Viral Marketing
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm
Viral marketing is basically spam mail. The ‘spammer’ simply looks on the internet for it’s target audience by searching for e.g. medical doctors online and finding companies and/or individuals that they can send their viral marketing to. To make sure that at least 1 of their targets take up on the offer they repeatedly send the same email until the person(s) have given in and decide to take on the spammer.
http://www.out-law.com/page-6590
In recent years there has been a ban on the viral marketing, the spammer can only send spam if the recipent gives them permission to do so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Subservient_Chicken
Here’s one example of viral marketing.
The Subservient Chicken is an advertising program created to promote international fast food restaurant chain Burger King’s tender crisp chicken sandwich and their “Have it Your Way” campaign. In the ad, a man is sitting in his living room directing a person in a chicken suit to behave in any way he wants. The tag line was “Chicken the way you like it.” According to Jeff Benjamin, an Executive Creative Director at CP+B, the campaign evolved from a television idea into an interactive one. After the success of the Subservient Chicken, Burger King used the character in several subsequent advertising campaigns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Crocker_(Internet_celebrity)
Chris Crocker is well known for his myspace and youtube videos featuring himself defending his hero Britney Spears against all the ‘haters’ of her and/or her work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger_Badger_Badger
This viral marketing is dancing badgers singing a repetative and addictive tune that is easily remembered. This was created using flash software, this animation is looped so that the time it runs for is litterally endless. However eventually the song seeps out of sink with the music. Accompanied by electronic music, a voice repeats the word “badger” over the animation, breaking off to say either “mushroom” or “a snake” at the appropriate moments.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Banana#Peanut_Butter_Jelly_Time
As the popularity of the banana grew, hundreds of variations of the image had been created for forums or other purposes. The Dancing Banana soon made its way to television shows and began to appear as an icon in pop culture. – The viral marketing was spread so that more advertising was feasible throughout the internet, tv etc.
