The resurrection of Fox’s cartoon “Family Guy” is a fantastic example of the power of word of mouth. After just two seasons, the cartoon was pulled from the air, leading to Fox’s WOM campaign to promote the show’s DVDs. But what started as a simple sales effort turned into a movement that accomplished a rare feat — it brought a canceled show back into production.
How “Family Guy” did it:
- They connected with their biggest talkers. Fox reached out to existing fans with “Family Guy” fan sites — a true testament to their love in the pre-blog days of complicated Web site construction.
- They gave their talkers status and recognition. Fox created a special club for these talkers, called the Online Team. They were given exclusive access to private video clips, info, merchandise, as well as a special mission: Recruit more team members.
- They fed their talkers. With a steady stream of fantastic, exclusive content, Fox made their talkers into rock stars. The result was a bunch of tiny fan sites that grew into hubs for thousands of new visitors.