The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited – Book Review

When Emanuel Rosen wrote “The Anatomy of Buzz” a decade ago, he could only speculate on the extent to which the Internet would change word of mouth marketing. In the latest version of his book “The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited: Real-life lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing“, Rosen has returned with a “completely updated and revised edition with over two-thirds new material”.

Yet, it’s the same book. And why? Because the core of what makes something buzz-worthy has not changed, even as we introduce new channels through which buzz may spread.

The basic building block of buzz is a comment.

These days, I think most of us associate the term “comment” with blogs, but a comment can happen at the water cooler, on the bus, waiting in line at the grocery store. We like to engage in conversation, and being buzz-worthy is about being worthy of commentary.

Rosen’s book is not simply a series of lightly examined anecdotes: the chapters examine such topics as identifying and activating “hubs”, how various companies are measuring buzz, the relationship between WOM and advertising, and how social networking affects buzz. The table of contents includes a brief synopsis of each chapter to make the information more easily explored and explained.

Rosen is a master of his craft; as I read this book I eagerly shared the anecdotes and insights I gained with friends and colleagues. “The Anatomy of Buzz” has obvious implications for the business world, but it also offers insights into our own personal motivation and behavior. I recognized many of my own actions, having responded to such tactics and contributing to the buzz myself.

The chapter on social networking was the most relevant and interesting, as I’m currently working on a research project examining the impact of social recommendation and influence of such sites on offline behavior. Rosen shares 10 principles:

1. Social networks are invisible
2. People link with others who are similar to them
3. People who are similar form clusters
4. Buzz spreads through common nodes
5. Information gets trapped in clusters
6. Network hubs and connectors create shortcuts
7. We talk to those around us
8. Weak ties are surprisingly strong
9. The net nurtures weak ties
10. Networks go across categories

It may be noted that not all of these principles are constrained to online social networks: in fact, only #9 deals specifically with the implications of digital networks. There is a natural limit as to the number of “close friendships” we can all sustain, but the Internet and particularly social networking sites makes it easier to have some ties with a much broader base of people. Services like the Facebook newsfeed or Twitter make it much easier for messages to spread beyond the natural clusters of our close friendships.

With 27 pages of endnotes and a 4 page bibliography, Rosen has done his homework in preparing this comprehensive book on how to generate genuine buzz in a noisy world. While there may be no guarantees of a best-selling book or a viral video, the insights by dozens of thought leaders, marketing executives and consumers help the reader understand some of what makes a campaign or product buzz-worthy.

Even if I hadn’t received this book for free from the author himself, I’d have purchased it. Read the book. Tell your friends.

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