rosie o'donnell on the million dollar pyramid

Clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger gave his brand street hipness by focusing on young, urban African-Americans. Reality: Ideal vanguards may surprise you. The best buzz-starters are your best customers. More than 350,000 owners in 1,000 chapters worldwide virtually saved the firm.ģ. Harley-Davidson averted near bankruptcy by tapping into customers’ loyalty-and rebel identity-through Harley Owners Group chapters, rallies, and newsletters.

Nurture your grass roots-loyal, early adopters who convert others.

It also vaulted several titles to ’s bestseller rankings-and boosted Modern Library’s Web-site traffic 7,000 %. When Modern Library listed the top 100 twentieth-century novels on its Web site, controversy over the selection process spawned 1,000+ editorials.

Tap lists-and focus consumers’ attention.

Consumers grabbed half the supply in two weeks. Volkswagen fueled desire for its retro Beetle by offering limited-edition models only online. They wear and implicitly endorse its fashions-heightening other buyers’ sense of exclusivity. Clothier Abercrombie & Fitch employs popular college fraternity and sorority members.

Seed the vanguard-public-opinion shapers.

Viagra’s now one of the most talked-about drugs ever-even among people who don’t use it.Ģ.

unique in functionality, ease of use, or price (e.g., collapsible scooters)ĭrug-maker Pfizer popularized the medical terms “erectile dysfunction” and “ED,” transforming a taboo subject into fodder for bedroom and backyard converstion.

Reality: Buzz influences highly unlikely products in virtually all industries, as innovations like the Internet let customers quickly spread the word. Fall victim to these misconceptions, and buzz just might exploit you.ġ. Sound like sheer luck? Actually, you can exploit word of mouth- if you understand customer interaction and mutual influence.įirst step: Avoid five common myths about buzz. What do Viagra, the new Volkswagen Beetle, Beanie Baby toys, and Harry Potter books have in common? They’re all commercial mega-successes driven by word of mouth, or buzz.īuzz erupts when people tell each other about favorable experiences, creating explosive, self-generating demand.

Rosie o'donnell on the million dollar pyramid