Who's volunteering?

Here's a good test of brand strength:

If you asked for customer volunteers to work for your company, how many would jump at the chance? How many would ignore you?

Great brands have passionate customers. They'll work for free. They'll sell better than your paid sales force. They'll write code. They'll create online fan clubs.

Here's a key indicator: If your employees aren't passionate, your customers probably aren't, either. 

Comments

[steven streight aka vaspers the grate]

Actually, many satisfied customers do work for the companies whose products they like. They spread postitive word of mouth advertising to their family, friends, peers.

And angry customers work against the companies whose products they dislike. Negative w-o-m advertising.

Then again, some satisfied customers are self-centered and don't even express appreciation for the air they breathe and the health they flimsily maintain.

Once more, if a product is Astonishing, Essential, Enormously Unique, even self-obsessed customers might evangelize it, if only to make themselves seem more adorable.

[Mike Elness]

Most obvious example in the technology industry: Apple Computer!