Zappos recklessly (brilliantly) throws so-called "operational costs" to the wind and writes it off as a marketing investment. It's not just that it is "powered by service," as the tagline suggests; service is its core DNA. Zappos figured out early on that customer service and employee advocacy is way better and more efficient than paid media. But unlike the rest of us, it didn't just pontificate that philosophy. It put it to work.
