For Fans Of Product (NAPS)—In the 1940s there were fan clubs for movie stars. In the 1960s fan clubs for musicians took hold. More recently, fan clubs have sprouted for athletes and sports teams. But a fan club for a consumerproduct? You bet. Part celebration, part online forum where fans can share information, the newest club is the result of the outpouring of “love” and anecdotes about one of America’s favorite multi-purpose products—WD.-40. In 2000, WD-40 Company—makers of the popular product, asked consumersto share their favorite uses for the product in an effort to compile 2,000 uses. WD-40 eventually received more than 300,000 entries. Many of these were stories describing how consumers first used the product or ways they experimented withit. According to Tom Barman, brand manager for the manufacturer, “Our users are fanatical about WD-40 and loveto tell us their stories and favorite uses. They’ve madeit clear they want to learn from others about new applications.” Based on this loyal fan base, the company decided to create an official WD-40 Fan Club. Fans who wishto join the club can start by visiting the Website at www.wd40.com. There, they have The many uses of WD-40 have spawneda fan club. free access to a multitude of product uses broken down by category. In addition to finding downloadable screen savers and wallpaper, fan club memberscan create personalized membership cards and certificates. The site also features an electronic newsletter, interactive spray game, and periodic promotions and contests. The basic membership is free and members have the option of upgrading to SuperFan status. For a small fee, those who upgrade receive a fan club T-shirt, an AM/FM radio madeto look like a can of WD-40, and an interac- tive CD-ROM which contains a comprehensivelist of uses. Visit www.wd40.com and click on the Fan Club icon to learn more.
