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Viral Marketing to Become the Norm?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the advertisers-working-for-their-bread-and-butter dept.

An anonymous reader writes "One of the oldest advertising companies in the U.S., JWT, has just bought up all the Huffington Post's front-page ad space for a whole week. They are taking the unique approach of trying to create ad content interesting enough to make people want to watch, instead of the traditional ad agency approach of bludgeoning the user base over the head through interstitials and other forced ad techniques. Will the ad companies be able to put forth enough continued effort to make good ads that become viral, or is this just a short phase to gain publicity?"

12 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. What a concept! by JoeLinux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Instead of MAKING the customer do something, you make it attractive enough for them to WANT to do something.

    MPAA, RIAA: you taking notes?

    1. Re:What a concept! by Ruff_ilb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The other obvious problem is that eventually, viral marketing will simply reach a point of saturation; and the more viral marketing campaigns there are, the less effective each one becomes. It's quite likely that viral marketing is effective not because of its approach (although its approach certainly is significant) but because of its novelty.

      In fact, viral marketing might lose even more effectiveness as it proliferates. Viral marketing works great when only one or two products/companies are using it, because everyone talks about those two products - but when each person remembers or is interested in only one of many different viral marketing campaigns, they all lose effectiveness. Traditional marketing is probably a much safer bet.

      --
      http://www.TheGamerNation.com/Forums
    2. Re:What a concept! by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Guess what? I do not want my advertizing to be entertaining. I want it to be informative. I am tired of products being advertized as a way to meet some emotional need of mine: No, I do not need a BMW to make my peers envious. I do not need to think of McDonalds as a hip place for youngsters. Seeing Lebron on TV does not make me want to buy his shoes... I'm an uncoordinated white guy... your shoes won't help.

      The point of advertizing has morphed from a way to educate to a way to associate it with a feeling or a mood. I think this defines the difference between a capitalist society and a consumerist society. We crossed that a long time ago.

      But I won't go along with it. Maybe that is why I am (generally) happy with life.

      --
      See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    3. Re:What a concept! by Karma+Farmer · · Score: 4, Insightful
      but not so much for things you actually need (hygiene products).
      The very fact that you mistakenly believe you "need" most hygiene products underemines any credibility you might have when talking about advertising.
    4. Re:What a concept! by Triv · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Guess what? I do not want my advertizing to be entertaining. I want it to be informative.

      Then you're statistically irrelevant to the advertising industry. Thanks for playing.

      I do not need to think of McDonalds as a hip place for youngsters.

      ...and I'm guessing you're not a youngster from that statement. Those ads weren't targeted at you. Also: 75% of all advertising is about keeping brands strong. Even if you don't like McDonald's, the fact that you're talking about them right now means they're doing a good job of staying in the public perception. So even if they lose, they win. It's fascinating, isn't it?

      The point of advertizing has morphed from a way to educate to a way to associate it with a feeling or a mood.

      Oh, please. Advertising that doesn't promote an emotional reaction is completely ineffective at selling things. This isn't a new thing - even the automobile advertisements from the good ol' days tried to appeal to your emotional side first before hitting you with statistics and facts and whatnot. You should looks at some of the classic Ogilvy car ads and pinpoint emotionally resonant language, even in the boilerplate. To believe that they were merely informative is a fallacy.

    5. Re:What a concept! by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem is, there's more often than not not a "rational" reason for buying a certain product. Hell, all detergents are essentially the same. They're even made by more or less the same companies (there are actually less than 5 global players in that market). So what rational reason do you expect?

      We've reached a level where all products are essentially equally good. There is a point at which production cost and quality level off, and there's nothing you can do to make it better without making it also more expensive. Which means that your product is as good as the next one.

      Now, how do you want to sell that to your customer? "Buy mine 'cause it doesn't matter?"

      Not necessarily a good selling point.

      Advertising has appeal to your emotional side. It has to tell you that with some deodorant you're more attractive or you're more entertaining or, hell, in WHATEVER way more interesting to be around. There is no tangible difference to competing products.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. Re:Sorry, but... by Umbral+Blot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The idea is that if the ads are cool you will tell your friends about them, and then they will see them and spread them to their friends, hence viral.

    --

    Philosophy.
  3. It's already working! by SEMW · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They've already succeeded. It's been posted on Slashdot. What better indicator of sucess in a viral marketing campaign designed to attract attention and publicity do you need?

    --
    What's purple and commutes? An Abelian grape.
  4. Hmmm by cp.tar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm sorry, I must have got something wrong...

    You're not saying some time in the future I won't be forced to watch commercials because some gizmo or another preventing me from switching channels? I'll watch commercials of my own free will?

    I don't believe a change of this magnitude throughout the marketing industry is possible.
    It would be nice, though.

    However, I fear that if I start watching commercials thinking I like it, I'll have been brainwashed. And they won't have changed.

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  5. Virual works... by misleb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Viral advertising works because it is rare. How could it be the norm? I seriously doubt that there is enough talent out there to regularly churn out advertising that is entertaining enough. It is, after all, only advertising. People will learn to filter it out.

    -matthew

    --
    "THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
  6. Mass marketing has been dead by hsmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    and it will be dead forever. Look at places like myspace. It is pure viral marketing, friends tell friends and friends get friends to join. The amusing part is, myspace makes money off of the old, failed system of marketing, while myspace enjoys having no advertising budget of their own. they have millions of stupid kids out there spouting off how great their service is. it is an amazing feat.

    if anyone is trying to market their business, i suggest they read "PyroMarketing" good stuff.

  7. too late by FudRucker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    as a US citizen (like many others) i have been bombed and hounded by advertising for so long now that i automatically ignore all advertizing like ignoring the background noise in a factory...

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing