If ever marketing were important to a particular product, vodka would certainly qualify. Basically vodka has no taste (unless it’s a flavored variety) so marketers must rely on gaining awareness and cool factor with intelligent marketing to trend setting influencers. Using viral marketing firm SoulKool, Tri vodka has done just that. SoulKool hooked up with Philadelphiaa club owner Tommy Upgrove who invited influencials to his 32 degree nightclub to sample Tri. Upgrove then took the sampling event to his other clubs in the area personally pouring the product for patrons.
Viral marketing, a new name for good old word of mouth advertising, is fast becoming a very popular form of marketing. So popular, in fact, that it is becoming difficult to tell when you are being sold to. Is the person recommending that new CD to you really just doing it because he listened to it and liked it or is he working for a record label? That’s where the danger lies. Marketers must be very careful with consumer’s trust. Manipulate it too much and a marketer will lose market share faster than Napster will go out of business again this year.
