The discussion was moderated by XFANZ.com Managing Director Alan Hawkins and featured adult entertainer Sunny Lane, self proclaimed America’s Beloved Porn Journalist blogger Gram Ponante of GramPonante.com, Jeff Mullen of All Media Play and X-Play, and XFANZ.com Executive Editor Bob Preston.
The speakers kicked off the seminar with a definition of viral marketing and how it can benefit the companies, products and stars in adult. Ponante said, “Viral marketing is what you do when you don’t do traditional print marketing.” This encompasses MySpace, YouTube, Digg, Technorati, Fark and other Web 2.0 sites. Viral marketing also encompasses offline activities that don’t fit within the niche of traditional advertising efforts.
Mullen said to be an effective viral marketer, one must be persistent and exploit all outlets made available to them, which includes getting creative with promotional ideas. Mullen produced and directed the popular “Britney Rears” series for Hustler Video.
“We never ceased in promoting this movie,” Mullen said. “We sent out screener copies to everyone, sent out gift baskets, made a real music video that radio stations and morning shows picked up across the country, but the breakthrough was getting the Britney Rears character on the Howard Stern show. Viral marketing takes a nonstop work ethic, but its all about creating buzz.”
Mullen mentioned that after Rears’ initial appearance on the Stern show, he proceeded to mention her a total of 85 different days in the next six months, which keeps the buzz alive – for free. Mullen’s next project, which hasn’t even been shot, is a spoof on Jennifer Lopez called “J. Ho: Jenny on the Cock.” News of the upcoming movie has already hit celebrity blog TMZ.com and the New York Post’s Page Six.
Ponante opined that while viral marketing is hard to quantify in terms of profit, the goal is to have so many people know about your product or service that whatever is being marketed is of secondary importance.
“When so many people know about your product, it doesn’t even matter if it’s good,” Ponante said. “I think people have to reconcile with the idea that viral marketing might not immediately translate into money, but it’s worth its weight in buzz and exposure. Viral marketing is advertising that works with the power of the people.”
All speakers agreed that the organic grassroots nature of viral marketing adds a personal touch to the marketing mix because other people are putting their own spin on a product; the message was not crafted by a professional firm.
Preston added that viral marketing gives people a reason to create good content because then, others will want to share it, link to it and post it all over the Internet. Something as simple as cutting a funny clip for YouTube.com can attract thousands of different eyeballs, he said.
Lane had an equally interesting take on viral marketing because of the product she markets – herself. Lane said she considers herself an “independent contract girl” because she is picky about her image and how she is portrayed. Lane said she markets herself through personal appearances, her own KSEXRadio.com show, magazines, MySpace, xPeeps, blogs, TV, attending red carpet events, message boards and other methods where the fans and media get to know her personality.
A simple video clip of Lane talking about her love of yoga and pilates has received more than 20,000 unique hits on YouTube. The lesson: sometimes simple and cute can be more effective than hardcore and in your face.
“I’m a good product,” Lane said. “I know what I have to offer and where I want my career to head, so who better to market myself than me?”
