The Anatomy of Buzz

As defined by Newsweek magazine, buzz is "infectious chatter; genuine, street-level excitement about a hot new person, place or thing." Author Rosen, a former marketing executive for Endnote, takes the concept several steps beyond, describing precisely how person-to-person communication about a brand can work to a marketer's benefit—or detriment. After all, he writes, negative buzz will sink a feeble product as quickly as positive buzz will hoist a good one straight to the public's attention. In The Anatomy of Buzz, Rosen discusses the "invisible networks" of buzz, success factors that come from good buzz, and specific techniques to stimulate top-notch word of mouth.