"Word-of-mouth marketing is more important today than it's ever been. It's not so much about traditional media anymore: print, radio or TV. The word of friends and family is valued 1.5 times more than it was in the 1970s. Consumers are more confident in taking decision in their own hands,"

--Word of mouth marketing consultant Ed Keller, quoted in an article on viral aka "buzz" marketing in the New York Times.