there in front of as many people as possible, over and over and over again. Combining maximum reach with maximum frequency is the only way to go. Except that didn't happen with Cirque du Soleil. Instead, the company's success grew organically, through word-of-mouth . Cirque is a success because people have taken it to heart, and made it part of their own personal narratives?something they not only talk about with others, but that also defi nes who they are. Nothing is more powerful than when consumers make your story part of their story. This is especially true today, in a fragmented media market that's spilling over with branded communication efforts. Obviously, mass-market communications can be meaningful and memorable, but it's getting harder than ever to break through the clutter. Even if a breakthrough happens, consumers who've grown up in the media age view "top-down" communication with suspicion and skepticism. When a message does succeed in getting across, it carries little weight. Highly charged consumer advocacy through word-ofmouth communication represents the exact opposite. Unlike mass marketing, it's carried "horizontally" from peer to peer, so it has more power and authority. Consumers who believe in certain brand experiences and are vocal about their belief are the carriers. Like a virus, it spreads on contact fast. Over the last several years, we've observed that, like Cirque du Soleil, the best products and experiences owe their success to word-of-mouth communication. Data from a recent study by The London School of Economics titled "Advocacy Drives