Viral Advertising: Definitional Review and Synthesis

The objectives of this article are threefold. First, it provides an overview of the past published social media research focusing on different aspects of the viral communication, variously termed “electronic word-of-mouth,” “word-of-mouse,” “viral marketing,” and “buzz.” Second, it clarifies and analyzes the concept of viral advertising in social media. Third, it provides a definition to reduce the prevailing ambiguities in the past definitions. All the forms of new electronic marketing methods differ in terms of the five key aspects: (1) the platforms used, (2) traditional communication or Internet, (3) their objectives, (4) type of message transmitted, and (5) orientation of the communication. The study analyzes these differences in order to clarify the numerous concepts related to viral marketing. As the social media communication technology continues to grow in the U.S. economy, the academic explanations defining, as well as capturing, the phenomenon also grow, creating a litany of terms.