Preview

Viral Marketing

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1852 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Viral Marketing
Viral Marketing is a waste of money. Discuss considering the place of Viral Marketing within the digital marketing mix.
In the following essay I will be discussing the idea that “Virtual Marketing is a waste of money”, arguing my point considering its place and value within the digital marketing mix. I will do this by first defining what viral marketing is, and discussing what it is. I will then briefly outline what the digital marketing mix is, and assess each section of the mix against virtual marketing, in order to find out its usefulness and limitations, in terms of being a waste of money. I will then proceed to discuss my findings, before finally concluding the argument.
Viral marketing can be defined as “A mechanism that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily”. Viral marketing campaigns tend to seek and identify highly socially networked individuals, who are capable and willing to pass a message along, and in this sense, it is very similar to word of mouth. The term viral marketing was created by Professor Jeffery Rayport (1995), who suggested there were 6 rules which were needed for efficient virtual marketing, and these are still relevant today. In short, these are, stealth is the essence of market entry, what is up front is free - payment is later. let the behaviour of the target community carry the message. look like a host, not a message. Exploit the strength of weak ties. Invest to reach the tipping point.
The concept that stealth is the essence of market entry is important because successful viral marketing campaigns tend to use less obvious ways of bringing their brands attention to the customers’ attention, through methods such as unusual placement or contexts. (Churchill) A good example of this can be seen in the work of Comparethemarket.com, an insurance comparison website, who blended into the congested market, until 2009, when they managed to stand out by using a less obvious method of gaining brand

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Business Unit 12 P4

    • 1152 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Describe the benefits and opportunities to the business of using internet marketing within the marketing mix of a selected business.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The article starts by showing why the marketing tactics of five years ago would not work in the today’s world. With so much advancement taking place in the field of technology, it is only fair to say that mobile phones are becoming a major source for marketing and advertising. Also, because the use of internet increases the efficiency of advertising by reaching to customers all over the world, going online is the smart…

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mcbride Financial Services

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: a la Mode. (2009). Three Viral Marketing Ideas for Mortgage Brokers. Retrieved August 1,…

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. How could viral marketing be used to complement or replace traditional media in this case?…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Throughout the twenty-first century, social marketing has become exceedingly popular among businesses; not matter the size. Marketing and technology have ultimately taken over the world, allowing individuals round the clock access to the Internet, music, emails, televisions, and video uploads all via their cellular device. Social media marketing as become remarkably popular among businesses such as Pepsi refresh project (Boone, L.E. & Kurtz, D.L. pg.354). This viral marketing launch became a year long initiative in which consumers created a short video that would benefit their communities. This particular marketing strategy was popular in the advertisement of Pepsi’s products without it costing anyone anything. When the videos went viral, Pepsi was able to save money on the cost of advertisements, and spend the money they saved elsewhere. Companies that evolve into social medical marketing will be able to increase exposure to their companies, gain additional web traffic, potentially increase sales and gain customers. Social media marketing is the new way of the world for companies interested in expanding their brands; therefore, more companies are investing more of their money in social media.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marketing organisations products over the internet is one of the most cost-effective ways to get people to notice your business. With the ability to create blogs and interact with others over the internet, consumers also have the capability to share information. This leads us to viral marketing. Viral marketing offers encouragements to pass on a message (or sometimes video) about a particular product or service. An example of this is the T-Mobile viral marketing campaign, which involved every day looking dancers to work together and shock travellers on their way to work. The plan was to get everyone so excited and in the mood that they will start to record the moment and this is how the video becomes viral. The adverts have…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Godin, S. (2007, October 17). Is Viral Marketing the same as word of mouth? Retrieved from…

    • 11033 Words
    • 45 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    What can be really neat is that one or a few of these thousands of people may find what you say of value and share with a friend. When people share your words with others and it starts getting around the Internet that is called going viral. By committing to write useful information for your branding campaign, you can gain thousands of prospects to your site, that may translate into sales or…

    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    viral marketing

    • 558 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The process of viral marketing includes interactions through blogs, social media focus groups, character interactions, strategic informational drops. It’s basically rapid multiplication, just like it happens in the case of viruses is what is sought in the case of viral marketing. Thus the message cuts across thousands and perhaps, hundreds of thousands in comparison to conventional marketing where it is the brick by brick approach that is time consuming and not so rewarding. But this is applicable only on the internet using social networking sites where the message is so interesting and convincing that members are forced to spread it out of their own volition.…

    • 558 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Innovative Instagram

    • 2641 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Wilson, Ralph F. "The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing." Web Marketing Today. Wilson Internet Services, 1 Feb. 2000. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.…

    • 2641 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The key to effective guerilla and viral marketing is to keep things relevant. Too many times, companies try to create something so outlandish that they lose the memory power of their brand. While outrageous tricks such as half-naked models handing out toothpaste may catch a lot of attention, as well as a wonderful viral effect, it also is more common that at the end of the day, consumers remember the stunt, and not the brand of toothpaste.…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional, potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.…

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Viral Marketing

    • 2401 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Among the first to write about viral marketing on the Internet was media critic Douglas Rushkoff in his 1994 book Media Virus: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture. The assumption is that if such an advertisement reaches a "susceptible" user, that user will become "infected" (i.e., accept the idea) and will then go on to share the idea with others "infecting them," in the viral analogy's terms. As long as each infected user shares the idea with more than one susceptible user on average (i.e., the basic reproductive rate is greater than one - the standard in epidemiology for qualifying something as an epidemic), the number of infected users will grow according to a logarithmic curve, whose initial segment appears exponential. Of course, the marketing campaign may be wildly successful even if the rate at which things are spread isn't of epidemic proportions, if this user-to-user sharing is sustained by other forms of marketing communications, such as public relations or advertising.…

    • 2401 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Consumer Perception

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The world of marketing is an ever-changing one. Not simply because consumers' desires change, but also because today marketers have more means than ever to reach potential customers. The Internet has made aspects of marketing much simpler and cheaper. We can now literally reach over a billion people world-wide. For multinational companies, this is a good means to create a connection with the people in each country they operate in. The following will examine the website of Victoria's Secret, as well as the "size does matter" epidemic in the United States.…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Viral Loop Case Study

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Virality is all about interacting with your users and making them become your app’s marketers. Virality is not just a marketing strategy, it is something which has to be thought thoroughly and implemented from the very beginning. Growth obtained this way…

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays