Word of mouth: Feeding the flames

by Damian Burke

A few of months ago I had some important, and sombre, news to tell a room full about 20 of my former co-workers. After breaking the story to a few people, I soon realised that the story had crossed the room (and been altered slightly) before I had a chance to. Wildfire did not seem like a strong enough word. Pandemic would to be more appropriate. Pandemic – Viral Marketing, well isn’t that a coincidence?

A meme is the measurement for smallest amount of transmissible social information. They’re the building blocks of communication and therefore cognitive understanding, and inevitably logic. These tiny packets of information are easily replicable, and multiply to infinite numbers (see Small World Project). These memes are travelling at an ever increasing speed over the Internet and mobile phones.
I’ll never forget learning of Steve Irwin's death via a badly Photoshopped email. How did I hear the jokes before the news? How long would it have taken me to find out if it were not for that email (and the multitude of variations streaming into my inbox for the remainder of the day). I still see him plastered all over DSTV anyway - as if the whole situation wasn’t creepy enough.

Are we entering an age in which word of mouth is quicker than other ‘old-skool’ marketing tactics? If the message finds its way onto the appropriate platform, I believe it can be. I believe it will be.

2007/06/11 | permalink | comments (0) | trackbacks (0)
Bookmark with del.icio.us Digg It Submit to Reddit muti sphinn  
Visit Brandseye.com  Subscribe to RSS

Comments

post a comment

No comments available.

Name:
E-mail:
Url:
Comments:

Markup guide:

**
makes text bold
**

//
makes text italic
//

--
creates a link
--

(two dashes, no http://)
Remember personal info?
Notify me of follow-up comments?
SPAMCHECK:
 

Quirk eMarketing
Visit our Website

BrandsEye

Subscribe

RSS feed Post feed
RSS feed Comment feed

Rss to Email

Get our latest blog posts delivered straight to your inbox.

 

eMarketing News

Subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter which is packed with interesting eMarketing news, views and other quirky titbits.

July

S M T W T F S
    1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31    
             

 

Archives

  

Categories

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

  • Anthony on The Democratic Alliance's Online Plan
  • Kat on Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?
  • Hilary Cross on Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?
  • Mike Metelerkamp on Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?
  • Kat on Friday Fact Box - Social Media Statistics

Wannwork@quirk


More photos of the QuirkStars At Play
Quirkstars

Name:
Friends of Quirk
Websites:
www.quirk.biz

Skribit: Social Suggestions

 
Afrigator