Although we might think that viral marketing is related to the Internet, it exists since long before: Michelin
Michelin: travel guides, roadmaps and road signs: for tires
In 1900 when the brothers Michelin were producing tires for cars in France, they came to the conclusion in order to stimulate driving that travel guides and roadmaps were required in order to stimulate road trips as else people would get lost and would never travel far.
The more their customers would drive around the more the tires got used.
Thus the first free travel guides and roadmaps appeared in 1900.
In 1910 after Michelin brothers had been campaigning with the government for national road numbering, they undertook an even bigger challenge and investment by mapping out all the roads in France and placing village signs.
Michelin has been active generating many viral campaigns:
- Setting up a petition and campaign to influence the government
- Mapping out all roads in France
- 1910: Putting naming signs on the outskirts of every city and village in France.
- 1927: Starting to mark all the French roads with road signs.
(see: history of road signs of Michelin)
Michelin is in the business of B2C as they sell their tires to consumers. The roadmaps and tourist guides both address their consumers and the branding was present on every road in France.
Google web analytics: for advertising service
Although Google is know for their free Internet search, their sole business is online advertising.
In order to stimulate the sales of this online advertising system Adwords / Adsense, they provide free web analytics: Google Analytics. Allowing measuring the effectiveness of the online advertising in order to measure or estimate a Return On Investment (ROI).
Now the viral effect of Google Analytics is limited as it addresses only those who are interested website visit data, making it less viral.
The viral differences: Google vs Michelin
Michelin is in B2C, whereas Google is B2B, but uses consumers to leverage the B2B business.
Michelin provided the free services with their customers in mind: the consumer of tires.
The entire concept of road markers, road signs, road maps and tourist guides was supporting their main business as the consumers encountered them everywhere on theis journeys.
The main Google free service is their search, which provides for the branding to both their users and their customers (companies). Additionally they offer the web analytics as it is related to business buyers of their advertising web service.
Google seems to encounter problems with some of their services (like Feedburner RSS), as not all their free services support their business. (More on Feedburner here)
It is obvious: when there is no direct relation to the advertising service, the cost to maintain the service becomes a burden. Thus Google will desperately search for a revenue stream for some of their free services.
The same can apply to several other free services from Google that have no direct relationship with their main business. it has been said that Google has other objectives with all these free services for identifying and characterizing every Internet surfer, which one day could be used for marketing and advertising purposes too.
Michelin is leading the tire business since 120 years, will Google still be in business in 110 years?
What service could your company offer as a free service supporting your main business?
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