the-zworld.com

Reasons for Viral Marketing

The goal of any Viral Marketing campaign is to generate buzz. Spontaneous word of mouth, or buzz, can reach consumers isolated from all other media, and unlike conventional media, consumers tend to trust it. Viral marketing does exactly that: an ideal consumer from the example above will not only begin using that product themselves, but will also tell their friends about it, inciting a planned viral marketing campaign that is spontaneous. Financial risk here is relatively small because such marketing approach requires fewer expenses and it's usually more cost-effective as well. Viral marketing is used when traditional marketing techniques have been exhausted and investors are looking for a new effective solution for their marketing needs.

It is the consumer's sense that this recommendation was spontaneous and unsolicited and the resulting feeling that "one good turn deserves another", that drives the buzz. [ top ]

Internet Marketing

When targeting consumers known to be consistent Internet users, viral marketers have taken a significant interest in leveraging Internet chat rooms and forums. In these settings, people tend to perceive everyone as peers, the semi-anonymity reduces the risk of being found out, and one marketer can personally influence a large number of people.

During the dot com boom at the turn of the century, stock promoters frequently used chat rooms to create a buzz and drive up the price of a stock. Whatever the risks, Viral marketing only requires a small investment for a large potential pay off. It remains a cheap and effective way of generating buzz, especially in markets such as tobacco and alcohol where media-savvy target consumers have become increasingly resistant or inaccessible to other forms of advertising. [ top ]

How It Works

A definition by GoViral reads: To bring marketing materials, such as commercials, games, stories etc. to places where people meet on the internet - creating high-volume, targeted and cost-effective viral marketing campaigns.

If each user sends mail to more than one susceptible user, then the campaign will in theory continue forever, or at least until all susceptible users have already received the message. Even if the message is not forwarded quite that often, the message might still be forwarded many more times than it was initially sent. For example, consider a campaign that starts out by mailing 100 users. Not all of them will forward the email, but some of them will forward it to more that three persons...

This 'some' would be tested using market research; for example, if it turns out to be 80% and that each forwards it to 1 friend. In this case, 80 people would receive a "first generation" forwarded message. From there it increases exponentially, so that each generation would be bigger than the next, as 80, 96, 109, 119, 127 etc. The final campaign would cost the original amount of funds needed to send the email to 100 users and the rest (531 in this case) would be users marketed by viral methods and free. [ top ]

Examples of Viral Marketing

•   InkIsIt.com - Kodak
•   Dancing Bush 2001 - Interactive game which launched the largest privately held entertainment website.
•   The spread of the R. Tam sessions for the 2005 film Serenity
•   Burger King - The Subservient Chicken and Coq Roq
•   Carlton Draught - Big Ad campaign.
•   Ford Motor Company - Evil Twin campaign
•   Gmail
•   Borat
•   "Bride Has Massive Hair Wig Out" A YouTube video meant to promote Sunsilk hair care products.
•   Heinz's - Ketchup Against Tomato Cruelty campaign
•   Blair Witch Project
•   I Love Bees - viral marketing for Halo 2
•   Jamie Kane - BBC sponsored online game
•   McDonald's - "McRib Farewell Tour"
•   Microsoft's - Origami Project campaign
•   Microsoft's - Xbox 360 campaigns - Our Colony and Hex168
•   Tupperware parties
•   The Ring - Movie and its massive cursed video secret promotion
•   The Ring Two - Movie promotion used another blank-label videotape ending with www.she-is-here.com, a website where users shared their unexplainable experiences with the cursed videotape
•   Snakes on a Plane - "Get a call from Samuel L. Jackson" campaign
•   FX Network - Use of MySpace pages as advertisements
•   Sony - Viral videos promoting the 2005 release of the PS2 game Shadow of the Colossus through "giant sittings" on giantology.typepad.com/ and other sites. Convincingly created "home videos" and news reports depicting evidence of ancient giant creatures in India, the polar north, and Peru.
•   Sony - Playstation Portable campaign, alliwantforxmasisapsp, which has been met with scorn.
•   Disco.app - CD burning application for Mac OS X.
•   Rolling Rock - Ron Stablehorn ads.
•   Iron Maiden - The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg single was preceded by viral marketing.
•   Year Zero - A 2007 Nine Inch Nails album, of which the concept involves the end of the world. Several websites, phone numbers, and thumb drives have been found by fans that detail events leading up to 2022 from the perspective of fictional characters and organizations.
•   Bandai Entertainment - Licensing of the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya centered on the creation of the ASOS Brigade.
•   Sultanmuzaffar blog - Using a blog platform to promote Malaysia's number one reality TV show, Akademi Fantasia, AF's fans were able to discuss the program in the comments section.
•   KushCash "The Spare Change Program" - Allocating portions of the revenue generated on their reglar business model towards the members, KushCash has signed up tens of thousands in weeks. A college student attending UC irvine supposedly made more than $2000 so far in 2007.
•   One Six Right - Viral HD film marketing campaign as chronicled by the Hollywood Reporter that led to sponsorships and support from many large media companies, including Apple Inc, Sony Electronics, Toshiba, Technicolor and Dolby.

Z-World is Sri Lanka’s approach to Viral (Stealth) Marketing and was the viral marketing sponsor for NASCO 2007 (National Sales Congress) held in February by SLIM (Sri Lanka Institute of marketing) and is the official viral marketing sponsor for offshore Life, Rock Company, H2O, Sugar, Clancy’s and others in various categories. [ top ]

Z-Mail

Transmitted daily, increasing the likelihood of creating an impact and making a more permanent impression on recipients compared with swift electronic ads which tend to be forgotten easily.

The AD or company logo can be linked to the relevant website to increase traffic.

