{"id":10532,"date":"2019-06-20T10:11:28","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T14:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/?p=10532"},"modified":"2024-04-25T13:32:04","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T17:32:04","slug":"brands-successful-word-of-mouth-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/brands-successful-word-of-mouth-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"How 11 Major Brands Have Successfully Used Word of Mouth"},"content":{"rendered":"

A majority 92% of consumers trust<\/a> recommendations from their friends, family, and peers more than any other form of marketing. And 83% of Americans say that word of mouth recommendations from people they trust to make them more likely to purchase a product or service.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re trying to figure out the best way to acquire new customers, promoting word-of-mouth marketing from your existing customers<\/a>\u00a0is a smart decision. Simply put, word-of-mouth<\/a>\u00a0occurs when your customers spread the word about your brand to their friends—and this promotes your brand at no cost to you.<\/p>\n

But word-of-mouth can be unpredictable. So how can you get your customers talking? Check out how these 11 brands have successfully used word-of-mouth,\u00a0including the major strategies they\u2019ve used to get everyone talking, so you can gather some ideas for your own business.<\/p>\n

Zappos<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategy: Keeping customers satisfied<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keeping your customers satisfied encourages them to share your brand with friends, a strategy Zappos knows well. Rather than focusing primarily on paid advertising, Zappos makes customer satisfaction a priority— as CEO Tony Hsieh<\/a>\u00a0puts it, they\u2019re \u201ca customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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From the beginning, Zappos<\/a>\u00a0has spent a large amount of its marketing budget on fostering extraordinary customer service, and very little on ads. According to Hsieh, Zappos decided to \u201ctake most of the money that [they] would have spent on paid advertising…and instead invest it into the customer experience, and let [their] customers do the marketing for [them].\u201d<\/p>\n

(Some ways that Zappos prioritizes customer satisfaction include surprise, complimentary shipping upgrades for loyal customers, and making the return and exchange process as easy as possible.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Thus, under the leadership of Hsieh, Zappos smartly put their money on word-of-mouth marketing, figuring that satisfied customers would both repeatedly buy and share Zappos with their friends. \u00a0And they were right. Repeat customers and word-of-mouth marketing have been the top drivers of growth for Zappos, which today exceeds $2 billion in annual revenue.<\/p>\n

Wendy\u2019s<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategy: Leveraging social media; creating virality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Social media is an awesome way to increase word-of-mouth, especially if your brand\u2019s savvy, witty posts, and interactions stand out from the pack—and even go viral. Wendy\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0offers a prime example.<\/p>\n

Thanks to its roasts, on-point memes and timely pop culture references, Wendy\u2019s now-iconic Twitter account got everyone talking about the fast-food brand. And their response to Carter Wilkerson\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0\u201cfree chicken nuggets\u201d tweet ignited a hyper-viral word-of-mouth campaign.<\/p>\n

Wendy\u2019s told Wilkerson that 18 million retweets of his tweet would earn him free chicken nuggets for a year. Wilkerson didn\u2019t reach that goal, but at the time, his tweet set a record for the most retweets of all time! So, Wendy\u2019s response got everyone talking (including countless media outlets, who gave the chain plenty of free coverage.)<\/p>\n

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The viral <\/em>Twitter exchange<\/a><\/em>\u00a0between Wendy\u2019s and Wilkerson. Notice the retweet count at the bottom of the image. <\/em><\/p>\n

Under Armour<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategy: Creating an innovative product with little to no competition <\/strong><\/p>\n

Instead of throwing itself into a crowded athletic wear market, Under Armour\u00a0sparked word-of-mouth marketing by setting itself squarely apart from its potential competition. Under Armour created athletic apparel focused on athletes\u2019 performance and comfort, \u201cbuilt from microfibers that wicked moisture and kept athletes cool, dry, and light.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Under Armour always focuses on the performance features of their apparel. Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Founder Kevin Plank had played football throughout high school and college. He knew how rough it was<\/a>\u00a0to wear cotton shirts under his football gear, where they would become heavy and uncomfortable with all the sweat they were drenched in. So, he created a product and niche that no one else had dreamed up before.<\/p>\n

