Viral marketing and viral advertising
refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social
networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness,
through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the
spread of a computer virus. It can often be word-of-mouth
delivered and enhanced online; it can harness the network
effect of the Internet and can be very useful in reaching
a large number of people rapidly.
Some of the first recorded offline / online viral campaigns
were developed by Tim Nolan of Spent2000.com fame circa
1996. By placing abstract pairings of catch-phrases, quotes,
song lyrics and image mashups, Mr. Nolan developed a method
of creating "buzz" around a URL based installation.
Phrases like "This city isn't safe" placed along
side a URL created curiousity enough in people's minds to
remember a URL and visit again once they were online.
Viral marketing sometimes refers to Internet-based stealth
marketing campaigns, including the use of blogs, seemingly
amateur web sites, and other forms of astroturfing, designed
to create word of mouth for a new product or service. Often
the goal of viral marketing campaigns is to generate media
coverage via "offbeat" stories worth many times
more than the campaigning company's advertising budget.
The term "viral advertising" refers to the idea
that people will pass on and share interesting and entertaining
content; this is often sponsored by a brand, which is looking
to build awareness of a product or service. These viral
commercials often take the form of funny video clips, or
interactive Flash games, an advergame, images, and even
text.
Viral marketing is popular because of the ease of executing
the marketing campaign, relative low-cost (compared to direct
mail), good targeting, and the high and rapid response rate.
The main strength of viral marketing is its ability to obtain
a large number of interested people at a low cost.
The hardest task for any company is to acquire and retain
a large customer base. Through the use of the internet and
the effects of e-mail advertising, the business-to-consumer
(B2C) efforts have a greater impact than many other tools
of marketing. Viral marketing is a technique that avoids
the annoyance of spam mail; it encourages users of a specific
product or service to tell a friend. This would be a positive
word-of-mouth recommendation. One of the most successful
perspectives found to achieve this customer base is the
integrated marketing communication IMC perspective.
Types of Viral Marketing Campaigns:
| These are few types
of Viral Marketing– |
 |
Pass-along: A
message which encourages the user to send the message
to others. The crudest form of this is chain letters
where a message at the bottom of the e-mail prompts
the reader to forward the message |
|
Incentivised viral:
A reward is offered for either passing a message along
or providing someone else's address. This can dramatically
increase referrals. However, this is most effective
when the offer requires another person to take action. |
|
Undercover: A
viral message presented as a cool or unusual page, activity,
or piece of news, without obvious incitements to link
or pass along. In Undercover Marketing, it is not immediately
apparent that anything is being marketed |
|
"Edgy Gossip/Buzz
marketing" ads or messages that create controversy
by challenging the borders of taste or appropriateness.
Discussion of the resulting controversy can be considered
to generate buzz and word of mouth advertising. Prior
to releasing a movie, some Hollywood movie stars get
married, get divorced, or get arrested, or become involved
in some controversy that directs conversational attention
to them. |
|
User-managed database:
Users create and manage their own lists of contacts
using a database provided by an online service provider.
By inviting other members to participate in their community,
users create a viral, self-propagating chain of contacts
that naturally grows and encourages others to sign up
as well. |
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