Word of mouth (WOM) had a big part in their failures as well. Such popular products are used frequently during every day life...so it is inevitable that their success or failure is discussed EVERYWHERE! (at the grocery store when you see someone about to buy the product you like or dislike, at the office, you get my drift!
WOM is not necessarily new practice...many service providers rely on WOM or referrals to generate business. However, there is a significant shift in that non-service based companies haven't recognized its value...or attempted to generate it for their company or products until more recently.
Are there certain products/services that WOM doesn't/can't work for? Why?