The viral marketing is a form of publicity where the consumer contributes to his diffusion. Since the development of Internet and the democratization of the High banc, one could see developing in an exponential way this new phenomenon.

Definition

This one is defined simply as an action taken by a Entreprise in order to make known itself near a maximum of Internaute S. the Consommateur S thus become vectors of action of the mark. Thus such a Communication has as favors principal to be able to quickly touch the selected people that it is by the family, personal network or professional of the first targets, and this, at cost weaker than by traditional publicity. Contrary to the word of mount/buzz, the real effects of viral marketing are those discounted: it is the consumer who creates the passion for the product without deforming the message of it.

From a terminological point of view, the Commission of Terminology gives the following definition of it: " Mercatic technique resting on the transmission gradually, by electronic way, of messages commerciaux". It proscribes the terms of viral marketing and marketing of propagation , and recommends the electronic use of word of mount . (Source: Official journal of June 12th, 2007)

Method

It is necessary to dissociate two categories of viral marketing:

* the exponential viral marketing which is based rather on a very fast propagation.

* For a massive effect, the E-mailing or the Spam is undoubtedly methods of predilection of the professionals. It consists in creating a database according to the criteria of the product, then to send a written or visual email, being able to be accompanied by an enclosure or a bond. The difference between these two massive methods is at the level of the agreement of the recipients: in the case of the E-mailing, the recipients gave their agreement to receive these publicities, which is not the case for the spam.

Examples

The most known examples, which quickly exceeded the borders besides:

• With the the United States:
• Budweiser and their “Whassup”;
• Project Blair Witch : a film of horror to very small budget which carried out million entries in the world.
• Gmail : example of viral marketing linear, adhesion with the service was done by the means of e-mail sending of already registered people.
• In France:
• Dawn serenade with its famous screen of day before;
• Volvo with the Mystery of Dalarö, a short film with suspense for the launching of the news S40 ;
• Cetelem defrayed the chronicle while launching a mini site presenting of the vidéos and others Goodies on a new super hero: superradin ;
• Antemeta instigated the universe of data-processing storage while launching with the agency of communication " Bfactory " a viral video campaign shifted and humorous in BtoB. Treated set of themes " Antemeta in 2025" ;
• Axis , of which it is one of the principal means of communication;
• the SNCF and the transatlantic project of tunnel having to be carried out by the Transatlantys company, operation of viral marketing relayed by an Internet site and emails the purpose of which were real to promote the Voyages-sncf.com site and its offers as regards transatlantic voyages by plane.
• the Telethon 2007 tries to realize, with the assistance of Dailymotion, longest video viral.

Legal aspects

• In France:

• gold rules of the prospection by email according to CNIL
• In Belgium:
• the legality of “viral marketing”

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• E-marketing
• Buzz
• Advergame