Houston Ranked #1, Jacksonville #2 and Miami #3 Most "Talkative" Cities According to New Word-of-Mouth Marketing Study

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Are certain U.S. cities more "talkative" about brands than others?  A new study, "America's Most Talkative Cities," released by leading word-of-mouth research company, The Keller Fay Group, reveals that residents of Houston, TX have an average of 95 consumer conversations per person per week, more than the residents of any other major city in the United States.  As marketers are increasingly recognizing the significant role that word of mouth (WOM) plays in driving business outcomes such as sales, results suggest that certain cities are more WOM-focused than others.

This is the first time word-of-mouth results are being released for the 50 largest cities. Just behind Houston, the next highest are Jacksonville and Miami FL with 94 and 93 average weekly conversations per resident, respectively.  All three cities, located in the south, rank well above the national average of 79 weekly consumer conversations, per person. 

What exactly do consumers talk about in these conversations?  Nationally, media/entertainment and food/dining are the two most talked about categories, followed by sports, beverages and technology.  At the individual city level, certain categories stand out from the national norms.  For example, people in Houston are 37% more likely than the average American to talk about automotive brands. In Jacksonville, people are 56% more likely to talk about financial service brands.

The results come from TalkTrack®, a continuous survey of consumer conversations. The data in this report are based on approximately 75,000 consumer interviews conducted during the past two years. 

The full list of the top ten most talkative cities follows.

1. Houston, Texas
2. Jacksonville, Florida
3.  Miami, Florida
4. Salt Lake City, Utah
5. Atlanta, Georgia
6. New Orleans, Louisiana
7. Los Angeles, California
8. San Diego, California
9. Norfolk, Virginia
10. West Palm Beach, Florida

The Keller Fay Group
The Keller Fay Group is the leading full-service marketing research and consulting company dedicated to word-of-mouth marketing. Visit us at http://www.kellerfay.com.  Follow us on Twitter @KellerFay.

SOURCE The Keller Fay Group