Mark Wilson

Again, I was not present for this class debate, but will share my thoughts.

Pro
Contacts a large base of the public
Usually low cost alternative
Increased Social Media and communication methods making it easier to send viral messages
Growing technology has message easily spread across many platforms

Con
Loss of control over message
Not always a message sent by the company – may not be accurate message

Summary
When searching for pros and cons to viral marketing, I found that the pros heavily outweighed the cons. The biggest drawback to using viral marketing is that it’s not always in our control. Once the message is out, it can be skewed by the public and we cannot change it. However, isn’t that the case for most marketing initiatives? Yes, they stem from a company, but what the public does from there can skew any message that’s misinterpreted.

Viral marketing has many pros, the first being the mass of public it typically reaches at such a low cost. By creating consumer desire to spread a message, there is a much better chance that people would actually listen to it. It’s a bit like putting a commercial on YouTube. When that commercial airs on TV, we might not care, we might not pay any attention to it. But once it’s placed on YouTube, we assume there is likely a good reason and therefore watch it with full attentiveness. This is a good example of how a consumer spread message gets a way better absorption rate, because we actually WANT to hear/see the message.
Using viral marketing we also take advantage of a marketing method that can be accomplished at a very low cost. Yes, there are alternatives that can be costly, but it’s easy to create a simple message and have it spread across the public BY the public, rather than the company paying for its circulation.
Last, we’re living in a world with constantly evolving technology and social media tools. These tools are more efficient and inexpensive than some of our traditional advertising (i.e. The TV). With new platforms to spread the message that cost less, companies can create viral messages at a lower cost and reach a larger population.

All in all, viral marketing is a tool that can be used to create a strong message that is broadcast across many media platforms by consumers. This increased consumer interaction is a more efficient way of marketing because they are actually paying attention to the message, rather than it just being background noise. Companies may lose a certain degree of control over the message, but that’s how marketing works. Once the message is out, it’s up to the consumers to interpret and pass it on. Having a viral message is just the difference of having a message people WANT to spread, versus something they watch/hear in the background.