While giving a speech in Denver to WhiteWave (owned by the $4.6 billion Dean Foods) the other day, I admitted something not so proud.

In my past (prior to marketing with buzz that is), I wasted millions of dollars.

And wasting millions of dollars (albeit no more) is not something you should be proud of.

I cited a story in my days at Pep Boys where it was my tiny $2500 idea which produced double digit growth in a very mature and profitable category…and not the $5.3 million we put behind a TV spot.

You can find the full story in my book, but I recently learned of another similar story with Verizon Wireless (thanks Steve Hall at Adrants).

Verizon has a new mobile phone out which has deserves buzz, but for months has not received any. Zero buzz.

It’s the new Gz’One Type-V.

Built by Motorola, this mobile phone is waterproof, shockproof…fit for any mountain biker or extreme sports enthusiast.

This is a product inherently buzzworthy, but nothing.

You’d think it would have X-Games style buzz written all over it, but no.

Nothing…until now.

Versus massive media dollars, someone thought of a simple idea (someone from McCann? from the Verizon Wireless store in NJ…who knows).

Grab a fishbowl, plop in a goldfish…and drop the Gz’One phone in the bowl with Goldie.

Then call the phone and humorously watch goldie the goldfish wonder what on earth is going on as a Verizon store customer watches the Gz’One Phone vibrate and flash in goldie’s once calm fishbowl.

They dub it “Call a fish.”

It’s not on YouTube yet, but it will be.

It’s not in the national news yet, but if Verizon Wireless and/or McCann has read a certain book…it will be.

A simple idea.

An inexpensive idea.

An idea that can create stories.

Stories…that seven letter word which is the root of all buzz.

No, their TV commercials don’t get people talking, but this story will.

Welcome to the world of buzz Gz’One Type-V.

I hear you calling.

Mark Hughes is a marketing speaker, consultant, and author of the book Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff (Penguin/Portfolio).

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