Pros & Cons of Social network-related viral marketing

OpenRice is a platform that allows reaching mass audience and those audiences are being targeted, because all of the audiences are want to get or share the information or comment of food or beverage restaurant in OpenRice. Therefore, OpenRice offer a place for all restaurants to target their customers. After that, generate viral marketing in OpenRice is also a cost effective way for every restaurants, because people are allow to share their opinions in OpenRice, if most of the people are generate a positive opinions of that restaurant, some of the media will be awarded and they will interest to promote that restaurant. So, it can save much of the promotional cost.

        In other way, viral marketing can be positive but also negative for a restaurant, it will be a good view for a restaurant, if most of the opinions is positive that shared by the people. However, some experienced customers will feel bad after enjoy their meal and they will share the negative opinion in OpenRice, if there are many people to share the negative opinions, the negative perception of that restaurant will be generate and transferred very fast, and most of the people will believe those negative opinions. Finally, a negative World-of-mouth will be create and it may affect the brand reputation of the restaurant.

OpenRice can generate viral marketing?

Facebook, MySpace and Evite are all great places to launch the viral marketing campaign. In social networking sites, everyone is connected to their friends. Company can create a special event or application that people can share with their friends. Sharing sites such as You Tube are also great places to create an entertaining marketing message that people can forward to or share with their friends.

      

 In Hong Kong, I am sure that, OpenRice is a great place for restaurant to launch the viral marketing campaign. OpenRice is a social platform allowed people or restaurant share the information about the food, beverage, style and quality of the restaurant. Today, Hong Kong people request high quality of food and beverage to fulfill their lifestyle, so that they will search the information through OpenRice, because there are different comments provide for different restaurants and these comments are objective.

      

Moreover, viral marketing can be generated through OpenRice, because people who are registered to be a member of OpenRice, they can enjoy some of the discount for different restaurant, that mean some of the food or beverage companies are offered a chance to add-value to their customers, and they are willing to share the message to the others and generate World-of-mouth.

Social network-related viral marketing

Social network-related viral marketing is one of the methods to generate viral marketing. Nowadays, food companies can influence perceptions about brands, products and suppliers through social networks, because people are willing to share their opinions about the feeling of the restaurant to the others. If the messages provided by companies or people are interesting, people are willing to create World-of-mouth around the internet.

 MySpace, Facebook, Second Life, YouTube, etc. These websites have rocketed to the top of the most visited website list in a very short time and continue to increase in popularity. The great advantage of social networks to marketing is their tendencies to propagate information virally.But social networks are not for everybody, and must be handled with care. The bulk of users on those websites are teens and young adults. And they are web savvy. Trying to take advantage of them with regular marketing techniques will not work, and may even backfire with a negative backlash.

The Pros and Cons of Flash Game Viral

The Pros and Cons of Flash Game Viral

Flash game viral on one hand could make benefit, but it also has its disadvantages in reality.

• Benefits

With Flash games viral marketing, the marketplace has started to change which allows small business to raise the degree of fame. In other words, restaurants can quickly and inexpensively add branded Flash games to their sites, and almost immediately increase their traffic and brand awareness.

• Drawbacks

Frankly speaking, it is not easy to capture public attention on playing the flash game. Restaurants' owners have to consider a flash game should be creative, interesting and challenging or with appropriate prizes afterwards, perhaps. To attain these objectives, restuarnsts not only have to spend money, but also need to have good ideas. If the game is not creative, "not creative" secondary association of the restaurants would thus be resulted.

Examples Restaurants Using Flash Game Viral

Are there any examples of restaurants using flash game viral by talking here?

Mcdonald's Homepage - With outbond link to Monopoly page
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/monopoly.html

Yes! Flash game viral has been using by a number of businessmen nowadays. So do many restaurant owners, for example,  McDonalds’ is the one of the leader. McDonalds’ introduction of flash game viral had successfully draw public attention in the past few years. One of the games is called “2010 Monopoly Game at McDonalds’”.

Monopoly

The game is available to play in England, Spanish, etc. Owing to the abundant prizes of winning the game, a large numbers of people including those usually eat at McDonalds’ or those who don’t’ to play the game. With the emergence of this game, it successfully cause buzz at the NET world. There are so many Netizen discuss this game on their blogs, forums, or even Facebook. I dare say that this is one of the successful examples of  Flash game viral  used by restaurant owners.

With such a game, many restaurants owners are turning to Flash games as a way of attracting new visitors to their websites, Facebook, getting their visitors to come back more often, and also to encourage them to share the website links with their friends by email and social media.

What is Flash Game Viral?

What is Flash Game Viral?

It is not uncommon to see video viral are so prevalent all over the world. However, there are actually many others’ viral tools. One of them is called flash game viral marketing.

