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The movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding was launched without the typical multimedia, big-budget marketing blitz. It's now a blockbuster, earning over $250 million at the box office. How did that happen?
Not long ago, Hush Puppies was a dying brand and was about to be discontinued. Then suddenly the shoes started to fly off the shelves, without any advertising or marketing support. Why?
The secrets behind these marketing miracles can be found in an unconventional methodology that is quickly becoming the hottest and most effective trend in marketing. There are many terms for it: "buzz," "viral" and "stealth" marketing describe various manifestations of the approach, but whatever the name, it's all designed to create positive word-of-mouth.
According to a McKinsey & Co. study, 67% of U.S. consumer-goods sales are based on word-of-mouth. Heavy exposure to the best and most expensive advertising is not enough to get people to part with their money, whereas a mere mention of...