Viral Marketing
Commonly used for brand awareness viral marketing in a digital sense takes the form of an email or a web address with compelling content e.g. video, flash game or special offer. The aim is to target people with a high social networking potential (SNP) and have them pass on the the marketing message to friends and colleagues. Launching a viral on a social media tool is a great way to kick start a viral campaign. E.g. you belong to the Pepsi Max fan group on Facebook and they launch a series funny extreme sport videos all branded with Pepsi Max. If you found the video worth watching the chances are you will recommend it to your network and they theirs and so on.
Emotio can help you conceptulize and create a viral marketing campaign.
Some note worthy examples of viral marketing are the Threshers - ‘family and friends’ voucher for 40% off which was first sent out on email in December 2006. The voucher was downloaded my millions of people. Although a spokesperson for Threshers said ‘It could end up hitting our profit margins’ Threshers did only discount off of full retail price and not in conjunction with any other offer. The cost of implementing this viral would have been minimal.
BBC News Web discount frenzy at Threshers http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6198828.stm [Acessed December 28 2008]
ElfYourself www.elfyourself.com is a online viral from OfficeMax. a large American stationery supplier. ElfYourself was visited by 193 million people in 2007. In 2008 this viral site was revamped and now works an additional revenue generator selling you the video it creates or you elf image on products such as mugs, mousepads etc. More than 40% of the people who tried the online app gave OfficeMax credit for bringing good will. Thirty percent of those said they would shop at the retailer. The implementation of a flash website like this would have been costly to say the least but the brand exposure is excellent for a multi billion dollar business like OfficeMax.
MediaPost News Many Happy Returns: OfficeMax Brings Back ElfYourself http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=94920