Final answer:
Viral marketing is the spread of promotional messages from one audience member to another, often exponentially, through sharing of compelling content. It is different from ambush or proximity marketing, and ethical considerations suggest that paid promoters should disclose their affiliations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The viral marketing strategy refers to the organic spread of promotional messages where one audience member shares it with another, leading to a potentially exponential increase in message reach and influence.
This form of marketing capitalizes on audiences to self-propagate the message, much like a virus, hence the term 'viral'. It's driven by the creation of content that is compelling, entertaining, or valuable enough that audience members are motivated to share it within their social networks.
Options like ambush marketing or proximity marketing refer to different strategies, where ambush marketing involves unexpected promotional activities at events, and proximity marketing uses location-based targeting to engage potential customers.
An example of viral marketing could be a funny, eye-catching video that quickly spreads across social media platforms via shares and retweets.
Other forms of media, such as MTV, comic books, and commercials for products like Coca-Cola can also employ this strategy, as long as the content is shared widely by audiences.
To improve the ethics of this strategy, it is sometimes suggested that paid ambassadors should disclose their relationship with the company to maintain transparency and trust.