Viral Marketing

Viral Marketing Campaigns

 

The term “viral marketing” was first coined in 1997 to describe how this method of marketing spread from person to person in a similar way to a virus.

One of the earliest forms of viral campaigns was created by Hotmail. It involved them just putting a tagline at the end of every email sent by its users telling people to sign up.

Campaigns have become more and more sophisticated through the years, especially as technology has improved. BMW were one of the first major companies to see the potential of viral marketing and created a series of films called The Hire directed by popular film-makers including Tony Scott, John Woo and Guy Ritchie. These films saw BMW’s sales increase by 12% with over 100 million views of the series in just four years.

However, it’s not only businesses using these marketing methods. One of the most successful viral campaigns of recent years was for the Dark Knight, which left the internet and became a large alternate reality game. Rock band Nine Inch Nails also used a viral campaign for the release of their 2007 album Year Zero, which involved the band leaving USB drives at concerts with new tracks and links to websites to promote the concept album and the alternate world that it had created.

However, viral marketing can be used for all businesses, no matter what your budget. As long as the content you’re producing for the campaign is of good quality, people will share it. Viral marketing campaigns benefit your business as they real value and can grow on their own once you have set them up, meaning that it is a form of marketing that is very cost-effective.

 

Guerilla Marketing Examples

Various companies have tried different guerrilla techniques, and if done really well it can be a value for money way of getting your brand noticed.

Ikea are well known for their creative guerrilla marketing campaigns and one of the most effective took place in 2007 in New York. Their “Everyday Fabulous” campaign involved setting up installations across the city and decorating everyday items from bus stops to underground trains with furnishings from the shop to show how little touches can make a big difference.

Advertising company TBWA undertook a cheeky guerrilla marketing stunt against rival company Saatchi & Saatchi. Whilst S&S were getting their reception area refurbished they placed up large white construction boards with signs saying “bill posters will not be tolerated”. TBWA then pasted a huge poster with an arrow saying “you’ll get a better reception at TBWA” across the boards. To add insult to injury, they tipped off the BBC, who were in the area making an advertising documentary, who promptly filmed the stunt.

Guerrilla marketing also works for films, with the low budget Blair Witch Project gaining massive popularity thanks to an innovative campaign. The film was publicised as a documentary about a video tape found after three young students disappeared in the woods. The producers created a legend about the Blair Witch to make the audiences believe that what they were seeing on screen was real and that there were books, dossiers and police reports about supposed incidents to do with the Blair Witch.

However, Guerrilla marketing can backfire if done incorrectly. Cartoon Network caused a bomb scare in Boston, Massachusetts in 2007 by placing LED devices across the city to promote their show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Dr Pepper also ran a misguided campaign which involved them buying a gold coin for treasure hunters to find inside a cemetery, which shows the importance of taking into consideration the possible repercussions of any stunt.