Viral Web Marketer Enlists Bloggers in Online Campaigns

The Internet's 80 million bloggers discuss every imaginable subject, and then several others. Marketers want to use some of that chatter to sell stuff, and Rocket XL is finding ways to do that.

The downtown L.A. agency specializes in viral marketing and has run campaigns ranging from Dove's

Viral marketing is the fancy term for generating positive word of mouth via online chat. Rocket XL works by getting key bloggers to talk about a product. The first step is finding bloggers with influence.

"If you're passionate and willing to share your opinion, then you're an online influencer," said Craig Howe, president of Rocket XL. "We don't use bots or software, we have campaign research teams that actually monitor the blogs. The researchers will read the posts for weeks and then we use that information to approach them respectfully. We treat every blogger as a credible journalist."

The concept of viral marketing has been hyped a lot over the past two years, but there are questions about its effectiveness. A study by JupiterResearch, a New York-based Internet consulting company, shows that only 15 percent of such campaigns prompt consumers to spread the "word of mouth." Some marketers are cutting back their efforts in the viral sector, which could mean less business for Rocket XL.

Reaching out

The agency doesn't hide its marketing mission, Howe said. It simply tells the bloggers: "We've been asked by so-and-so to start this initiative, would you like to help?"

Rocket XL sets up a special Web page with information available only to invited bloggers. Depending on the product, the page might contain video clips, computer applications or even a downloadable product.

In the case of Dove, the soap owned by Unilever, the company's ad agency created a minutelong film that shows the transformation of an ordinary woman into a supermodel through extreme makeover techniques. The idea is that young girls get unrealistic expectations and low self-esteem due to these idealized images.

Dove also promoted a "Pro-Age Statement" and set up a Self-Esteem Fund to "free the next generation from self-limiting beauty stereotypes." The film ranked as one of the most popular videos on YouTube, with more than 7 million views. Donations to the fund have poured in and will be used to support a variety of international programs, including Girl Scouts of the United States of America.