Are we being manipulated by viral marketing?

Question

Recently, my office has received "virus-style" e-mails designed to get people to sign the petition against raod pricing on the Downing Street website. It claims that "750,000 signatures are required for the government to ... take any notice" and contained several apocalyptic predictions about cost and the possibility of getting speeding tickets on the basis of your tracked position.

There was even a Y!A question with the same text:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Auw9_cti9dmurl92jjbCYNBJBgx.?qid=20070208023146AAx26Pe

As a result, the petition has now been signed over one million times (50 times as many as would like to scrap ID cards, 250 times the number calling for a referendum on the EU)

Now, I'm against installing tracking devices for road pricing (I think there are better, cheaper, simpler ways) - but I'm even more against being manipulated in this way by what I feel is a very clever and insidious marketing campaign.

Am I alone in feeling used?

Answer 1

Firstly, I should declare an interest.
I have responded to such requests to sign a petition twice.The first was to register my disapproval at the growing police state by stealth, which includes the accumulation of personal data for no other reason than to govern by fear, the second was in response to a Times journalist's appeal to lobby for a Knighthood for Ringo Starr. The purpose of the latter was to illustrate that you could create a popular following for almost any cause, and thus test Mr Blair's resolve to heed what the people want, even though they did not realise that they wanted it until someone told them so.
You are free not to respond.
Equally you have the means to be counted, which will ultimately upset the status quo, in as much as the silent majority of normal well balanced folk, will now expect to have their views considered. Whereas before, they could safely be trodden on and ignored.
If you have, as a normal working person, ever tried to attend a local authority planning meeting without losing pay, you may see the benefit of such a forum being extended to include Local Government.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I may be wrong now but I take the issues raised in your question on board. My conclussion would be that this is selective marketing and sometimes things have to be done this way. For such a valid point as the petition raises (and there are many more issues that need to be global to the UK) I would pick my pen up sign and return with compliments.

Answer 4

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Answer 6

Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness, through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can often be word-of-mouth delivered and enhanced online; it can harness the network effect of the Internet and can be very useful in reaching a large number of people rapidly.

Some of the first recorded offline / online viral campaigns were developed by Tim Nolan of Spent2000.com fame circa 1996. By placing abstract pairings of catch-phrases, quotes, song lyrics and image mashups, Mr. Nolan developed a method of creating "buzz" around a URL based installation. Phrases like "This city isn't safe" placed along side a URL created curiosity enough in people's minds to remember a URL and visit again once they were online.

Viral marketing sometimes refers to Internet-based stealth marketing campaigns, including the use of blogs, seemingly amateur web sites, and other forms of astroturfing, designed to create word of mouth for a new product or service. Often the goal of viral marketing campaigns is to generate media coverage via "offbeat" stories worth many times more than the campaigning company's advertising budget.

The term "viral advertising" refers to the idea that people will pass on and share interesting and entertaining content; this is often sponsored by a brand, which is looking to build awareness of a product or service. These viral commercials often take the form of funny video clips, or interactive Flash games, an advergame, images, and even text.

Viral marketing is popular because of the ease of executing the marketing campaign, relative low-cost (compared to direct mail), good targeting, and the high and rapid response rate. The main strength of viral marketing is its ability to obtain a large number of interested people at a low cost.

The hardest task for any company is to acquire and retain a large customer base. Through the use of the internet and the effects of e-mail advertising, the business-to-consumer (B2C) efforts have a greater impact than many other tools of marketing. Viral marketing is a technique that avoids the annoyance of spam mail; it encourages users of a specific product or service to tell a friend. This would be a positive word-of-mouth recommendation. One of the most successful perspectives found to achieve this customer base is the integrated marketing communication IMC perspective.

Answer 7

viral marketing? the new trend . manipulation, forcing a choice? the way to get noticed. good question.

Answer 8

If you don't like receiving these things then all you have to do is ask your friends/collegues/acquintances to stop forwarding them to you.

Answer 9

no, they are manipulating 10 downing street.