Death and Controversy Kickstart WOM
Word of mouth isn't always generated by marketers. Sometimes it's caused naturally by larger events. The death of actress Anne Bancroft is one example. After she died on June 6, Amazon.com saw sales of Bancroft's 1962 film "The Miracle Worker" increase 2685% and shoot up in rankings from No. 3,175 to No. 114 within 24 hours. The site tracked similar spikes for the book and DVD for "All the President's Men" after the identity of the character Deep Throat was revealed.
THE LESSON: Word of mouth isn't always something you do. Sometimes an event happens and marketers can only respond.
