Word of Mouth Visualized

I recently came across this great illustration from David Armano's blog that helps visualize the concept of WOM. The visual was created by Mario Vellandi and communicates the concept very quickly.

What I really like about this visual is that it places focus on the impact of "detractors." While we all want to think that everyone will love our WOM campaign, it just isn't the case. As a marketer, the impact of detractors must be addressed in the planning phase of any WOM program. A plan should be created to not only anticipate negative forces and create contingency plans, but also to engage with detractors and change opinions. By engaging with detractors a potential threat can easily be turned into a wonderful opportunity.

Thoughts?

- Chris