Then, he gave the first samples to his friends who also played football (and who had gone on to play for prestigious college and professional teams). He soon competitively positioned himself to sell to collegiate and professional football teams because his friends on those high-level teams were spreading the word about his product.<\/p>\n

Before long, athletes of all levels and sports (including many pros), their families, and their friends were constantly talking about Under Armour—now an athletic apparel giant all its own.<\/p>\n

Red Bull<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategies: Buzzworthy, on-brand experiences; brand ambassadors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Red Bull<\/a>\u00a0uses a multi-pronged strategy for increasing word-of-mouth, but all parts of this strategy are focused on creating on-brand adventures and experiences that generate buzz.<\/p>\n

From the beginning, their Wings Team<\/a>\u00a0of young, adventurous brand ambassadors, who share Red Bull one-one-one and at events, have been an integral part of their marketing strategy.<\/p>\n

The brand also sponsors crazy extreme stunts <\/a>that people can\u2019t stop talking about, like cliff diving and Robbie Maddison\u2019s motorcycle backflip over London\u2019s open Tower Bridge, and hold an annual Flugtag<\/a>\u00a0where competitors design and pilot human-powered flying machines.<\/p>\n

Red Bull knows how to \u201cgive wings\u201d to their marketing through experiences that get people talking.<\/p>\n

\"redbull-robbie-maddison\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The motorcycle backflip stunt<\/a><\/p>\n

TOMS<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategy: Focus on philanthropy\/giving back<\/strong><\/p>\n

Word-of-mouth has been integral to the success of TOMS<\/a>\u00a0since the beginning, driven by its philanthropic \u201cone for one\u201d model.<\/p>\n

On a trip to Argentina, founder Blake Mycoskie saw the difficulties children without shoes faced and decided to start TOMS as the vehicle for a shoe-giving movement. For every pair of TOMS purchased, the brand gives a pair to children who cannot afford shoes.<\/p>\n

This charitable angle—and founding story— made it easy for word to spread about TOMS.<\/p>\n

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TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie on a shoe-giving trip to Hong Kong. Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Digital marketing consultant MaryEllen Tribby<\/a>\u00a0shared a prime example of this phenomenon: her 13-year-old daughter convinced her to buy three pairs of TOMS by sharing the company\u2019s shoe-giving mission. Says Tribby, \u201cEven though I thought three pairs of shoes at $77-a-pop was a bit extravagant; I justified the decision in my head, telling myself that I would be helping kids who weren\u2019t nearly as fortunate as my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

TOMS also takes advantage of social media to increase cause awareness and word-of-mouth. The brand created the One Day Without Shoes campaign and pledged to donate another pair of shoes for every barefoot picture posted with the hashtag #withoutshoes on the day. Plus, every picture someone posts with the hashtag motivates a social media user\u2019s network to learn more, and follow the trail back to TOMS. TOMS reignites the campaign every year because it\u2019s been so successful!<\/p>\n

Chipotle<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategies: Telling a story based on a cornerstone and backing it up; delivering what customers want<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chipotle<\/a>\u00a0stands out from other restaurant chains because it sources its ingredients locally. The brand used this cornerstone to create an emotionally compelling video, \u201cThe Scarecrow,\u201d to promote word-of-mouth about its sourcing.<\/p>\n

Through the story of a scarecrow that becomes skeptical of a dominating food factory, \u201cThe Scarecrow” painted a picture of environmental, health, and animal welfare threats created by industrial food giants, and promoted buying locally sourced food as a way to \u201ccultivate a better world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the video only featured the Chipotle logo at the very end, so the content felt much less like a paid ad. Instead, the focus stayed on the video\u2019s story and carefully crafted art.<\/p>\n

