What is Buzz Marketing? Part III

Stuff like video postcards were really cool when they first came out, but now I'd rather just have a straight email. However, video postcards would have benefited tremendously through buzz marketing and perhaps even did.

Your whole sales strategy, however, should not be reliant upon buzz marketing. That should only be a part of it, and you should still use other advertising techniques. There will come a day when this new marketing tactic fails to work because it has become over-used. Once everybody is telling everybody else about the next 'best new thing', and Mavens are commonplace, then its effect will be diluted.

There is an ongoing discussion, even this early in its history, over the ethics of buzz marketing, especially if the Maven does not profess his or her interest in the product when approaching somebody. It could indeed be unethical if somebody approaches a stranger and strikes up a conversation with the sole purpose of extolling the virtues of the latest new magazine or movie. Should blogs and chat rooms be used for this style of marketing, and should not buzz marketing be regarded as spamming on blogs or in forums in exactly the same way as a physical advert placed on the page?

Many think it should be, and that people who visit these online communications portals with the sole intention of plugging a product should be identified and banned from them. Whatever you think of it, however, buzz marketing is here for the time being, so the next time a beautiful woman or great looking guy stops and starts chatting to you, it might not be for the purpose that you think.