Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org
Figure 10.1
Source: Used by permission from Stormhoek.
By December 5, the voucher had been downloaded 3.5 million times. BBC News reported on December 1
that “queues have formed at one store while the Threshers Web site has crashed under the strain of
demand for the offer.” And within the first five days of the offer, Threshers reported a 60 percent increase
in weekend sales, with many stores selling one week’s worth of wine in a single day, queues out the door,
and stocks depleted by 80 percent in some shops.
The Threshers Web site (http://www.threshergroup.com) saw 30,000 downloads of the voucher, about 1
percent of the total downloads. Stormhoek found that being at the center of a viral marketing
phenomenon saw branding and sales increase. In addition to television and print press mentions,
Stormhoek saw sales of its wines increase at other stores, not just at Threshers. There was no promotion
or discount at the other stores.