Mass marketing works consistently, viral marketing fails or works spectacularly. The allure of viral marketing is not that it works better, it’s that it might work much better, for a lot less. The downside, of course, is that viral marketing might not work at all: we, as marketers, don’t “make virals,” we make things that sometimes “go viral.”

It’s probably time that brands start thinking of viral marketing as one component of your marketing: one that might provide massive additional benefits for a small amount of money, but then again, might not. Win some, lose some. But over time, with a consistent, methodical approach to it, the extra cost will pay for itself over a broad spectrum of endeavors. Even the most cautious investor still likes to play a hot stock tip, just not with their 401k.