Have you guys ever heard about it? No? Hey guys, come on! You must have ever seen it, or even have played it already. Simply like the "THE COKE ZERO GAME", but you may just have no idea which is a kind of viral marketing tool used to capture your attention.

Flash game viral marketing refers to flash game that gains exponential growth and popularity by means of Internet sharing of this game via instant messages or email, blogs and other media sharing websites.  In catering industry,  flash game usually involves restaurants' products or services. The creative, interesting or humorous game would cause you to forward the link of the game to your friends, co-workers, colleagues and reach masses of random internet users.

Pros and Cons of Viral Video Campaign “Kicked out of Pizza Place”

The Pros and Cons of “Kicked out of Pizza Place”

Advantages 

• Save cost

On the above case “Kicked out of Pizza Place”, it is a creative and funny video clip by two guys. Viral video campaign is mostly free or low cost in viral marketing. The restaurant only needs to record a video and post it on internet in order to save cost for advertising.  

• Attracting viewers

Besides, it was providing entertainment to viewers during ordering the food and pizza delivery process. A man was ordered food in other three small pizza restaurants. There were different reposes by the boss of the restaurants in three locations. Consequently, it ensures the viewers keep eyeball and pay attention on the video.

•  Creating buzz & Reminding brand

 Also it is an effective way of creating a buzz and reminding the customers about the brand of restaurant ‘Pizza Hut’.

Disadvantages

• Dilute brand image

However, such acting not only unfair to other small restaurant, but also can damage and dilute brand of Pizza Hut restaurant. 

• More competition

Moreover, doing the malevolence or bad behavior in other restaurants may produce negative comments, and some competitors will enhance against the powerful viral video campaign in restaurant industry.

A Powerful Viral Video Campaign “Kicked out of Pizza Place”

Amazing Viral Video Campaign “Kicked out of Pizza Place”

Pizza Hut had launched a powerful viral video campaign “Kicked out of Pizza Place” by the third party which is called Zadby.

422,000 Viewers
Providing the widely platform for participating of the viewer’s by YouTube and MySpace. Pizza Hut has adopted word-of-mouth and a viral technique, so the total number of view is around 422,000 and lot of comments on YouTube by the viewers.

What the viral video campaign is?

First of all, the video is natural that carried out by two guys and ordered the food delivery of Pizza Hut in other small pizza restaurants. It contains the natural flow with funny acting which seems no script. It also make the viewers doubted that the video campaign made by pizza hut or just for laugh.

Benefits

Since this viral video offering entertainment to viewers, it is a method to remind the customers about Pizza Hut. It entertains the online viewers and promotes their restaurant in selling more and more pizza at the same time.

Viral Video Marketing

Unlike traditional marketing, viral marketing is mostly free. One of the popular types of viral marketing is “viral video marketing”. It is a process of Internet sharing the video clip through video sharing sites, social media, e-mail and between the mobile phone by Bluetooth or MMS. 

To be "viral", the video needs to be appealing to the audiences, and it is usually unique, funny, witty and humorous. Thus, word-of-mouth can be created and end up viral-like phenomena in viral marketing. As a result, the video clips can generate a buzz on internet and its message can be spread out by a viral technique.

In order to meet the specific objectives such as increasing sales, promoting brand awareness and recognition. There are many restaurants, food or beverage companies created video clips through YouTube, Google video, MySpace and other video sharing sites. Therefore, the videos can achieve widespread distribution electronically.

The Pros and Cons of guerrilla marketing

Advantages of guerrilla marketing

In this beverage example, it can catch the attention of passerby because it is a creative idea and match with the environment.  From the company perspective, it can create brand awareness so that increase brand value. This beverage example is easy to remember. Moreover, the idea is relatively low cost and reaches a large number of audience. It is a cost-effective way of viral marketing. This success example can attract new customers and retain existing customers. Therefore, it can increase the sales of this beverage company.

Disadvantages of guerrilla marketing

However, there are some disadvantages of this tactic of viral marketing. The print may be destroyed by competition and create negative comment. In this example, the brand name is small. If people see the photo in Facebook, they may not see the brand name clearly and ignore it.

Good Example of viral marketing Guerrilla Marketing

Happen in our daily life

There is a beverage example of Folgers Coffee. It creates viral effect which called viral marketing. We can see in this picture.

A print of a coffee mug was placed on top of steaming manhole cover in New York City. The holes on the print allow the steam to come out and make it look like a cup of coffee. The wording around the beverage cup says: ‘Hey, City That Never Sleeps. Wake up.” This is one of the best guerilla advertisements ever made. It is a viral marketing which is spread in New York City.

A creative and cost-effective campaign is impossible to be ignored by every passerby. The point here is to focus the attention of the customers on something they are familiar with such as beverage or is a part of their day-to-day environment but in a new and exciting way.


