What are you sinking about?

The more advertising is increasing on the market, the more keen the advertisers are searching for new initiatives. An interesting alternative is Viral Marketing - movies distributed online like the Berlitz movie about the German coast guard. Now the phenomenon has been mapped in a new study.

Zapera and the advertising agency Grey in Malmö, Sweden have analysed how Viral Marketing works in Sweden. It is actually the first time that this kind of study is conducted in Sweden.

We found that 2 out of 10 receive Viral Marketing material on e-mails at least once a week. Only 1 out of 10 have not received anything within the past 12 months. 3 out of 10 experience that they receive more now that they did one year ago. Middelaged and men receive and send the most.

But you do not forward to just anybody - it is first of all to friends. On the other hand you are careful about forwarding to your boss. "Do not want to disturb with silly things" is a typical comment.

Two thirds rarely or never forward the e-mails. Many are afraid of a virus inside. It is important that the sender is clear and realistic. Those who think that the material really is from the stated sender are more positive. Three out of ten are on the contrary suspicious about the material coming from someone else. If you experience that it is about advertising in disguise you also become less positive.

When it comes to Berlitz' movie it has been seen by 25%. 4 out of 10 had forwarded it to up to 19 other recipients. 4 out of 10 believe that a language school is behind it, while only 2% answers correctly that it is Berlitz.

Viral Marketing can work extremely well. But the precondition is that the material entices to laughter so that people send it forward and that the recipient is clear, says Christian Godden, Project Manager at Grey advertising agency in Malmö.

Watch the commercial - click here

Source: Zapera News, Issue 22, May 2006