Viral Marketing - Dissertation Example

Because of the remarkable growth in e-communications, such as mobile phones and the Internet, viral marketing has become an important component of the marketing communications strategy in numerous organizations. Buzz advertising, word-of-mouth, e-mail direct marketing, wireless or mobile advertising, and online advertising and promotions are useful strategies to strengthen and improve viral marketing communications instruments. Viral marketing can improve awareness, enhance customer response, motivate product trial, and build brand equities.

The natural interactivity of viral marketing grants them a powerful position in marketing communications strategy. Undoubtedly, in the future, the role of viral marketing will become increasingly essential, and new media and technologies will come out. Yet, marketers should always bear in mind that new media and technology can only be effective when potential customers are capable of and eager to use, accept, and understand it in their buying preferences. Indeed, viral marketing is just beginning to be recognized in the Czech Republic, although it is certainly the suggested and chosen standard in current marketing practice and communications.

Understanding the theory and discipline of viral marketing is now a matter of rigorous and wide-ranging research as there is a great deal of information about it.        This dissertation will discuss the theoretical and practical features of viral marketing and review several of the methods and successful campaigns that have sped up the recognition of connected marketing. A brief discussion on the development of viral marketing in the Czech Republic will be presented in the concluding part of the paper.

Viral marketing, particularly when applied in an integrated manner, can both enhance brand awareness and develop brand support (Arndt, 1967). And it is a quite cost-effective way of marketing, even for product, brand, or service that has no ‘memorable’ or ‘buzz’ (Brown, Barry, Dacin & Gunst, 2005) features.There are some people when reflecting on marketing research, tend to visualize research instead of marketing itself. In fact, marketing research is officially identified as locating and assessing marketing opportunities and threats, reviewing marketing strategies, or examining marketing outcomes (Bearden, Ingram & LaForge, 2001).

However, there is an emerging kind of marketing strategy that is restoring marketing into marketing research: viral marketing. Instead of merely giving free samples, quick looks, etc. to consumers, the core idea of viral marketing is to foster goodwill, advocacy, and loyalty by placing the product/service in the consumers’ hand and granting them the opportunity to give their opinions or feedback on how it is marketed (Bearden et al., 2001).By engaging opinion leaders and consumers in this manner, by successfully encouraging them to take part in marketing, you generate a strong sense of control among your target consumers who have the ability to fuel word of mouth.

In the past, the only means available to spread one’s ideas was to pay for a costly promotion or solicit for advertising (Lewis, 2001). But nowadays businesses or organizations have a great chance to make public a large amount of information online, information that individuals would like to consume and that they are willing to communicate with their colleagues and loved ones. Word-of mouse is the most powerful instrument accessible to marketers at present.