A secret army of Moms is hawking Proctor & Gamble products through words that pass out of their mouth, or, to use the technical term, “word of mouth marketing.”

Through the VocalPoint front company, 600,000 moms are employed to reach other moms.

“By crafting product messages mothers will want to share, along with giving them samples, coupons, and a chance to share their own opinions with P&G, the Cincinnati consumer-product giant is using personal endorsements to cut through advertising clutter. “We know that the most powerful form of marketing is an advocacy message from a trusted friend,” says Steve Knox, Vocalpoint’s CEO.”

Spotting P&G shills is easy, just look out for the friend constantly handing you Pampers coupons.

“I Sold It Through The Grapevine” [BusinessWeek via Mr. Consumer]

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