The comparison with a virus is deliberate in describing this form of marketing where a message is spread mostly through online channels including social media quickly. It could be the ‘cuteness’ factor, a humorous message or extremely appealing to the target market that enhances the chance of the content being shared and thus increasing the brand’s reach.
For example…
Let’s take the ALS Ice Bucket challenge. The novelty and fun factor of throwing a bucket of ice on your head along with the fact that many famous people such as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates were doing it meant that ordinary people were taking up the challenge. The challenge also appealed for participants to donate money to the ALS foundation and as a result, the campaign is said to have generated over a hundred and fifteen million dollars.
