Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is considered to be more effective than other traditional modes of communication. People tend to believe their social contacts rather than a message or an advertisement directly from the company as they believe that their contacts are not getting paid or receiving an incentive for spreading the word. One of the most successful viral marketing campaigns was by Hotmail. Every mail sent from a Hotmail account had a message at the bottom that said: ‘Get your private, free email at www.hotmail.com’.

Even the larger companies are abandoning old media strategies to try out buzz marketing. Some recent instances of use of viral marketing by large companies include the campaign to launch Gmail, Microsoft’s campaign for Xbox 360, campaigns for the movie Darna Mana Hai, and for the serial Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. 

Let us look at the reasons for the growth of buzz marketing:

i. Most recent studies show that word-of-mouth advertising is ten times more effective than through other media.

ii. Media is getting fragmented and ad clutter is rising. Companies feel the need to stand apart.

iii. Traditional forms of media are rising in cost. A 30-second slot during a cricket match on a TV channel can cost over Rs. 7 lakh.

iv. Too many marketers are making conflicting claims. The common man’s trust in ads is coming down.

v. Many new technologies provide the impetus for the acceleration of buzz mar­keting.

Factors of Viral Marketing-

Viral marketing is all about creating a marketing buzz around new product releases or simply bringing a company to the forefront of consumers' minds. There are three factors that play into whether a marketing campaign goes viral:

1.    The Messenger: There is no hard-and-fast rule on the messenger that is most likely to set off a viral marketing campaign. Some companies approach trend-makers like celebrities and A-list bloggers to spread their message. That said, some viral marketing campaigns have succeeded depending only on organic reposts and social sharing.

2. The Message: The message can actually trump the messenger if it is sufficiently compelling. A branded game that is addictive is likely to spread far more quickly than an advertorial that requires less interaction, but more commitment (reading the entire document vs. clicking a flash game).

3.   The Environment: Timing is everything in advertising, and this is also true of viral marketing. A company can have the right messenger and the right message, but it may not spread if the social environment is not right. A very basic example of this is that people tend to spend less time online in summer compared to other seasons. This means fewer potential carriers to propagate the viral message. This doesn't necessarily mean the campaign will not be successful, but it can be a factor.

Viral marketing has become a mini-universe of buzzwords. People who share a viral marketing message are called sneezers and the actual message is sometimes referred to as a marketing meme.

Who Uses Viral Marketing?

Viral marketing is useful as a stand-alone marketing tool or as a part of a larger campaign that uses multiple kinds of marketing. It is especially attractive to smaller businesses or companies because viral marketing can be a cheaper alternative to traditional marketing efforts.

A new energy drink company, for example, could create an Internet video featuring a person who consumes the energy drink before performing a seemingly impossible bicycle jump. If the video is made to look real, it may encourage people who see it to share it with others. After the video receives enough views, the company could reveal its true purpose, convincing its viewers to seek out more information about the drink without ever using a traditional advertisement.

Viral marketing is often used in conjunction with other methods of marketing, such as in the case of the Blair Witch Project. The viral aspect of the campaign generated buzz about the story long before the release of commercials, trailers, posters, and other forms of traditional marketing. This caused many people to already talk about the movie before it was officially announced to the public.

Content does not have to be covert to be viral. Political campaigns often create videos featuring sound clips of an opposing candidate saying something people may find offensive. Politicians hope that by pointing out an outrageous statement, the video will go viral and cause others to develop a negative attitude toward the targeted opponent.