Nowadays, people like taking photo and upload on social media. Many mobile phones have instant upload function. After they sharing, more and more people know what happen and create buzz.

Definition of Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing is a powerful tool

One type of viral marketing is guerrilla marketing. Guerrilla marketing is unexpected and unconventional, potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places. It intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. The cost is relatively lower than advertising in mass media. It is because guerrilla marketing can be effective in reaching a large number of people rapidly. It is what we call “viral marketing”.

The goal of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engagement and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral. This always happens in our daily live such as our food and beverage promotion.

When people see something interesting or get their attention, they may take a picture and share with friends on Facebook. Then, more and more people know and discuss this campaign. This picture becomes a viral which share among friends.

This video introduces some examples of guerrilla marketing.

Pro and Cons of using viral email marketing

Focus!

Pros

Viral Email Marketing lower costs and can increases profits related to business campaign. According to the above post case, email is FAST, personal, interactive and extremely effective in a short term. The viral effect spread quickly and the incentives encourage consumers to act.

Reduce Marketing Costs

Email marketing provides cost-saving benefits, such as:

No printing, mailing or media expenses
Response rate higher compare with direct mail or banner ads

Retention

Allows frequent customer contact, which translates into higher revenues. Customer acquisition costs average only $24 for email versus $82 for PR, $958 for print ads, and $1,457 for radio ads. (Source: Fiore & Collins)

Viral email marketing is a great way to promote and market your goods. However, you’ll have to make the campaign as innovative as possible if you want positive results.

Track the resultNumber of response and clicks that can check by statistics.

Cons

Although viral email marketing is fast to spread information, there are some problems. Here is the main issue:
Deliverability
According to some report, legitimate email servers averaged a delivery rate of 56%; twenty percent of the messages were rejected, and eight percent were filtered. An email marketing program must make sure that their program does not violate spam.

Privacy

Before send an email to consumer, company should ask for permission that they allow to receiving your company email. Provide opt-in and opt-out service for receivers.

Fan email fire with social forwarding!

Real successful case of applying viral email marketing -

Papa John's Pizza -Pass the Pie

Research shows that consumers are more inclined to open an email from a friend than from a company. Believe that? It’s real. Papa John’s who added 45,000 fans on Facebook just in three days after their viral marketing email campaign. Papa John’s send the email to subscribers, enable them to share special offer to friends and chance to win Pizza for a year. It is a great deal to pass along to through email and social network (Facebook, Twitter)

Through email and social network, what things motivate receivers to pass along the mail and information?
Here are three factors:
1: Incentives

2: Valuable to themselves
3: Trust (friends/peers effect)

You’ve got Mail!
Papa John’s Pizza encourages customer to opt-in email and SMS to receive information and offers. The most commonly used online service in most countries is email. Papa John’s Pizza succeeds by applying e-marketing for business.

Viral marketing – via email

Viral E-mail Marketing

This article is about viral emails, (also known as a "pass-along email") is a certain kind of email which spread rapidly from person to person. It’s like viruses via emails to infect readers. The contents can include texts, videos, links etc. that related to a company’s business campaign. And try to motivate receiver to take an action by incentives.

The process is relatively simple, an individual receives an email and the contents have value add to them or friends, ultimately receiver would forward the email to their friends. 

The pass-along process repeat and repeat, people do the same, and thus they rapidly spread the email, in a worldwide proportion.

A common commercial application for viral email marketing is the viral advertising campaigns or promotional emails. Receivers take action to forward the email is base on the contents is valuable to themselves.

Pros and Cons of Incentivised Viral Marketing

Since Happy Farm is one of the most popular applications in Facebook, it had cooperated with Minute Maid beverage of Coca Cola Company to conduct a successful viral marketing campaign.


The main advantage is cost efficiency and high possibility to get to a broader target market rapidly and it is generally trusted by many. Because there were some rewards involved, so the players were more willing to invite and refer their friends due to value-added for them. Furthermore, Minute Maid could enhance their brand awareness through this campaign, while the audience engagement was also enhance. This campaign could also convert the Happy Farm players to become physical Minute Maid beverage customers by offering the “Happy Farm coins”.


Unfortunately, viral marketing can be a bit tedious and subjective. It's so hard to pin down variables when the marketers try and prove ROI, so attributing sales growth or traffic increases due to viral marketing can be a stretch. Therefore, the marketers need to pay attention and monitor the opinions and feedbacks of the audience, otherwise it may drive away the customers.

Minute Maid beverage occurred in Facebook Happy Farm??

I think most of you guys have played Happy Farm which is a Facebook application, so many people have played and addicted to this popular application. Approximately 15 million urban white-collar workers are estimated to spend more than five hours a day on Happy Farm.


