In Sam’s blog post The Simpson’s Speak Business, she provides a very interesting and entertaining analogy between the Simpson’s and Zappos on Customer loyalty. Based on the examples provided, customer loyalty is clearly achieved through word-of-mouth when a business puts a great effort into developing relationships. Demonstrating the strategy of word-of-mouth in The Simpsons emphasizes how casual and subconscious it is to do, especially when consumers are in close proximity with one another such as in the town of Springfield. When a business means well, people will naturally want to discuss it and support it. This further motivates employees to perform well because they know they are building a community for themselves. This motivation is the kind of organizational culture Zappos provides which is why I would however have to disagree with Sam’s example of the peanut and $20. I feel that her message of Zappos employees choosing a fun work environment over high paying jobs was clear, but then wouldn’t Zappos workers most likely choose the peanut over the $20? I see the picture of Homer Simpson not representing the money that Zappos employees wish they had but as a choice between money and value (the peanut representing the value). So much like Homer Simpson I believe employees are motivated by value over money.

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