The ripple effect as a marketing theory commonly has an application in social media and changes the traditional methods used to draw market attention to a product, service or idea. The ripple effect of marketing has its roots in the much older theory referring to weather patterns and historic events.
The history of the ripple effect, or butterfly effect, precedes the modern forms of technology that today commonly utilize this phenomenon. The theory essentially represents the idea that what happens in one place at one time can have effects on another place at a later time. For example, the historical theory might examine the question: Should a butterfly flap its wings in one part of the world, could this event trigger a hurricane in another part of the world? Today, marketing utilizes this same concept to the phenomenon and task of generating buzz about products and services as a method of marketing.
Blogs, Tweets and Buzz
Many companies today include different types of social media interaction and posts in the job duties of marketing personnel. This represents a newer form of marketing that aims to connect with a particularly tech savvy and modern segment of the population. These roles incorporate reaching out to consumers via such media channels as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to either influence popular opinion or merely disseminate information.
Getting Front and Center
These marketing methods do not typically directly state that you should buy a product or service. Instead, this type of marketing aims to subtly place a brand or product front and center in the minds of consumers. A company can achieve this ripple effect through hype, dialog or opinions that the company creates about its products. The ripple effect of marketing states that this attention will generate more attention, benefiting the company.
From One Ripple to Two
The idea that one ripple generates another ripple, which then generates a third is essential to this modern marketing theory. Although ripple effect marketing has its roots in the classic word-of-mouth marketing, today this type of marketing exists at a higher, more sophisticated level. As a company works toward generating buzz, or the first ripple, momentum builds eventually leading to effortless marketing for the company. Therefore, with ripple marketing, the effects extend well beyond the first implemented by the company to generate the initial buzz.
- "Principles of Marketing"; Philiph Kotler and Gary Armstrong; 2009
- Social Commerce Today: The Ripple Effect; Paul Marsden; March 2011
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