In advertising, six out of 100 people have psychic abilities. For accountants, it’s six in 10 000

I know this will happen, for a number of reasons:

1. Psychic abilities can mean anything.
2. People like to believe they have something other people do not.
3. There is a grain of truth in it (albeit a microscopic one), as the creative process is not well understood at cellular level.
4. Most people read headlines, not articles.
5. Word-of-mouth is 'free-to-air'.

Just as radio is only one component of above-the-line media, Emanuel Rosen, the author of The Anatomy of Buzz, relegates word-of-mouth to one component (the verbal one) of a much larger field called 'buzz'.

He defines buzz as: the sum of all comments (verbal and otherwise) about something at a certain time.

For those more mathematically inclined:

Buzz_x = ∑ comments_x

Where 'x' is a certain point (or range) in time.

Below are six rules (adapted from Rosen) that advertisers can use to increase and accelerate buzz:

1. Keep it simple, so people like me can pass it on.
2. Tell them what's new. No one recommends a company because "they offer a tradition of excellence, the best value for money, and a set of powerful values".
3. Don't make claims you can't support. eBucks had a problem recently. They said they were sorry, but they meant it - no service fees were charged for the month. Telkom answer the phone "... how can I provide you with exceptional service?". I'd love to tell them.
4. If you can't articulate what's special about your brand in a conversational tone, then don't expect your customers to.
5. Measure buzz, so you get to know what causes it, and to what degree buzz influences sales.

6. Listen. Find out what people are really talking about. I have just bought a new BMW 318i. Ours is the only country in the world where an anti-hijack handle in the boot comes standard.
   

We already know that certain people have the ability to facilitate buzz, because of who they are and what they do. For an author, one appearance on the Oprah show can make the difference between lifelong obscurity, or fame and fortune.

But talking is not something we do when we have nothing better to do. It is a basic need we share with other living creatures. We have inherited the desire for word-of- mouth. Literally - it is in our genes. Oprah is only on for one hour in the day - but everyone is primed for talking every waking hour.

I bought my Palm Pilot, because I saw someone brag about his. I fell asleep in 'The Whale Rider', because a friend told me I must see it. My girlfriend has told me that it is fashionable to wear your jeans low down on your waist - so now every time I bend down, I exhibit plumber's crack. I go to a restaurant because someone told me about it. For heaven's sake, I even fly to far-off lands on what I hear from others. People want to talk - just give them something to say.

I know - I have psychic abilities.