK. WOM-UK has been set up as an independent organisation to mirror the success of the USA's WOMMA in establishing a not for profit, member-owned trade association, to provide members with ethical operating guidelines and dedicated to promotion and furtherance of good practice in the WOM industry. For more information please go to http://www.womuk.org.

About WOMMA

WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. Our more than 390 corporate members are committed to building a prosperous word of mouth marketing profession based on best practices, measurable ROI, and ethical leadership. Learn more about us at http://www.womma.org.

ENDS

For further media information please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Sebastian Mysko +44 (0)7855 323728 Skype sebastianmysko sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Word of Mouth Marketing spreads across the Atlantic for a UK launch

WOM-UK, the professional trade association for word of mouth marketing and communications, has officially launched with the election of its first officers and council. WOM-UK is the UK’s not for profit membership association representing brands, agencies and organisations pioneering word of mouth.

Its mission is to build a thriving profession based on best practices, effective measurement and ethical leadership. It adheres to the same ethical guidelines and best practice as US based WOMMA.

Steve Barton of Barton Consulting has been elected president. Mike Rowe from 1000heads and Ivan Palmer at Wildfire elected vice president and Stuart Bruce, founding director at Wolfstar as treasurer. A further nine members have been elected to sit on the council: Robin Grant (1000heads), Benn Achilleas (neoco), Graham Goodkind (Frank PR), Richard Moss (Weber Shandwick), Jon Hughes (Golin Harris), Fraser Chisholm (Royal Mail), Lyndon Gasking (BzzAgent), Andy Crysell (Ramp Industry) and Robin Hilton (Dubit).

“After more than 20 years' commitment to integrated marketing and public relations it’s exciting to be at the forefront of establishing a new set of best practice and ethics for an emerging communications discipline that crosses the boundaries of advertising, marketing, PR and digital - word of mouth,” said Tim Sinclair, CEO WOM-UK and founding director of public relations and word of mouth consultancy Wolfstar.

Steve Barton, newly elected president said: “WOMMA was of fundamental importance to the development and growth of word of mouth marketing in the US. The US is, arguably, two years ahead of us in terms of scale and skills development. Our aim is to fast forward the growth of word of mouth marketing in the UK.

"The calibre of the founding members and the council is proof of our ambition. And I look forward to working with them to create an association focussed on developing the market and providing significant value for membership.”

WOM-UK has a choice of membership options including governing, standard, small business, individual and not-for-profit. Academics, journalists and students are currently entitled to complementary membership. For further information please visit www.womuk.org

ENDS

For further media information please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Sebastian Mysko +44 (0)7855 323728 sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com  

Steve Barton +44 (0)790 191 7992 steveb@womuk.org

Technorati Tags: PR , marketing , social media , WOM-UK , word of mouth

 

Multimedia: Taken from the word of mouth conference 2007

Andrew Needam (Headbox) explains his take on ethics and best practice with in the word of mouth industry.

Dave Balter (BuzzAgent) describes the evolution of word of mouth.

 

Jason Stewart (Instant Grass) talks through word of mouth as a 'natural process'.

Mark Earls (HERD) explains consumer2consumer.