Final answer:
Viral Marketing is the tactic of paying individuals to speak positively of a product or implementing multilevel selling schemes to direct traffic to a website, which fits closely with response (c) from the options.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the options given, the tactics of paying people to say good things about a product online or setting up multilevel selling schemes align with (c) Viral Marketing. Viral Marketing involves strategies that encourage individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Examples include creating videos that people share across social media or rewarding users for referring friends to a company's website.
These techniques capitalize on the dynamics of the Attention Economy, where companies strive to capture the attention of potential consumers amidst a sea of information. In today's society, we witness a convergence of advertising messages across various platforms, as illustrated by Naomi Klein in her text 'No Logo'. A coordinated campaign might involve billboards, television, and social media to ensure that the branding messages are pervasive and consistent.
Moreover, these marketing means can have deeper societal consequences beyond just selling products. They can influence consumer beliefs, manipulate opinions, and even contribute to societal fragmentation by creating suspicion towards political institutions and promoting subcultural divides. Ethical considerations also arise, such as whether paid ambassadors should disclose their affiliations with the companies they are promoting.