June, 2nd, 2015

U.S. consumers talk about brands no matter where life takes them, including the workplace. Keller Fay recently conducted a study for the marketing agency Workplace Impact called the “Water Cooler Report: The Impact of Word of Mouth Among Workplace Talkers.” The Water Cooler Report is the first word of mouth (WOM) study to be conducted on social influence that occurs in the workplace, around the proverbial water cooler.

Keller Fay Group’s TalkTrack®, the only continuous study of WOM among all conversation channels, found that people who talk about brands at work are more influential and prolific talkers than other people. The key findings below show how workplace conversations are more influential, and reveal who these ‘Workplace Talkers’ are & how WOM is personified in the workplace:

Key Findings - Who They Are & How Workplace WOM Flows:

• The majority of WOM among workplace talkers takes place face-to-face (73%).

• Among consumers 18-60, 12% of their conversations about brands occur “at work.” That 12% of brand discussions doubles to 25% when looking at full time employees whose conversations occurred Monday to Friday- which translates into nearly a billion instances in which people are exposed to brands through WOM at work.

• Almost half of these “Workplace Talkers” are professional (28%) or managerial (19%) employees, which means they have a lot of responsibility as well as ability to influence others. They are more likely to be Conversation Catalysts®, and their advice and recommendations have four times as much impact as advice from average consumers.

• 9% of WOM among Workplace Talkers was found to be “mostly positive,” while only 8% is considered “mostly negative.”

• WOM among Workplace Talkers is highly likely to be passed along to others (45%, “9” or “10” on a 0-10 scale) and highly likely to lead to purchase (48%). And, most of these conversations happen offline (87%) versus 12% online (instant/text message, email or social media).

• Lastly, 40% of conversations include a strong recommendation to buy the product discussed.

What Workplace Impact Had to Say About The Report:

Shelly Sekki, President of Workplace Impact, was enthusiastic about the results, “Word of mouth conversations about brands, especially offline and face-to-face, tend to result in positive brand impressions that not only get passed on, but lead to purchase,” she said, “This study, which is the most comprehensive study ever conducted on this topic, shows more than ever how the American workplace has become the most lucrative marketing channel for advertisers looking to connect with consumers."
The data from this report was drawn from 27,000 consumer interviews between January and December 2014, and the report is available from Workplace Impact at www.workplaceimpact.com/watercooler/