News Munchies

Marketing Prescription Gives CornerBarPR.com® a Buzz

Originally Posted Tuesday, 27 April 2004 at 12:00 AM
Updated Friday, 17 October 2014 at 03:35 PM

As far back as 1998, "viral marketing" was Iconocast's Buzzword of the Year.

At CornerBarPR.com^®, we like to look at viral PR and marketing techniques as those that cost little or no money and that, either alone or with careful encouragement, can spread information, virus-like, from recipient to recipient until the information or "buzz" has reached a critical mass. Of course, we hope for exponential growth, but that remains a work in progress.

We've used viral marketing techniques almost exclusively -- okay, we admit to spending a tiny bit on advertising, and a little more on direct marketing -- to expand our base of patrons. We're enthusiastic believers. The research bears out what we already knew from personal experience: Most people rely more and more on friends and family for trusted recommendations.

We had the opportunity to share our experience and opinions about viral marketing with IABC St. Louis last week, and thought you might be interested, too.

We talked about everything from the dancing baby used to promote Ally McBeal to Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," as well as the power of yawning, Dilbert, eBay, Craigslist, and Regis Philbin's "Is that your final answer?"

We've posted the complete presentation.

Be sure to tell a friend!

About The Author

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR, is well-positioned as CornerBarPR's Chief Curmudgeon; he's our version of Andy Rooney -- loves words, particularly loves to complain about idiocy.

In his spare time, Rich runs the inventively named Barger Consulting, where he conducts strategic communications planning and research, and gives people advice whether they want it or not.

Through the years, Rich has tricked unsuspecting folks into giving him positions as managing editor of the public relations division of a 180-person agency, and as a wire service editor, an economic analyst, a federal investigator, and, bless his little muddy boots, a farmer. Really. He fancies himself a pretty fair country editor and at one time was famous among about half a dozen people as "The Voice of IABC."

At various points in what passes for a career, he's done time as a member of IABC, PRSA, and NSPRA, as well as the Gifted Association of Missouri, the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (as a Senior Arbitrator), and a handful of church choirs.

Known as "Boom-Boom Barger" in Marching Mizzou, Rich refuses to answer the phone during University of Missouri football or basketball games, plays a hard-edged game of bridge, and is married to a woman he doesn't like to talk about much, because she's smarter and much nicer than he is.

Barger's motto: "Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once."