perspectives of viral marketing
DESCRIPTION
This is the presentation of my thesis discussion (presentation time: 5 minutes). It is about the quintessential of the research and study I made, focusing on the concept of viral marketing. Enjoy! (Please note, I'm not explaining concepts since my target audiences are my professors).TRANSCRIPT
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
Perspectives of
viral marketing
among managers:
an Internet based
assessment
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
1 The context of viral marketing I Frameworks I Research Focus I Methodology I Results & Implications
Social networks
Consumer
communities
Viral
Marketing
Shift in traditional advertising
Empowered customers
Interactivity
“Participatory web”
Blogs
Widgets
Web 2.0
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
A few example:
1 The context of viral marketing I Frameworks I Research Focus I Methodology I Results & Implications
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
Malcolm Gladwell - The Tipping Point:
“…if there can be epidemics of crime or epidemics
of fashion, there must be all kinds of things just as
contagious as viruses”.
Some explanations from the literature
The context of viral marketing I 2 Frameworks I Research Focus I Methodology I Results & Implications
Emanuel Rosen said in an exclusive interview related on his book, TheAnatomy of Buzz:
“I view Viral Marketing as a subset of Buzz
Marketing”
Seth Godin - Unleashing the Ideavirus:
“Viral marketing is an ideavirus”
Everett M. Rogers - Di!usion of Innovations:
“…he process by which an innovation is
communicated through certain channels over
time among the members of a social system”
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
Viral Marketing vs. Word of Mouth Marketing
The context of viral marketing I 2 Frameworks I Research Focus I Methodology I Results & Implications
>> activates C2C & consumer-to-marketer communications
>> “..implied endorsement froma friend.” (Jurvetson, 1998)
>> “amplification of initial marketinge!orts” (Thomas, 2004)
>> online
>> o"ine
VM WOM
x x
x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
>> delivers product recommendations xNot necessarily
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
The context of viral marketing I Frameworks I 3 Research Focus I Methodology I Results & Implications
?>> Can we refer to viral marketing as buzz marketing or WOMM?
>> What makes an advertising campaign viral?
>> Do new technological developments influence whether a product
or service can be communicated in a “contagious” way?
Questions determining the research focus
Viral Marketing - both academic and business literature use it,
there are different interpretations with no consistency
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
Internet based discussions
Venue: large international online
community -
The context of viral marketing I Frameworks I Research Focus I 4 Methodology I Results & Implications
>> 7 questions posted
>> 71 answers from 52 respondents (24
sent back their data)
>> 77% of North America
>> 87% male
>> 78% of the answerers were from
people in executive positions (co-founder,
owner, partner, president, head of,
entrepreneur etc.)
>> 94% manager, some of them at
renowned companies marketing department
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
The context of viral marketing I Frameworks I Research Focus I Methodology I 5 Results & Implications
No clear definitions, opinions strengthened what is communicated in
business and academic literature:
>> viral marketing is a complex phenomenon
>> multiply approaches and considerations
The most important aspects distinguishing it from
other marketing methods:
>> the way of influence exerted on consumers
>> and the behaviour generated on the recipient of the message
>> the context
>> the viral agent/”ideavirus” that people will be willing to endorse in their social networks
- both online and offline.
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
The context of viral marketing I Frameworks I Research Focus I Methodology I 5 Results & Implications
Future directions:
>> focus groups - improving the research design and
execution
>> content analysis - to elicit a conceptual framework for viral
marketing
>> conceptualising - examine how the concept of viral
marketing relates to other concepts - costumer referrals,
consumer communities, opinion leaders…etc.
Master
of Science in
Communication
and Economics
SE 2007 - 2008
Lugano, May 26
Università
della
Svizzera
Italiana
©2007 Master’s Thesis by Veronika Kurucz
“I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people.”
(John Guare, Six Degrees of Separation)
Thank you for your attention!
Perspectives of viral marketing among managers: an Internet based assessment