At first glance, it looks like any old pizza party: kids reaching for cheesy slices, dads on the couch watching baseball, moms arranging cardboard boxes and trying to control the chaos.
But in reality, the event at a Fayette Avenue home in Buffalo last weekend was a two-hour, in-your-face commercial for Domino’s Pizza with host Robyn Brewer as the star.
It’s an example of “viral marketing,” the latest trend in corporate advertising. It’s where a company tries to garner hype and support for a product by arranging “hands-on brand time” with it, hoping to manufacture some valuable word-of-mouth buzz.
In the latest local instance, Brewer was one of 2,000 consumers around the country to host a Domino’s- sponsored party for family and friends. The events were organized by House Party, a viral marketing company founded in 2005 and headquartered just outside of New York City.
“Consumers get a tryout in a trusted environment. Marketers are excited because we’re putting them on a consumer’s couch or at their kitchen table in an intimate social setting,” said Kitty Kolding, chief executive officer of House Party. “Once [consumers] get that immersive experience, they’re more likely to tell people about it. It turns into an exponential outreach.”
Though the method bears a similarity to the Tupperware parties of old, House Party hosts are not paid, and do not give sales pitches. The object is to find “brand ambassadors” already passionate about a product.
In order for the idea to work, the host must be “appropriately social” and technologically adept. Brewer is both. Her house is often ground zero for neighborhood barbecues, she takes part in online social networking and often posts pictures on sites such as Snapfish.com.
“It sounded like a good idea,” Brewer said. “I thought it was a neat way to try some new products and share them with my friends.”
Brewer received a “party pack” with vouchers for $75 worth of free pizza, as well as a free board game to be used at the party and goody bags to hand to guests.
In exchange, she blogs about the party on her personal Web page at HouseParty.com and uploads digital pictures taken as the fun goes down. She’s encouraged to share the page’s URL on sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
The hope is that Brewer’s guests will tell their friends about the fun, who will tell their friends, and — you get the picture.
According to marketing experts, TV watchers have become immune to the traditional 60-second commercial, which is often looked at as an interruption —if it is looked at at all.
“We’re so tech enabled and have so many choices. We want to create our own consumption experience,” said Charles Lindsey, assistant professor of marketing at University at Buffalo’s School of Management. “And for companies, [viral marketing] maximizes the likelihood that a consumer will pay attention.”
So companies have begun injecting their products directly into the center of consumers’ lives — with their permission, of course.
“Buzz” or “viral” marketing capitalizes on the idea that consumers will be more perceptive to a band’s latest CD or Fisher- Price’s latest toy if they are the ones who have chosen to let it into their homes.
“These are people who have signed up to be there. It’s not Ford promoting our own message,” said Connie Fontaine, brand content and alliance manager for Ford Motor Co. “It has allowed us to connect with so many consumers in a way they want to be part of, where we’re part of the entertainment.”
Ford has used House Party for three promotions, the most recent of which was tied to its sponsorship of “American Idol.” Hosts held viewing parties for the show’s finale and test drove the company’s new Ford Fusion, which were delivered to about 40 percent of the participating homes by local dealers.
Critics are left to wonder: will people really want to turn their social gatherings into advertising campaigns? The answer is maybe — if there’s enough in it for them.
Many hosts are attracted by the promise of free stuff or advanced access to new products. Some feel a certain amount of social status comes with screening a movie at home before it is released in theaters to the general public.
So consumers get to feel like insiders while the sponsoring company gets the chance to build warm and fuzzy relationships with new consumers. But does it work?
Many major corporations seem to think so. House Party has marketing contracts with dozens of the retail and entertainment industry’s biggest players such as Fisher-Price and Kraft Foods. The company claims to be on track for $12 million in revenue this year.
According to clients, House Party’s ability to track metrics and gauge the success of a party marketing initiative is a major draw.
“They are very data driven. Some results are easy to quantify and some are more qualitative,” Fontaine said. “How excited were the hosts? How many people were invited? How many showed up? How many registered online and entered the sweepstakes?”
The key, experts said, is to keep the brand interaction and the socializing as authentic as possible. Pushy hosts shilling products from a script would defeat the whole purpose. But that doesn’t stop House Party from providing hosts with scripts to read when contacting media outlets about the parties, hoping to garner even more free buzz.
“We give hosts the tools to throw a great party and then we get out of their way,” said Kolding.
The entire concept stems from the kernel of marketing wisdom that word of mouth is the best advertising. But some question whether authentic and effective word of mouth is something that can be created by an outside source. Some experts seem to think it can.
“If you have the right product, the right format and the right host, there is a way to jump start early market share,” said Lindsey.
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