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JOURNAL OF MARKETING DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS
A Sensitivity Analysis of an Epidemiological Model of Viral Marketing:
When Viral Marketing Efforts Fall Flat
Author(s): John T. Gardner, Kyongsei Sohn, Joon Yong Seo, Jerald L. Weaver
Citation: John T. Gardner, Kyongsei Sohn, Joon Yong Seo, Jerald L. Weaver, (2013) "A Sensitivity Analysis of an Epidemiological Model of Viral Marketing: When Viral Marketing Efforts Fall Flat," Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, Vol. 7, Iss. 4, pp. 25 - 46
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
This paper offers insights for marketers implementing a viral marketing (VM) strategy. We examine how
various factors in the campaign drive the threshold for ‘going viral’. Using an epidemiological model of
disease propagation, we develop a framework which helps marketers better understand what drives VM
success. We use a simulation approach to investigate the responses to various aspects of a VM campaign
that a manager may manipulate. We find strong interactions across the parameters and there appear to
be significant limits to the impact of larger viral message seeding. We also examine how to balance
different components of a VM campaign should a campaign fail.
