Would Viral Marketing Work Without Free?

The above vid has been around for a while and it’s pretty popular (180,000 views).  It preaches a wicked message but I wonder…have they missed a crucial feature of viral marketing.

The reason I wonder this is because free is the first principle of Dr. Ralph F. Wilson’s 6 Principles of Viral Marketing

  • Gives away products or services
  • Provides for effortless transfer to others
  • Scales easily from small to very large
  • Exploits common motivations and behaviors
  • Utilizes existing communication networks
  • Takes advantage of others’ resources

What do uThnk? Is free the vital component in viral marketing? If so was there such a thing as viral marketing before the web brought the free economy to life?

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