Unleashing the Idea virus

Treat a product or service like a human or computer virus, contends online promotion specialist Seth Godin, and it just might become one. In Unleashing the Ideavirus, Godin describes ways to set any viable commercial concept loose among those who are most likely to catch it–and then stand aside as these recipients become infected and pass it on to others who might do the same. “The future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other,” he writes. “Ignite consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk.”

Godin believes that a solid idea is the best route to success in the new century, but one “that just sits there is worthless.” Through the magic of “word of mouse,” however, the Internet offers a unique opportunity for interested individuals to transmit ideas quickly and easily to others of like mind. Taking up where his previous book Permission Marketing left off, Godin explains in great detail how ideaviruses have been launched by companies such as Napster, Blue Mountain Arts, GeoCities, and Hotmail. He also describes “sneezers” (influential people who spread them), “hives” (populations most willing to receive them), and “smoothness” (the ease with which sneezers can transmit them throughout a hive). In all, an infectious and highly recommended read. –Howard Rothman –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From The Industry Standard

The Internet industry has been enamored of buzz-based marketing ever since venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson coined the phrase “viral marketing” in 1997 to describe Hotmail’s strategy of tagging every e-mail message with a promotion for its service. The self-replicating promotion helped the company achieve an epidemic growth rate of zero to 12 million users in a mere 18 months. Since then, viral marketing has propelled everything from Napster to The Blair Witch Project to legendary success.

Even with all the buzz about buzz, though, many Internet cobudgets into ill-conceived TV advertising (who could forget January’s orgy of dot-com expenditures on Super Bowl ads?) and other ineffective channels, like banner ads. Depending on whose numbers you use, last year online and offline companies spent $3.5 billion to $4.6 billion on Net ads. Yet, according to Nielsen NetRatings, average click-through rates for banner ads have fallen to a pitiful half a percent.

companies still pour the bulk of their marketing

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