Are good ideas really spread virally?

I'm not a big fan of the term "viral marketing". Let's be honest, the word viral rarely has any positive connotations.

The idea behind it is simple though and is definitely worthy of investigation. Instead of mass marketing using billboards, TV spots (as they are known) and other print media, advertisements are sent to targeted recipients or hosted at specially selected locations with the clear expectation that word of mouth, or the email equivalent of forwarding, will move the message to like-minded individuals in the first person's social or business network.

Very interesting and if you think about, possibly a more efficient way of getting the message out. People by design tend to align themselves socially and of course work-wise with people who think like them, share similar interests or have something of significance in common.

So the idea is smart by targeting one person in a particular segment, be it demographic, psychographic or any other such category as defined by the marketers, and letting that person introduce the idea to others they know and with whom they share some degree of trust. The person introducing the idea thus advocates the idea and adds their own personal stamp of approval, or at least something which sounds a little like a personal endorsement.

What got me started on this?

Well I was over at Stephen Smart's blog this morning wondering if he had put together his first posting from his new adventure in China. Alas he has not added anything there yet. However I did notice something really smart (no pun intended) at his site. He's introduced this really clever preview from Snap.

To see how it works, just move your mouse over one of the following links. You could try visiting BBC News, or you could have a look at the CHiPs Wiki, or you could see what is happening in the Ironic Times.

And of course here I am telling you about it. Viral or what?