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.