Over the last couple days I have seen some news notes on the new diet program of Rush Limbaugh. Now, whether you like or dislike Rush is irrelevant to this conversation, but what is interesting is the buzz it has created for the Quick Weight Loss Centers of Florida. Apparently, the number of unique visitors to their Web site was so overwhelming that it crashed the site for several hours after the initial announcement was made.
So, there is no doubt that WOM is still the most powerful tool out there and that it is still the most difficult to harness and control.
But many posts are claiming the sudden impact was due to the celebrity endorsement of Limbaugh and the power of his radio show.
I believe both are correct, but would argue that the real driving force of this non-organized push was the actual results of the diet program. No doubt about it, Rush has lost 80+ lbs in just over five months. Those are extremely dramatic results in such a short time period. Combine that with the fact that Rush is a celebrity, the power of Rush’s radio program, and the rapid pace that information is now transferred using digital media-and you’ve hit the sweet spot of integration without even trying.
Moral of the story: first and foremost, we need to demonstrate that the product or service works. Then we have something to market.