Viral Marketing

Any advertising that propagates itself. In a new media context it can be defined as a marketing technique that seeks to exploit pre-existing social networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness, through viral processes similar to the spread of an epidemic. It is word-of-mouth delivered and enhanced online; it harnesses the network effect of the Internet and can be very useful in reaching a large number of people rapidly. 
==In Film==
Advertisers for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, have gone to far lengths to ensure fans will be excited for this new film. Several movie related websites have been found giving fans more insight into the world of Batman. Fans search these sites to find hidden messages and possible clues leading into the movie. More recently, A countdown and a message from the Joker informing fans of a hunt that would take place in specified cities. The reward for attending this scavenger hunt was a secret screening of the yet to be released trailer, further increasing the hype.
Viral Websites Related to The Dark Knight
*Joker Scavenger hunt
*Joker's recruiter
*Gotham City Newspaper Website 
*Gotham City Crime Police Tip Site 
*Gotham City Bank
*Gotham City Police Department
*Gotham City Rail System
==External Links==
*Web definitions from Google
*FTC Moves to Unmask Word-of-Mouth Marketing from the Washington Post
Category:Concepts & Terms
Category:Business 2.0