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Presentation
THE VIRAL MARKETER

1) Bridges a gap between producer and consumer
2) Uses viral Marketing
3) From point of view of a fictitious advertiser, whether a company or individual
4) Avoids random spamming
5) Sells a product dependant on the users interest
6) Thinks for itself
7) Uses present day technology to harness individuality of the consumer

For my project, and indeed dissertation, I wanted to focus and the continual power struggle between producer and consumer. My dissertation entitled ‘Producer vs Consumer: The power struggle is about to change’ Adorno and Horkheimer quite rightly envisaged and stated the power producer has over consumer. The consumer has very little input into society, into what he or she is being sold and subjected to; choices are made for the consumer. I have argued that although this was true, certainly back in the 1940s, and in some instances today, due to technological advancements of the 21st century more power has shifted back into the consumer’s hands.
Through the introduction of interactive TV, satellite and cable TV, personal video recorders, and of course the internet, the producer is receiving more and more feedback from the consumer and acting accordingly. In this era the consumer is having more and more say into what he or she is being subjected to. This era has seen the shift from broadcasting to the masses to targeting the individual.
Individualism is a key element to both my dissertation and my project. By choosing your individual cable TV channels you are making a choice and the advertisements you will be subjected to are more individual to you. By taking part in audience participation game shows and ‘choose you own adventure’ style films you are dictating future episodes to the producer based on your own tastes and opinions. By being targeted through past behaviour and individual preferences by such global companies as Amazon you are defining yourself as an individual and not part of the masses.
There is very little escape from the advertisers eye in this age and while this is sure to continue I will argue that the consumer may as well use technology as its greatest weapon in a previous one-way relationship to voice their opinion to the producer and fellow consumers.
My project, therefore, tries to harness this individuality, and uses one of the most powerful marketing methods in the western world, viral marketing through e-mail. Viral marketing is widely touted as the new way to increase market penetration and build brand awareness in the Internet space. Hotmail are a great example of this. Hotmail added a simple ‘sign up’ link to the bottom of all e-mails from their users and more than 12 million people signed up in the first year and a half.
Existing marketing methods through e-mail can be tiresome; companies try to sell anything and everything to the consumer. We have all had e-mails trying to sell something, from the sublime to the ridiculous. For my project I wanted to sell something the user would be interested in. But how does the consumer know? What information does the consumer have, and can use, in order to target fellow consumers interest?
I have designed an web-based e-mail client that, once signed up, will allow the consumer to submit any number of advertisements or messages to send to friends, family and producers based on their interests.

How does this work?

Once the artwork and advertisements have been created they are uploaded to a server. You then assign keywords to that advert that describes what you are selling. For example, to sell or advertise a soft drink brand you will upload the advertisement and then assign keywords such as ‘Fizzy, soft, drink, cold, refreshing, beverage, snack, fluid, can’ etc.
You submit key words for as many advertisements that you like. Once completed you simply create your e-mail. The software will then scan your e-mail prior to being sent and depending on the content of your e-mail will place the appropriate advert or message. ‘The Viral Marketer’ will pick out key words for example your e-mail might read:

Hi John,
I am in town next Saturday and wondered if you fancied meeting up for a drink that evening and discussing those plans we agreed on at the last conference.
Regards,
Steve

The software in this instance would notice the keyword drink and place your advert automatically. You can include any areas for advertising and to get your message across, sell your sportswear to your customers, entertainment, the arts, the sky is the limit.
What’s more is that the advertisements can be location dependent. You can choose the recipients area of the country and an advert or message will be placed with regard to content AND location – you could be adding an advertisement for YOUR latest conference in the recipients area by simply mentioning the word in your e-mail.
Each e-mail is different and this software will sell your message, artwork or advert to the recipient based on the content of the e-mail. The consumer is being targeted based on the individuality between sender and recipient.

SPECIFICATIONS