Viral marketing is a concept which has its origins in the Internet. The term was invented by Steve Jurvetson, a venture capitalist, to describe the method used by Hotmail to develop its e-mail service. Most of the standard marketing textbooks mention the term. For example, viral marketing as ‘electronic word of mouth’, while Smith and Taylor give the following description of the process involved….
marketing and advertisingBuzz marketing is normally just one of the tools in the marketing communication mix and does not necessarily exclude ‘traditional’ advertising. In some cases a product is so contagious that advertising is not necessary (Rosen 2000, p. 206).
buzz marketing, marketing and advertisingAxe is a brand with a variety of products like deodorant, shower gel and aftershave with different fragrances, targeted at young man. The good reputation of Axe in Holland has helped the introduction of its new shower scrub (Van der Aa 2005, pers. comm., 22 April).
branding, case studyNew products often spread among the public through interpersonal communication networks.
Within those networks, some people have more influence than others. A company can use those influential people to accelerate the adoption of its product and spread the word-of-mouth (Rosen 2000, p. 43).
branding, buzz marketing, marketing and advertising, marketing theoriesThis term can be used when a new product is entering the market and consumers need to be aware of the existence of a product (Kotler 1999, p. 493). Especially in the case of trends when the time to market is very short, quick awareness of the product by consumers is desirable.
The fact that about 20 per cent of a company’s customers generate 80 per cent of its revenue is widely recognized. But perhaps it is even more important to identify and target the customers who form the 10 per cent of the population that influences the purchasing decisions of the majority.
buzz marketing, marketing and advertisingA study of 50 respondents was done to determine which information sources made people ‘more comfortable’ with a product, found that a recommendation from a friend was at the top of the list (26%), even above the person’s own past experience (20%).
buzz marketing, marketing and advertisingWOMMA, Business & Small Business (2008) distinguish four types of communication messages: planned messages (“what the firm says”), product and service messages (“what the firm does”) and unplanned messages (“what others say and do”).
buzz marketing, marketing and advertising