Viral marketing is advertising that uses existing networks, generally social networks, to spread commercial information like a "Media Virus" epidemic.
These viral commercials often take the form of funny video clips, images, text or interactive Flash games. They are generally more entertaining, provocative and absurd than broadcast commercials to carry the barely visible commercial value.
Often the source (its producer), the product, its bias, or the question if this is really oficial or a parody artwork, are "undercover".
Origin[]
Viral marketing starts with worth-of-mouth propagating, spreads trough email attatchments, blogs and can reach fad-popularity far beyond its product.
Buzz marketing, mentioning a movie star in ANY context, just when a movie with him releases.
Examples[]
mail:
html:
- Burger King's The Subservient Chicken and "Coq Roq"
- Virtual Bartender
video:
- Doctor Who tie-in websites
- BMW's Mini Cooper r50 robot campaign
more code:
- Jamie Kane by BBC
- Microsoft's XBOX 360 campaign, called OurColony
- Microsoft's Origami Project campaign.
- Blog.Worm - Blogosphere viral marketing
- Giantology.net for "Shadow of the Colossus"
- ilovebees.com for Halo 2
- beta-7.com for ESPN Football 2k4
- eqsl.cc Electronic QSL Card Centre Growing through viral marketing
other:
- Tupperware parties...
- The spread of text messaging / IRC / Chatting
- Ford's Evil Twin campaign
- The spread of the R. Tam sessions for the 2005 film Serenity
limits[]
- Quick exponential growdt but unknown life expectancy.
- Size limit. The information must be stored in ~2mb.
- A risk to demand the used brand by leaving it out of control.
Also see[]
- Viral marketing on wikipedia.org
- Razor Gator
- Snakes on a Plane