Chipotle also created a \u201cScarecrow\u201d app with the same animation quality and moving story as the video. This viral content motivated customers to keep watching, playing, and sharing with their friends.<\/p>\n

\"chipotle-video\"\u201cThe Scarecrow\u201d Chipotle short<\/a><\/p>\n

More recently, Chipotle has suffered from food safety scandals and the negative<\/em> press that has accompanied them, but they have responded quickly to turn things around (including by closing all locations for company-wide food safety training).<\/p>\n

They are striving to restore their previous reputation by delivering what customers want<\/a>,\u00a0such as \u201cnachos,\u201d \u201cquesadillas,\u201d and a \u201cloyalty program.\u201d Plus, they\u2019ve increased their amount of organic ingredients, upped their veggie offerings, and added keto- and Whole 30-compatible menu items, to drive home their natural commitment.<\/p>\n

Chipotle realizes that increasing positive word-of-mouth is all about telling a standout story and backing it up in everything they do. And\u00a0this has worked: Chipotle\u2019s stock shares rose 55%<\/a>\u00a0in 2019, on top of a 57% gain in 2018.<\/p>\n

Tinder<\/h2>\n

Word-Of-Mouth Strategy: Offering value to their audience<\/strong><\/p>\n

You probably don\u2019t think about word-of-mouth when you think of online dating giant Tinder<\/a>,\u00a0but word-of-mouth was integral to Tinder\u2019s rise<\/a>. After winning a 2012 hackathon with the original version of the app, co-founders Sean Rad, Justin Mateen, and Joe Munoz needed a way to publicize the app.<\/p>\n

They decided to promote it at a USC party that Mateen\u2019s younger brother was holding, via word-of-mouth: students who wanted to get into the party had to download the app. Even though many of the students didn\u2019t know what the app was, they soon started matching and swiping when they got back to their dorms. Tinder offered value to them because they knew the people the app was showing them were already interested in them (so, they didn\u2019t have to worry about rejection).<\/p>\n

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Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Rad, Mateen, and Munoz realized how effective the college party had been in spreading the word, so they immediately started holding events at fraternities and sororities all over Southern California.<\/p>\n

And during the next winter break, Tinder spread like, well, wildfire as students eagerly shared the app with their friends and families at home. Thanks to word-of-mouth, Tinder grew from 20,000 users at the beginning of January 2013, to over 500,000 at the end of the month.<\/p>\n

In-N-Out<\/h2>\n

Word-Of-Mouth Strategy: Insider or \u201csecret\u201d info<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I visited California for the first time, I knew I had to try In-N-Out.<\/a>\u00a0Why? Because everyone I knew who had been there couldn\u2019t stop raving about it! It\u2019s the same story for countless others: In-N-Out is a West Coast institution built by word-of-mouth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The main thing In-N-Out veterans rave about is the burger chain\u2019s famous secret menu, from \u201canimal style\u201d to the \u201ctriple triple.\u201d They feel like they\u2019ve got insider info, and they\u2019re ready to spread it for the benefit of people eating at In-N-Out for the first time.<\/p>\n

And this word-of-mouth increases brand awareness and loyalty—it keeps new customers flowing in, and ultimately, returning customers coming back! This allows the chain to keep its advertising and promotional budget low too.<\/p>\n

The secret menu is so popular among In-N-Out fans that the company actually markets the menu publicly on its website— as the \u201cNot-So-Secret-Menu<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Consider using this strategy to increase word-of-mouth about your own brand. Even if you don\u2019t sell food, you can create a customer loyalty club with insider discounts and perks—one that will make your loyal customers eager to help their friends by sharing how to get in on the action.<\/p>\n

Dropbox<\/h2>\n

Word-Of-Mouth Strategy: Well-executed referral program<\/strong><\/p>\n

A successful-word-of-mouth list just wouldn\u2019t be complete without Dropbox<\/a>. Dropbox is an online storage giant used by all generations, all thanks to one of the best-known referral marketing<\/a>\u00a0programs out there.<\/p>\n

