In 2015, I helped run a business plan competition. 

One of the questions in the application was, “How will you acquire new customers?”

46 out of the 50 odd responses had ‘word of mouth’ as the #1 answer along with some additional acquisition plans.

In my online response to all applicants, I asked, “How many times in the last 12 months have you spread awareness about any brand via ‘word of mouth’ to others?

Almost 40 said ‘1–2’; half a dozen chose ‘3–5’; and the rest clicked ‘5–10’. 

If, on average, we share a brand with our friends just 4–5 times a year, what chance does our brand have to figure in that ‘famous five’ list?

Either our friends must really like us, or we must have a really killer brand!