The Power of Passionate Fans
Perhaps one of the most exciting recent examples of consumer generated media and word-of-mouth marketing is the success of an online iPod ad created by high school teacher George Masters that went viral after being picked up by several blogs in early December. By December 13, it had been viewed over 37,000 times. But not only did it reach thousands of consumers (with no effort from Apple) -- it has also set the marketing world abuzz, with some experts heralding homemade ads as the future of advertising. (Wired News, December 13) A lesson to companies that don't hold consumers dear to their hearts... imagine what Masters could have done had he been anti-Apple.
