What would you say if over 9,000 of your audience members pitched in to design, produce, and pay for a two-page advertising spread in the New York Times? And what might that say about their common connection to your mission, your purpose, and your work?
That exact sort of audience evangelism came to pass on December 15, in the form of this two-page ad spread (see bottom of page) for Firefox, a new web browser developed by a nonprofit organization in direct competition with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The ad and the campaign were the brainchild of Minneapolis marketer Rob Davis, who doesn’t work for the software company. He just liked the computer program and wanted to spread the word.
It’s the most recent and public evidence of the Internet’s ability to aggregate and focus vast numbers of like-minded individuals, with a passion for a product, a candidate, or a way of life. Weblogs and related technology helped spark the fire. Howard Dean’s presidential campaign nudged the process even further with the web systems designed to support his grass-roots campaigning (now called CivicSpace).
For more examples of customer evangelism, and companies working to harness its energy, see the Church of the Customer weblog. The site’s a bit hucksterish in its promotion of the authors’ book on the subject. But it’s a good place to start.
Or, check out Bzzagent, a social networking system designed to recruit and engage word-of-mouth marketers.
