A new website is offering free Christian books and music and delivering them to the mailboxes of avid readers and music lovers across America, where this offer is only open at the moment.

|PIC1|To help Christian music and books become more mainstream, FishHop.com, which launched late last month, is utilizing the oldest communication method that exists - word-of-mouth marketing.

"It's the concept of trusted individuals talking to their friends and relatives about products they like, even what they don't like," explained Jenny Clark, a media representative for FishHop.com.

Clark noted how search engine giant Google as well as Apple's revolutionary iPod can both attribute their success in large part to word-of-mouth.

She further pointed out how the concept is something that is not unfamiliar among Christians as well.

The majority of Christians in America, for example, don't have a problem remembering the 2004 blockbuster hit film "The Passion of the Christ." The film, directed by actor and producer Mel Gibson, largely gained its success through word-of-mouth networks at the grassroots level that existed within church congregations throughout the United States.

One issue with word-of-mouth marketing, however, is that it can't be controlled, and depending on the quality of a product, companies can either find themselves receiving positive or negative marketing.

"What's useful about Fish Hop is that it was created for the purpose of tapping into the social grassroots network to achieve an honest dialogue between consumers and the companies producing Christian books and music," Clark said to address the issue.

Hearing honest feedback, the Fish Hop spokesperson added, allows the companies to better their products.

"At the same time the publishers and record labels are seeing fresh responses and gaining a far less expensive way of marketing new books and CDs that many Christians might be unaware of being on the market," she noted.

According to the Fish Hop Web site, volunteers, or "Hoppers," as they are known, benefit from receiving free products to sample in their mail. In turn, they talk about the product with family, friends and co-workers.

"You receive free books and CDs in the mail and all that is expected of you is that you talk about them," Clark emphasized.

The makers of Fish Hop are hoping for their efforts to help Christian products become mainstream in the near future.

On the Web: More information about Fish Hop at www.fishhop.com.