Although the importance of these triggers varies category by category, experiential
sources are the most important across them. Harnessing experiential word of mouth
is fundamentally about providing customers with the opportunity to share positive
experiences and making the story relatable and relevant to the audience. Some companies,
such as Miele and Lego, build buzz around products before launch and work to have early,
highly influential adopters by involving consumers in product development, supported by
online communities. Consistently refreshing the product experience also helps harness
experiential word of mouth—consumers are more likely to talk about a product early in
its life cycle, which is why product launches or enhancements are so crucial to generating
positive word of mouth. Buzz also can be sustained after launch: Apple has maintained
interest in and excitement about the iPhone via its apps store, as constantly evolving and
user-generated content maintains positive word of mouth.