Viral Marketing
Viral
marketing is a type of marketing technique or strategy used by companies to use
their pre existing social networks to create and intensive brand awareness
among customers through replicating viral processes which is similar to the spread
of disease or computer viruses as the name suggests to leave an ever lasting
impact on the buyers and the potential customers so as to convert them into
buyers. It mainly focuses on facilitation and encouragement of people to like
the marketing idea for themselves and then share and pass it on to their
friends and family voluntarily.
Viral
marketing includes all the aspects of advertising such as social media
networking and presence, video clips, proper usage of internet, interactive
games and campaigns, word of mouth and now a days the smart phone which has
become the essential part to be looked upon at the time of decided marketing
strategies.
Different
types of viral marketing are:
Pass along
in which the idea is passed from one person to another and then to another and
so on and it is widespread mostly on a voluntarily basis. It can be through
various mediums like social media, emails and word of mouth.
Buzz Marketing
is focused on word of mouth potential in creating a buzz all around, about the
product, campaign or the company itself through among the target audience.
Incentive viral
provides the customer with valuable and tangible incentive or reward is offered
for participation or buying the product in order to drive the sales or other
conversions.
Undercover Marketing is type in which the customer is marketed and their buying decisions
are influenced without tipping off the customer about the manipulation they are
trapped in. Also called stealth marketing, considered as unethical and
deceptive by some people.
User Managed Database is the type of marketing in wish the user/buyer itself is creates and
manages the list of contacts by a database given online by a service provider
and they invite their friends and family member to participate in the campaign
thus creating a viral. It works as a self propagating chain which persuades
other to join and sign up for the same.
Viral
marketing can be done through various mediums such as Social media which is the
most common and highly effective in today’s socially active world. Next can be
through blogs which can be easily used to portray information where even
linking can be initiated. Referral links can be another method by which people
can share and refer others through these links on social media. Last and the
traditional method used always are the emails which are send to targeted
audience.
Viral
marketing brings out many advantages to the company which is the reason it is
widely used. By this thousands of people can access on the same day. It is the faster
way to reach the customer. It also saves cost of advertising for the company
and even you can customize the message, messages are easily targeted to exact
market in returns the company earns good reputation.
Some
of the disadvantages which can create negative impact in consumers mind, it
could be annoying to be considered as spam. It only benefits the company if it reaches the
correct audience. The focus of this type of marketing is short term which when
once completed will end up the viral leaving company to think for something new
and innovative from the earlier one.
Effective
viral marketing can only be done with an intelligent sense of social media,
because most of them walk through social media. So enhance your social media
presence and go viral.
There
are various live examples of Viral Marketing in the Industry like Airtel,
Kolavedi Di song and many more. We will discuss Coca-Cola as company and its
understanding about the viral marketing and how well the company used this
technique in the real life.
Following
are the Coca-cola’s various steps and campaigns they initiated with some
motives which follow, let us have a look over them.
Coke’s Happiness Machine
In 2010, Coke launched video on ‘The happiness machine’
in which the vending machine along with coke gave many gifts and surprises to
their customers. It was first set up in New York in a university. This idea was
taken up to activate the digital platform for coke and create its digital
presence. They uploaded the web video capturing
the emotions and the reactions of the students to Coke’s YouTube channel on the
first day. The video then moved through the advertising trades before it picked
up steam with consumers. In the first five days there were seven hundred
thousand views and in the first week it crossed the one million mark. The video
hit the top of the viral video chart in that week. This was replicated in
Singapore, UAE, Italy, South Africa and in India too.
Coke Music
Coca-Cola
took experimented the new technology and created something called CokeMusic.com.
This website was a branded virtual meeting place for teenagers who loved music;
it was similar to a chatroom. Visitors voted on music mixes played in virtual
clubs and won decibels based on how well their mix was perceived by other
visitors. It was a club of gamification and viral marketing at its best.
In
2012 Coca-Cola contracted with Spotify and Universal Music to help Australians
live special moments of their lives and re-connect with friends and family, by
sharing a Coke and a song via Host, Sydney.
The campaign promised to be one of the most ambitious and innovative Coke
campaigns till date, connecting people with the power of music, and being
activated across digital, social, outdoor and television medium.
Super Bowl Commercials
This
is coca cola’s one of the oldest Coca-Cola campaigns involved lovable polar
bears enjoying an ice cold Coke. And no matter how many years
have passed, Coke pays attention to this campaign by involving the adorable
creatures in some of their marketing materials.
The
last time they appeared was in
2012 Super Bowl commercials. Two polar bears reacted to the game in real time
and viewers could interact through asking questions and posting photos on
Facebook and Twitter.
Small World Machine Campaign
Coca-Cola
has released a film featuring an experiential campaign, it takes forward the
brand’s ‘Open happiness’ proposition – across the borders.
They
specially created vending machines which were installed at a shopping mall each
in Lahore(Pakistan) and New Delhi. People on either side of the vending machine
before buying the coke were invited to ‘Make a friend in Pakistan’ (in New
Delhi) and ‘Make a friend in India’, to share a Coca-Cola. The ‘Small World
Machines’ provided a live communications portal linking people through a 3D touch
screen. They were requested to complete a friendly task together like - waving,
touching hands, and draw a peace sign or dance – before the machine dispensed a
can of Coca-Cola. The film on YouTube which went viral, features people engaged
in the activity and their reactions.
Share a Coke Campaign
The company's
"Share a Coke" 2015 summer campaign was one of the best-performing
marketing campaigns in Coca-Cola's history. This marketing strategy traded out
the company's iconic logo on 20-ounce bottles for the country's most popular
names.
In addition to
that, consumers could share their experiences and stories in on Twitter with
the hashtag #ShareaCoke. Those who shared their stories were entered to have
their pictures with the coke can featured on the company's website and across
company billboards. The top three reasons why the "Share a Coke"
campaign was a success in the market were:
·
Consumers were provoked to participate and
create Media content on online platforms
·
Personal level connect
with the consumers
·
Use of powerful word in
the campaign which calls for action
By all these strategies coca cola as a
brand created an impact on the customers mind giving execution and propagation
to the viral marketing.