The most recent McKinsey Quarterly (requires free registration) has a short but sweet article about how marketers can use IWOM. IWOM is so complex and can impact so many different aspects of marketing communications that they suggest taking a systematic, top down approach to understanding how best to leverage it. Thinking about China, for example, Starbucks was probably more concerned earlier this year with the Public Relations impact of IWOM when the blogosphere was a-buzz about how its store should be removed from the Forbidden City. More recently, however, with the debut of its "A Sunny Day" subway video series, they may be more interested in how IWOM is amplifying its “Advertising.”

We actually use a similar framework for our clients that we have developed specifically for the China market. This is something we shared with top marketing executives in our recent IWOM summit meetings. Although it differs some from McKinsey’s, its usefulness helps reduce confusion. Without the understanding that can come about from such frameworks, as the McKinsey article suggests, marketers may let a thousand flowers bloom for IWOM which very well cause a loss of focus on what is most important and helpful.

(Click to enlarge the image below)