The fact that evangelists are not paid or associated with any company makes their beliefs perceived by others as credible and trustworthy.
Evangelism comes from the three words of 'bringing good news', and the marketing term draws from the religious sense, as consumers are driven by their beliefs in a product or service, which they preach in an attempt to convert others.
Some people believe Guy Kawasaki, the former chief evangelist of Apple Computer, to be the father of evangelism marketing.
A strong avenue for evangelists is in the form of customer communities, which bring together groups of users of a product or service to share information and discuss common issues.
Some companies assist with such events, for example, General Motors' Saturn division in Tennessee organized an annual summer picnic for thousands of customers.