By offering 500 MB of free bonus space for every friend a customer refers who newly signs up for the program (and rewarding this space to both referrer and friend), Dropbox\u2019s growth has accelerated extremely rapidly.<\/p>\n

They were able to double their growth every 3 months, and their users sent 2.3 million referrals in just one month—without ever having to spend money on a single ad.<\/p>\n

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Source<\/a><\/p>\n

But the free offer itself isn\u2019t the only reason why Dropbox\u2019s referral program has enjoyed such great success. Dropbox\u2019s referral CTA and program description are extremely clean, and the brand offers multiple convenient options for sharing.<\/p>\n

Dropbox has really benefited by how awesome referral programs are. Referral programs are great for increasing word-of-mouth<\/a>\u00a0because they tap into satisfied customers\u2019 existing desire to share with friends, simplify the process, make it easy for your brand to track word-of-mouth in an official way, and reward loyal customers for sharing with friends. So, follow Dropbox\u2019s example!<\/p>\n

Check out these referral program ideas <\/a>for boosting word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n

Girlfriend Collective<\/h2>\n

Word-of-mouth strategy: Pre-launch referral program with free product<\/strong><\/p>\n

Athleisure brand Girlfriend Collective<\/a>,\u00a0which makes leggings from recycled water bottles, completely rejected paid ads. Instead, they smartly decided to use a referral program to promote their leggings before they launched. And this referral program made them famous!<\/p>\n

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Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Interested customers who read Girlfriend Collective\u2019s FAQ and shared a referral link with Facebook friends received a code for a free pair of $80 leggings. Yes, $80 leggings, for only the cost of shipping.<\/p>\n

But only customers who read the FAQ, and thus showed interest in the brand\u2019s mission, were eligible for the free offer. The campaign was so successful that Girlfriend Collective received 10,000 orders on launch day, experienced website crashes due to interest, and extended this referral promotion even longer.<\/p>\n

Girlfriend Collective\u2019s strategy worked because it was collecting a list of invested customers to be the first to try its products, who were already primed to share the brand with their friends. And once the products arrived in these people\u2019s hands, and they had their first experiences with the product, they advocated for Girlfriend Collective and shared with more friends via word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n

Tesla<\/h2>\n

Word-Of-Mouth Strategies: Product worth talking about, a referral program with a sense of exclusivity. <\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason why you\u2019ve never seen an ad for Tesla \u2013 they actively choose not to advertise in the traditional way, so they spend no money on paid ads or endorsements.<\/p>\n

Instead, the brand relies on word-of-mouth from the customers who drive their sleek, modern status symbols. Yes, CEO Elon Musk increases the brand\u2019s visibility, but having a product that\u2019s worth sharing—and the rate at which owners share \u2013 are foundational.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Besides creating a sleek product, Tesla owners are proud to showcase, Tesla has accelerated sharing through its exclusive referral program. Previously, customers with enough referrals could earn tickets to new model unveiling events, access to unique adventures such as SpaceX launch viewings, and even a new Tesla Roadster. This referral program included secret levels for even more exclusivity.<\/p>\n

Later, the Tesla referral program was revamped to be more cost-effective, but still exclusive.<\/p>\n

If a friend used a Tesla owner\u2019s referral code <\/a>to purchase a Tesla of their own, both the referrer and the friend received 1,000 free Supercharger miles. Every referral also earned an entry to win a Founders Series Model Y (in a monthly drawing) or Roadster supercar (in a quarterly drawing).<\/p>\n

Tesla owners who already had free Supercharging get two chances to win. The scale of the Tesla referral program may seem daunting, but any brand can use drawings, exclusivity, and secret referral program levels to encourage loyal customers to share with friends.<\/p>\n

Key takeaways<\/h2>\n

Based on the 11 success stories listed above, following these tips can help your brand generate word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n