Players can grow crops, trade with others, sell produce, and steal from neighbors. The funnest thing for most of players is stealing crops from neighbors. Therefore the players are willing to send invitation to their friends in order to increase their neighbors.


If you are a player of Happy Farm, then are you remember Minute Maid beverage has been occurred in Facebook Happy Farm? That’s true!! Because this was a viral marketing campaign of Minute Maid beverage from Coca Cola Company in Tai Wan, which was cooperated with Facebook Happy Farm.

How can it be viral marketing? As I mention before, the players can grow and steal crops from neighbors, so same at this case. The more neighbors they have, the more crops they can steal. They also could use “Minute Maid beverage” as the decoration in Happy Farm. This campaign also offered “Happy Farm coins” as the rewards for the players if they brought the physically Minute Maid beverage.

 

Viral Marketing - Incentivised Viral

What kind of benefits for you can be defined as an incentive? Discount? Special offer? Or just an enjoyment? Well, it depends on what you want.


Incentivised viral is a type of viral marketing by offering some rewards for providing someone else’s address, so that the marketers can dramatically increase referrals. This method encourages and facilitates you referring more friends in order to gain more rewards.


On the other hand, the network effect of the Internet and can be effective in reaching a large number of people rapidly by the message is being transmitted more and more.


Viral marketing works best when a valuable and tangible incentive is offered, encouraging individuals to forward an email or message to their friends. Incentive can add value for you, so that you are willing to forward and transmit the message. However, marketers should cap the incentive to a specific quantity to avoid spam-like distribution of the message.

Example of Viral Marketing – Pepsi Max:

Example of Viral Marketing – Pepsi Max:

It is a good example of viral marketing of Pepsi Max in the food and beverage industry. The video of Pepsi Max Zero Calories advertisement from Youtube is shown. It includes interesting and creative ideas by showing songs, slogan as ‘No you can, yes I can’ and special powerful effect to attract audience to promote this new product.

Since Pepsi Max and Coca Cola are the direct competitors in food and beverage industry, the sarcasm is putting these two companies in an advertisement to promote Pepsi Max and mock at Coca Cola. Besides, Snoop Dogg is a famous American rapper who performed as Pepsi Max endorser. Since a buzz was created and the audience felt interested for this video, so that’s why it makes people want to pass it on and share with their friends.

People think that it is a very unique and special theme, so that they are willing to tell their friends and pass its messages to others through social media such as Facebook and so on. Word-of-mouth effect can be created and this is a successful viral marketing campaign.

Reference: http://www.youtube.com/wat​ch?v=TnABZM83hqg

Advantages and Disadvantages of Viral Marketing

Advantages and Disadvantages of Viral Marketing:

We will discuss about advantages and disadvantages of viral marketing. 

Advantages:

The advantages of viral marketing service are high credibility, low costs, great reach, high efficiency and the opportunity to continuous promotion adjustments. The time and resources are easily available.

Viral marketing uses the network effect of the Internet so that the marketing messages can be reached mass audience rapidly and effectively. It is an effective online form since word-of-mouth communication is also known as ‘buzz marketing’. Once a buzz is created, even there are some incentives that are value-added for the audiences, so that they are more willing to forward the message to the others. They contacted more and more people and the chain goes on.

Disadvantages:

Viral marketing is a high-risk marketing communications technique, since it requires significant initial investment in the viral agent and selling. However, there is no guarantee that the campaign will ‘go viral’, in which case the investment will be wasted. Of course, although positive viral marketing can spread rapidly, negative sentiments about a company can be also spread. Besides, viral marketing indicates you to work in association with an unknown group, so chances of getting an unsolicited e-mail threats and the dilution of the brand and much more.

References:

1.  http://www.outsourcestrategies.com/blog/2007/05/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-viral marketing.html

2.  http://www.articlesbase.com/outsourcing-articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-viral-marketing-927147.html#ixzz1RlF4v1sf

3.  Textbooks: Chaffey, Ellis-Chadwick, Mayer and Johnston. (2009). Internet Marketing – Strategy, Implementation, and Practice, 4th edition, Prentice Hall, P. 556.

Definition of Viral Marketing

Definition of Viral Marketing:

Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.

Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques, using pre-existing social networks to produce brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses or computer viruses. It can be delivered by word-of-mouth or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral marketing may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or text messages.

Viral marketing can be defined online viral marketing, or buzz marketing, is a form of electronic word-of-mouth marketing. Brands and promotions are discussed and awareness of them transmitted in two main forms, either as passalong e-mail or discussion in a social network.

References:

1.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing

2.    Textbooks: Chaffey, Ellis-Chadwick, Mayer and Johnston. (2009). Internet Marketing – Strategy, Implementation, and Practice, 4^th edition, Prentice Hall, P. 556.