Thank you for your very thoughtful comment. I did not mean to imply that viral marketing is not a useful tool, as it is by far the most economical marketing mechanisms ever. What I did want to make very clear is that it is not a be-all-and-end-all of internet marketing. I have seen too often startups build themselves on the notion that viral distribution will get them too the Promised Land. This may be one of several approaches to take, but it can’t be the only one.

As always, thank you for reading.

Eli

As a marketing executive for an independant interactive agency, I’m going to passionately agree and disagree with you simultaneosly. Firstly, marketing IS essential. The better product will lose out to an inferior product many times over due to poor marketing execution. For example, look at Sony. For every Playstation, there are 5 mini-disc/ memory stick technologies that lost out in the marketplace due to a combination of failing to build a network economy, overpricing, and plain arrogance. Also look at Beta vs. VHS.

A compelling product is easier to sell, but proper marketing is indespensible. Marketing is NOT the same as distribution. To create distribution channels, the product needs to be positioned appropriately and have the right image that emotionally resonates with the consumer’s needs (and those needs can be practical or whimsical depending on the audience). I hate how product centered many business people are. The “if I build it they will come” mentality is the most damaging myth in business.

Now about “viral” marketing. Viral marketing can only be called “viral” if its a success and spreads on it’s own like wildfire. To call a campaign viral before it succeeds is definately counting your chickens before they’ve hatched.

I work for iChameleon Group, one of the most successful interactive marketing firms in the country representing clients like Motorola, DeBeers, Bridgestone Golf, Virgin Mobile, and Taco Bell.

We’ve unlocked the magic code to viral marketing, and it requires 4 to 6 months of highly strategized storyboarding and constantly feeding your target market’s dialogue with fresh content. It’s not easy, but there’s no question that the best way to get customers is to get people talking. The intended “viral” campaign is usually made in conjunction with external media like television and is probably the very best in terms of ROI for your marketing budget because the audience is wide, but more importantly, the prospective consumer actively engages and interacts with your product/brand.

Good strategy is essential. Viral works best when there’s already some distribution (meaning that they turn their interest into a purchase), and when it’s a consumer product. B2B viral works very well as well, you just have to enter into the right communities to encourage sharing (you won’t get as large of an audience, but the audience is highly targeted); that generally means no YouTube or MySpace.

All said, I’m surprised at how quickly you bashed “viral” marketing. Yes, it’s not a magic bullet, but spending $50k on an interactive marketing campaign with viral potential is very likely to return a substantially better ROI than a $50k full page ad in a magazine (and can eave you with email addresses and better understanding of your audience than the magazine ad as well). Definately, young companies with compelling products should explore interactive marketing. That said, you should also hire an expert and not try and do it yourself… a campaign that hopes to be viral takes months of planning and very deliberate execution.

Link to Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=805112580762

Thank You in Advance!