Viral Marketing - Yes or No?

I've grown up studying Kotler's marketing like my new bible. Most of you probably would have been familiar with Kotler's theories. I love Kotler with all my heart. That was in the past... Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Kotler is outdated, but his theories are perfect for marketing in the real world, but not really for marketing in this cyber era. For example, take his 4Ps. Place would be rendered obsolete in the realms of the cyberspace.

Why this article came about is due to the fact that in the US, only a disappointing 15% of all marketing efforts are concentrated on viral marketing. Now, that seems shocking even for US standards who birthed the shock culture much to the amusement of the world.

Viral marketing is the answer and the new generation of marketing, the wild child, the untamed new marketing of today. Viral marketing needs no introduction anymore, so I shall skip the basic viral marketing definition and theories.

In my opinion, viral marketing is free, creative and knows no boundaries. The only limitation would probably be the space between your head. So, think out of the box, embrace viral marketing like never before and use it to your advantage. Viral marketing is not simply word-of mouth as many critics have shot it down outright. Viral marketing's potential knows no bounds and the effect is tremendous in brand recognition. Word-of-mouth spreads for a while and dies down shortly after that. Viral marketing stretches far beyond that. Especially when the consumer segments are more technology savvy. Think youtube.

Start your viral campaign today instead of debating should you contemplate utilizing viral marketing.