What Is Your Opinion About "Word-Of-Mouth" (WOM)..?

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Think about it...The first WOM began when Eve offered Adam the "apple". Since then it has become as natural and automatic as breathing. Many of us don't realize at times when we're doing it and there are some who say they never do it. Those nay-sayers are fibbers! Anytime someone mentions how much they loved or hated something, whether it be a particular restaurant, product, you name it...That is considered Word Of Mouth. Get a bunch of people together, give them a reason to talk to each other. It doesn't matter what it's about. What do you think "gossiping" is? You got it! WOM... When "brands" are talked about, good, bad or indifferent they are receiving the best compliment ever. Pure advertisement. It didn't cost any money, just people flapping their jaws. Remember when the "Cabbage Patch" dolls first came on the market? I thought they were the most hideous things I'd ever seen (and still do) but yet there were lines outside every Walmart to try to get one before anyone else did. People actually camped out to make sure they were one of the first in the store. That was prior to the 24-hour Walmart...And what about "Elmo" in the top-secret box. The iPhone...There were 20 phones pre-released and the one's who could afford the $600 price (at the time) when they actually came on the market considered themselves priviledged and part of a special group of people. We all, whether we'll admit it or not want to be "accepted". We want to feel special in some way or another. No matter our culture or where we live, our opinions are the ties that bind us all. There are some people who freak out at the idea of organized word of mouth; professional marketers included. They think that it's a "con". That the "mark" is one of your BFF's (Best Friend's Forever) or your little old granny. But think about it...Talkers talk about everything. The good, bad, beautiful, and ugly aspects of things. A product that we buy or don't buy is just one of many examples. We talk when we want and how we want and we don't have to talk at all if we don't feel like it. What do you think about WOM. Do you have a fascinating story that you'd like to share about a word of mouth experience?