Z WORLD has an e-mail data base of over 9800 people which grows daily expanding into local and global "inboxes" and continues its rapid growth.

Z-Mail, Z-Bay and Z- Entertainment are the most popular among all of the services Z-World has to offer. [ top ]

Z-Mail is an E-Newsletter

Which is sent out daily to over 200 subscribers. The subscribers include those employed in Colombo's corporate sector and those residing overseas. The subscribers receive and forward the mails to others, further increasing the total number of recipients. Sent out on all working days except weekends and public holidays.

If you advertise on Z-MAIL you can be assured of daily exposure of your advertisements! [ top ]

Z-Entertainment

Z-World networks with Colombo's popular nightclubs and event-management companies, carrying out their advertising needs and publicizing their promotional activities and events. So, Z-World will give you a heads up on all of the hottest parties in town! Z-World had its Cyber party at Tabu and Tokyo Drift at 17th lane. [ top ]

Z-Bay

Virtually anything tangible can be sold on Z-Bay, ranging from Vehicles, Real Estate to Gadgets and Gizmos. [ top ]

Z-News (email/sms)

News alerts on News and current affairs on matters pertaining to national security via sms and email. [ top ]

In The Making

Morpheus Publications – The Z-World magazine.
Asylum Records – Z-World’s first project of a radical rock band in the making.
Z-Radio - Sri Lanka’s first web-cast station.
Z-Maps – Detailed online map. Streets in Sri Lanka.
Z-Locator – Find the location of a Bank, Hospital, Restaurant etc.
Z-Movies - Rent DVD’s online (Delivered to your home or office within CMB)
Z- Express – Delivery of tickets to your doorstep (Movie, Concerts, Theater, DVD rental etc)
Z-TRACKER – Tracking TV/Radio Commercials (for research purposes)
Z-VIP - Order food from any restaurant in town via mail or though the downloaded tool bar.
Advergaming – Interactive games relating to a product.
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Email Database Profile

Universe - 9800

Demographic - Colombo / Colombo Metro area / Hikkaduwa / Unawatuna / Hatton / Nuwara Eliya / Corporate / NGO/ Embassy/ Other Government Agencies / Media Agencies

Sri Lanka / UK / USA / France / India / Germany / Italy / France / Middle East / Australia / New Zealand. [ top ]

Target

Age Group – (17 – 62 years) [ top ]

Target Market

Young students, young executives and senior businessmen and businesswoman.

Young professionals living in Colombo and overseas with a personal monthly income of Rs. 30,000.00 and above.

Young professionals living in Colombo and overseas with a personal monthly income of Rs. 100,000.00 and above.

MMS/SMS services to over 2300 mobile users[ top ]

Advertising Rates

1. Use of Data Base for SMS Rs. 25,000.00 (One SMS)

2. One mail sent out to the data base with links to the relevant site - Rs 5000.00

3. Logo and AD on Daily mail / Entertainment mail Rs. 5000.00 (One Mail)

4. Company logo and DM displayed on the home page with links to the relevant site Rs. 10,000.00 per Month

5. Logo on Daily mail, Video Rs. 8000.00 (One Mail)

6. TVC or Press Campaign on the home page (1 Month)
        a. TVC Rs. 30,000.00
        b. Press AD Rs. 20,000.00

7. 1 month package Rs 15,000.00 per month
        a. Company Logo or Web Banner on Webpage, with links to the relevant site
        b. Company Logo or Web Banner on Z-Mail
        c. DM on Z-Mail
        d. Z-Entertainment (E-mail, MMS) once a week
        e. Z-News - Email & SMS with web address or relevant details (Z-News is sent out only if there is security threat or any disturbances)
        f. Blue Jacking

8. 1 month package Rs 15,000.00 per month
        a. Company Logo or Web Banner on Webpage with links to the relevant site
        b. Company Logo or Web Banner on Z-Mail
        c. DM on Z-Mail
        d. Logo on Daily mail, Video (Start and End)
        e. Z-Entertainment (E-mail, MMS) once a week
        f. Z-News - E-mail & SMS with web address or relevant details (Z-News is sent out only if there is security threat or any disturbances)
        g. Blue Jacking

9. 1 month package with TVC/Press AD on Site Rs 68,000.00 per month
        a. Company Logo or Web Banner on Webpage with links to the relevant site
        b. Company Logo or Web Banner on Z-Mail
        c. DM on Z-Mail
        d. Logo on Daily mail, Video
        e. TVC on Web Page
        f. Press AD on Web Page
        g. Z-Entertainment (E-mail, MMS) once a week
        h. Z-News - E-mail & SMS with web address or relevant details (Z-News is sent out only if there is security threat or any disturbances)
        i. Blue Jacking

10. 1 month Exclusivity Package 85,000.00 per month
        a. Own name (e.g. xxx@the-zorld.com)
        b. Only your message would be on the mail
        c. Company Logo or Web Banner on Webpage with links to the relevant site
        d. Company Logo or Web Banner on Z-Mail
        e. DM on Z-Mail
        f. Logo on Daily mail, Video
        g. TVC on Web Page
        h. Press AD on Web Page
        i. Z-Entertainment (E-mail, MMS) once a week
        j. Z-News - E-mail & SMS with web address or relevant details (Z-News is sent out only if there is security threat or any disturbances)
        k. Blue Jacking

11. Country specific mailing - Rs. 300,000.00 (Every 2 weeks)
        a. India – 4600 addresses
        b. Singapore – 3200 addresses
        c. Malaysia – 10,000 addresses
        d. UAE – 4800 addresses
        e. Saudi Arabia – 3600 addresses
        f. UK – 6200 - addresses
        g. USA – 14,800 addresses
        h. Australia – 11,600 addresses

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