Philip Smith - Revolution, November 01 2003

Justin Kirby, managing director of viral and buzz-marketing agency DMC, says the value of chatrooms to marketers is often asked by clients. “There was a time when we used to speak to music firms (in particular) who would ask ‘Why should we use you to carry out viral-marketing campaigns when we can employ a student to infiltrate chatrooms?’,” he recalls. “Our answer at the time was pretty much the same as is it is now. Firstly, how do you quantify the influence of a comment in a chat room. Secondly, what happens if your guerrilla team gets caught out? As Kirby notes, ‘outing’ can be embarrassing for agencies and clients alike. Also, there is an issue with ROI.

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