Viral marketing

A tactic beloved of Brand Marketers, Viral Marketing takes place when a small message from a trusted source (usually accompanied by a weblink to click on, in order to see what the message is) at the bottom of an email appears, which compels the reader either to take action to open the link, or forward it on to a large number of his friends and colleagues.

On a basic level, this takes the form of jokes, light-hearted animations or humorous video-clips.

On a marketing level, viral marketing is used to “spread the word” to as wide a target audience as possible, usually for the purpose of promoting an upcoming product launch, or in the Charitable Sector, to raise awareness of an issue. When targeted correctly, it can be a highly successful and