Bazaarvoice Appoints Ed Keller to Board of Directors

Author of The Influentials and Former CEO of Roper Brings Deep Expertise and Authority in Word of Mouth Marketing

Austin, TX – May 25, 2006 – Bazaarvoice, an innovator in helping brands use online word of mouth to build their businesses, today announced the appointment of Ed Keller to the company’s board of directors. Keller, CEO of the Keller Fay Group and author of The Influentials, is one of the nation’s leading authorities on word of mouth marketing. He brings more than 27 years of experience and expertise in marketing research and metrics to the Bazaarvoice board.

“We’re delighted that Ed accepted our invitation to join the Bazaarvoice board,” said Bazaarvoice CEO Brett Hurt. “Ed’s unparalleled expertise and credentials in word of mouth marketing add tremendous value to our company. He brings a wealth of industry and business knowledge to our team, and we are fortunate to have his guidance and counsel."

Keller currently serves as CEO of the Keller Fay Group, the first full-service market research and consulting firm dedicated exclusively to word of mouth marketing. The Keller Fay Group recently conducted a study on consumer word of mouth using their new TalkTrack™ conversation monitoring system. The groundbreaking study concluded that the average American mentions specific brands 56 times a week, with positive mentions outnumbering negative on the order of 6 to 1.

“Since 2002, when Jon Berry and I began the process of writing The Influentials, I have become increasingly focused on the growing power of word of mouth,” said Keller. “This year marks a sea change in marketing and advertising, as companies court influencers in new and innovative ways to share opinions, write reviews, create ads, and build their business. I welcome the opportunity to help steer both Bazaarvoice and the word of mouth industry into the next phase of growth.”

Prior to the Keller Fay Group, Keller spent nearly 20 years at the renowned market research firm Roper. At the time of his departure, he was the CEO of both RoperASW and NOP World Consumer, NOP World’s largest vertical sector. In this role, Keller managed a staff in the US, the UK, and Asia-Pacific that served blue chip companies, helping them adapt products, marketing approaches, and corporate policies to a world economy marked by unprecedented change and velocity.

In 2003, Free Press published Keller’s first book, The Influentials, co-authored by Jon Berry. The book provided a ground-breaking look at the 10% of consumers who, by word of mouth recommendations, profoundly impact how the other 90% vote, what they buy, how they invest, and the lifestyles they live.

A joint report by eMarketer and Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) highlighted the publication of The Influentials as “a seminal moment for word of mouth.” The Influentials has been featured in the Advertising Age, AdWeek, Brandweek, Fast Company, Fortune, New York Times, SmartMoney, USA Today, The Washington Post and other leading media. The Influentials was selected as one of five finalists for the 2004 Berry-AMA Book Prize for Best Book in Marketing.

In addition to speaking frequently to business audiences on The Influentials and word of mouth marketing, Keller also serves as a board member of WOMMA, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), the Market Research Council, and the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR).

About Bazaarvoice

Bazaarvoice’s Software as a Service (SaaS) social commerce solutions have served more than 50 billion pieces of customer-generated content on more than 525 brand web sites like Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Macy’s, Overstock, P&G, Panasonic, QVC and USAA in 36 countries. The company connects organizations to their influencers through a unique network that reaches hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe, enabling authentic customer-powered marketing. Through syndication, analytics, partnerships, and consulting, Bazaarvoice brings the voice of the customer to the center of their clients’ business strategy, proving “social” can drive measured revenue growth and cost savings for manufacturing, retail, travel, and financial services companies. Headquartered in Austin, the company has offices in London, Paris, and Singapore. For more information and access to client success stories, visit www.bazaarvoice.com, read the blog at www.bazaarblog.com, and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bazaarvoice.

Download This Press Release (PDF)
Download This Press Release (Word)