Some time ago I have first heard about viral marketing in relation to social networks. It sounded interestingly to me since my interest in immunology. The word “viral” attracted my attention and I put it on a shelf for closer investigation a bit later when I have some spare time.
Today I’ve found that spare time and let’s see what wikipedia tells me on the thing: … marketing techniques that use … social networks to produce increases in brand awareness … through self-replicating viral processes…
After closer look I see that this is just a buzzword. I must say I don’t like buzzwords and moreover I don’t like people who operate with buzzwords. Such people immediately shows me their lack of fundamental knowledge of things which they try to substitute by words.
It may sound too aggressive but this is how I see it. Fundamental progress in any science and technology is not going through the ways of buzzwords. It goes through people who see a problem, analyze it and then creating a solution. In general this is called SYNTHESIS.
In case of buzzwords the process is reverse: people take already established things and processes to which they are not related at all, they call it with a nice word and try to bring it forward as something new and something their.
Advertising has been there long ago. Advertising in net has been there long ago. There is nothing self-replicating when comparing spread of information about printed advertisement and about advertisement in a social network. Just a scalability and speed is a bit different. There is too much ANALYSIS and too little SYNTHESIS. I think this is what all marketing and marketers are all about.
Watch more ads, take more bullshit ppl 
You’ve offended me as a marketing representative. But, particularly I agree with you. Unfortunately, very often people do something in a very artificial way instead of creation of something new – I’m a eyewitness of this from a “short distance”. I think, it happens because of lack of talents and personality brightnes. Every “grey mouse” would like to stand out against a background of other people in society. It’s the reality…
Hi Nadya,
Was not about to offend you in any way
I know you and I think you are talented and smart girl.
I put some emotions into my writings since I am human so the intonation sometimes may be a bit provocative. In general I try to live in simpler world with just one name for each concept, that is why I don’t like bullshit-talking in a science and wherever else.
And yes, not all marketers are bad people. They have very interesting work I think. If I have a second life I’d like to try it as well
One of the buzzwords I hate most of all is “Web 2.0″, which is actually just a marketing word for drawing money from customers.
But damn… it has recently become an English million word! http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/10/english-million-word-milestone
fuckers
))