A group of marketers sat down at iMedia's Brand Summit to address ways you can get passionate customers working for your brand.

During the Monday morning session here in Lake Las Vegas for the iMedia Brand Summit, Xfire's VP of sales, Mike Ayer, moderated a panel of brand marketers and advertisers who discussed how viral marketing is taking on new forms-- thanks to interactive.

Ayer opened the discussion by stating viral marketing is spreading throughout the marketing world due to the mass audiences it gains.

Ayer's first question to the table was the following: "Is it impossible to manufacture something that looks cool without it looking manufactured?"

"It makes it tough to create when people want to find it on their own. It is about getting the consumer involved early so they can become advocates for the product," said a publisher.

A brand marketer added, "If people identify with the entertainment, they are more likely to become an advocate. Entertainment is the key, and knowing the interest of your consumer will get the campaign passed around."

Ayer then asked, "What are some of the issues you have faced when creating a viral campaign?"

"One of the issues with viral marketing is legal," said a brand marketer.

A publisher added, "One of the ways we avoid the legal issues is that we have not tied brands directly to consumer-generated media. We have a process were we review every picture that is submitted before it gets posted."

Ayer then followed by stating, "It is impossible to predict the outcome. I have seen very innovative campaigns that have high expectations but do not pick up followers."

"It is one thing to build a buzz, but that does not necessarily mean consumers will go buy the product or watch the movie," said a brand marketer. "It is a component of the larger marketing picture."

An ad network executive added that there is a risk of getting negative reaction that you can only monitor slightly.

Ayer followed by asking, "What is your sense on censorship? How much responsibility do you put on a company like MySpace or Facebook?"

"There is a shared responsibility to censor and control the content," said a CPG marketer. "The brand can set the guidelines, but the publisher has to also monitor."

A marketer added, "We experienced a posting that said 'this movie sucks,' and the brand's initial reaction was to pull it, but later on the posting got responses with positive reviews of the movie. So sometimes the brand marketer has to let it be."

"You have to believe the true fans will jump in and protect your product," said Ayer. He then stated, "You can always measure something afterwards." However, the thing Ayer still finds surprising is that a marketer can spend a lot of money and fail. Then, on the other hand, "You can put in a little money and it could be a success."

A marketer replied, "For viral, you will find the result relies on the people who are the most interested, and they are the influencers. They make all the difference."

"You are seeing minds shifting and the shares are moving to other platforms," said an ad network executive. "Viral marketing is a component, but it is not the only focus of the overall marketing strategy."

"It seems to complicate the marketer's life in the sense that there is one more thing to consider," said Ayer.

A marketer ended the discussion by stating, "Viral needs to be a component, and you are trying to create a tornado-- even a negative impression can spark positive opinions. In the end you have won."

Linda Marin is the content manager for iMedia Summits. Read full bio.

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