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Pinnacle Worldwide Launches “Word of Mouth” Practice Group

New channel opens dialogue for clients’ success  

Des Moines (June 21, 2005) – Members of Pinnacle Worldwide, an international corporation of independently owned public relations firms, have launched a Word of Mouth (WOM) Practice Group.  Hanser & Associates of West Des Moines is the Iowa-based member of Pinnacle Worldwide, and Hanser & Associates President Ronald Hanser also serves as president of Pinnacle Worldwide.  

The Pinnacle WOM Practice Group cuts through a media-saturated marketplace by leveraging clients’ best customers and influencers to communicate with customers, prospects and others important to these clients’ future.  

Seventeen representatives from Pinnacle member firms met last week in St. Louis to finalize the WOM Practice Group, chaired by Kathy Baughman of HLB Communications and a partner in Com-Blu in Chicago . Charter firms participating in the WOM practice group include Allison & Partners, San Francisco; Coles Public Relations, Indianapolis; Conkling, Fiskum & McCormick, Portland; Hanser & Associates, Des Moines; HLB Communications, Inc. and Com-Blu, Chicago; The Vandiver Group, Inc., St. Louis; and Wragg & Casas Public Relations, Inc., Miami. Com-Blu, The Vandiver Group, Inc. and Conkling, Fiskum & McCormick are charter members of WOMMA -- the Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Association.   

“We know from our discussions with other WOMMA members that the process we have developed is one of the deepest offerings in the marketplace,” said Baughman.

“People increasingly are turning to their own networks for information about products and services,” said Hanser. “This vetting process makes WOM the only channel that actually reduces information overload. In fact, studies show that a recommendation from a trusted source is now valued two times more than advertising.”  

Hanser said knowing how to identify those trusted people, activate them as a WOM channel and measure their impact is key to securing a product or service’s success.   

“We wanted to create a process that would be predictive, sustainable and measurable,” said Hanser. “I’m confident that the Pinnacle Word of Mouth Practice Group is bringing the broadest, most comprehensive approach to this new channel.”  

ABOUT PINNACLE WORLDWIDE
Pinnacle Worldwide, Inc. is an international corporation of independently owned public relations firms with offices in 55 major cities in 30 countries.  Its members develop and implement strategic communications plans that affect audiences on both a regional and a global scale.  For more information about WOM marketing and Pinnacle Worldwide’s Practice Group call Ryan Hanser at 515-224-1086, Kathy Baughman at Com-Blu at 312-649-0371 or Donna Vandiver at TVG at 314-991-4641.   

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