Viral Marketing

The power of viral marketing can be seen by the video clip shown below:

It is an advert for Cadburies chocolate aired in 2007. The visuals have nothing to do with chocolate at all except for a final tag line showing a Cadburies chocolate bar. It has been posted on YouTube and has over 7 million views. Potential customers are therefore choosing to watch this advert at no additional cost for Cadburies. Why does this advert work? The visual image is arresting and works on a subliminal level (the simple joy of beating the hell out of a drum kit perhaps?).

What is viral marketing and why is it so powerful?

Seth Godin wrote the first mainstream book about viral marketing. It's free (and can be downloaded from http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/files/2000Ideavirus.pdf)  and has been downloaded millions of times over the past 13 years. That was the viral part. The marketing part? He released a $40 souvenir hardcover edition. People knew the idea but didn't like the format or Seth's PDF design skills. So they paid a lot for a book they had already read. It went to #5 on Amazon (#4 in Japan). Seth sold the rights in dozens of languages including paperback rights.


His book can be summarised as follows:

"Marketing by interrupting people isn’t cost-effective anymore. You can’t afford to seek out people and send them unwanted marketing messages, in large groups, and hope that some will send you money."

"Instead, the future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other. Ignite consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk."

In conclusion, I think that a viral marketing campaign could be an extremely effective way of promoting a new up-and-coming band.