The Power of Word of Mouth Marketing - A Vignette

Six o’clock AM, Starbucks. I’m in line to order my cup of tea (yes, tea). In front of me is a young businessman waiting for his drink. I’ve never seen him before. He wanders over to a nearby rack of CD’s and pulls out Bruce Springsteen’s new release, Magic. He examines it thoughtfully.

Finally he takes the CD to the cash register. But then he pauses. He changes his mind. He turns around and puts it back on the rack.

I say, “It’s really good.”

Immediately he takes the CD back in his hand. He smiles at me and says, “Yeah, I love The Boss.” He’s really happy. He buys the CD.

Had our roles been reversed, I could almost guarantee you I’d have reacted the same way.

I see a huge and joyful point in this small story. When people are just being people, there’s an implicit trust. Three words from a guy in a Starbucks carries just as much weight, maybe more, as five expert music reviews.

Somehow it’s a comforting thought.