I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings. What I meant with my statement was that if 10 similar brands try to give one person the same message, which is, "Choose us, we are superior", and if each of those brands aim at creating top of mind awareness, who's on top? Which message is superior and how can they really tell? I was trying to make a point about viral advertising, which was that viral advertising separates a brand from the plethora by focusing attention on the brand in an alternative and positive way. I didn't say we should move away from building awareness. Drama queens.
Every campaign should have a viral agent built into it. Viral is not just another clever word someone wanted to add to the already overflowing advertising dictionary. The word describes a process, philosophy and effect, and if your viral message is carefully woven from your central message and the process and philosophy adhered to, the effect will amaze you. The ideal end result is for your viral agent to be an introduction to your central message, because once your target market has made the decision for themselves that the brand is in fact superior, they will hold on to your message longer because there was no force-feeding.
Plus viral advertising is cheap, and any agency that really understands the viral process will achieve with 5 Million what would normally require 20, although I'm sure this fact saddens most of you. But viral marketing sadly, doesn't work for everyone. If the product isn't worth getting excited about, the effort and money will be wasted.
There are no real rules when it comes to viral, the only one is "It starts with the product". The core benefit of a relationship with the brand is a vital part if your viral campaign and it's important that your viral agent carries the benefits effectively. Even if your creative is very carefully focused your audience is potentially worthless if the relevance of the benefits are not made clear to them.
Only great understanding builds great viral campaigns. Because of the interactive nature of viral advertising, you must know what to do with all the minds you "Control". If you bore them you'll lose them and your brand will just fall back into the consumer hat, waiting to be magically pulled out when its turn comes.
