Memes Theory and the Virus Idea

MEMES THEORY

By this theory (Richard Dawkins) a meme is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena.

Proponents theorize that memes may evolve by natural selection in a manner analogous to that of biological evolution. Memes do this through the processes of variation, mutation, competition, and inheritance, each of which influence a meme's reproductive success. Memes spread through the behavior that they generate in their hosts. Memes that propagate less prolifically may become extinct, while others may survive, spread, and (for better or for worse) mutate. Memes that replicate most effectively enjoy more success, and some may replicate effectively even when they prove to be detrimental to the welfare of their hosts. (from Wikipedia).



IDEA VIRUS

A similar theory about spreading information is the Ideavirus by Seth Godin:

Why ideas matter

Interruption marketing is inefficient, and it's easier than ever to ignore marketing through technology such as TiVo and the internet. Viral marketing is an Ideavirus with a product/service at its centre.

A successful Ideavirus is cheaper and more effective than advertising will ever be. It provokes people to take respond, perhaps in kind.

The increased advent of technology has connected people more than they have ever been. Today an Ideavirus can spread faster than ever.

How To Unleash An Ideavirus

Unleasing an Ideavirus is not an exact science. However, there are many ways to increase your chances of an Ideavirus spreading. Most importantly, the idea has to be worth spreading. There needs to be something unique and worthwhile which will make sneezers infect others.

There are two types of sneezers: the promiscuous sneezers and the powerful sneezers. The promiscuous can be motivated by money and rewards to sell ideas to a hive. The powerful sneezers are typically those who have established authority by setting a trend and cannot be bought. A powerful sneezer can be worth many more times a promiscuous sneezer.

Two effective ways of spreading an Ideavirus are thus to reward promiscuous sneezers e.g. The Amazon affiliate program. Or make it easy for powerful sneezers to recommend your idea e.g. Digg/Del.icio.us tags.

Another tactic is to go entirely viral in nature. The more a product is used the better it becomes and spreads. Fax machines, e-mail and Polaroid did this.

The IdeaVirus Formula

An Ideavirus formula comprises a combination of eight variables. There are Sneezers, Hive, Velocity, Vector, Medium, Smoothness, Persistence and Amplifier.

(from Wikipedia).


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