Page |1
Leighton Schlieter
Viral Media
May 1, 2012
The Effect of Viral Media on Globalization
The term ‘viral’ has been incorporated into an evolution. This evolution is an occurrence
which is constantly going on and is responsible for the morphing of terminology all over the
world. This morphing does not replace the original definition of words, in most cases, but
transforms and expands the applicability that they occupy in societies. In this case, ‘viral’ has
evolved beyond a simple representation of being the cause of a virus and into a representation for
the spread ability of constructs through cultures and societies. Interestingly enough, societies
and cultures already experience an effect termed as globalization, which can be defined as the
incremental growth toward interconnectedness between inhabitants of the world.1 This is a weak
definition, and a further delving into what globalization truly is or encompasses is a large
concept which cannot even be attempted in this paper. A brief summary of what role
globalization holds in international affairs will be imperative and therefore discussed as this
paper delves further into ‘viral’ media’s participation in this phenomenon. To express how this
interaction takes place and the importance of understanding its process two examples will be
presented. Firstly, the role that viral advertising and marketing has on the collective networking
of cultures and states will be expressed by proving its continual growth and overall success in
international economies. Lastly, a deeper analysis of the previous concept through the growth
and collective abilities of Anonymous will highlight how memes and other tools create
1
Chanda, Nayan. Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization. New
Haven: Yale University Press, 2007. X.
Page |2
motivations for national interests through international networking. Both of these examples will
then be shown, conclusively, to effect globalization positively and spur even further
interconnected networks between cultures and societies.
Understanding a clear definition of globalization is difficult. There are many theorists
and researchers still trying to wrap their minds around the concept and explain and project it into
international politics, conflict, and economics. The term globalization boomed as word of
contention and debate in the mid-80’s and grew exponentially through the 90’s reaching its peak
in 2000.2 It is used as a single word to define an incident that has been occurring throughout
history. History has shown this phenomenon to include the spread of people, information,
culture, religion, beliefs, and technology. Globalization can then be described as a spreading
effect which usually incorporates states or specific governments and cultures and shows how
their growing interaction cause a growth or enhancement of their original condition. With
technology growing as quickly as it does now, it is easy to see the speed of the spread increasing
as organization, governments, and people interact daily, quickly and efficiently, through the
internet or phone networks. It is amazing how simple networking has become for those with the
capability. As the capability for people to participate (i.e. affording computers or phones) grows,
so does the level of inclusion and interconnectedness. Globalization is a concept that has and
will continue to explain the growing assimilation of countries, societies, and cultures. Viral
media has become a method or carrier for this expansion or integration. By spreading all over
the world different media gains the ability to inform, persuade, and combine different ecologies
for goal or purpose. The goals and purposes may differ, for example, political control, monetary
profits, or even social movements; but the construct used remains the same. Media with the
2
Chanda, Nayan. Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization. New
Haven: Yale University Press, 2007. 247.
Page |3
ability to accomplish goals on a mass international scale, gains the right to be called viral and a
major contributor to globalization.
“Nowadays, conducting more efficient marketing activities by organizations is direct
proportionate to their compliance with technology and marketing approaches. Especially, the
emergence of internet and consumers’ desire to have a word have directed marketing experts to
digital environment as an alternative platform.”3 Viral marketing is a method by which
organizations attempt to advertise by creating constructs which try to gain mass appeal through
different forms of communication. These alternative platforms have emerged recently through
environments where large numbers of people will congregate on a mass scale in the digital
world. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are just a few examples of these platforms that
organizations have found to be a beneficial for advertising. Since it is easier to reach the masses
through these platforms, it is also easier to create ads or videos which will appeal to the majority
thereby achieving the semblance of a viral construct. When marketing has reached enough
viewers to replicate its construct and increase its spread, viral marketing is created.
Globalization is affected by this concept in a number of ways. The most prominent are in
its ability to reach people all over the world and in its capability to spread other media resources
into separate ecologies. In other words, viral marketing gains the ability to evolve and share
information and resources by simply reaching its audience. “Viral marketing is a marketing
technique which enables information transfer, gives services and information to other people free
of charge. It also motivates people/ groups and uses existing communication channels.”4 Since
3
Kalpaklioglu, Nur Undey, and Nihal Toros. "VIRAL MARKETING TECNIQUES WITHIN ONLINE SOCIAL
NETWORK." Journal Of Yasar University 6, no. 24 (October 2011): 4112-4129. Academic Search Complete,
EBSCOhost (accessed May 1, 2012).
4
Kalpaklioglu, Nur Undey, and Nihal Toros. "VIRAL MARKETING TECNIQUES WITHIN ONLINE SOCIAL
NETWORK." Journal Of Yasar University 6, no. 24 (October 2011): 4112-4129. Academic Search Complete,
EBSCOhost (accessed May 1, 2012).
Page |4
these channels are constantly growing in number, viral marketing reaches a larger, broader
audience thereby enhancing and further growing the networks used to originally share the media
objects.
Anonymous is a great example of how media can influence populations. Not only was
Anonymous’ birth centered on the creation of a meme (a viral construct generally in the form of
a single image with humorous, emotional, or motivational text), but its entire movement is viral
in nature with its focus on mass awareness of information. Anonymous is networked on an
international scale with individuals in dozens of countries ‘fighting’ for free control of an
international public good known as the internet. They can be considered viral because of the
speed and enormity the movement launched, spreading to Australia, China, the UK and many
other countries in just a few months. Social platforms are where they began, and where the
majority of it spread. However, just like other viral objects they evolved and continue to evolve,
not only in size and methods, but also in motives and reactivity. Through videos, memes, and
protests they are able to advertise and support their cause, which is adapted manipulated by
others such as with a recent video posted by a few college students as a class project. It is in the
methods and mass scale that the virility of Anonymous can be recognized and evident as a tool
for the spreading of information and a movement for internet activism. By spreading these ideals
and information across international networks, globalization is further stimulated.
With a steady rise in “media ecologies” and “networked publics” it is understandable to
see information and technology spreading as quickly as it has been for the past two decades. 56
One of Anonymous’ campaigns, which occurred in the wake of Wikileaks, was a mass
information release spurring the release, posting, reposting, of information on mass
5
Fuller, Matthew. Media Ecologies. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2005. Print.
Papacharissi, Zizi, ed. A Networked Self: Identity, Community, and Culture in Social Network Sites. New York
And London: Routledge, 2011.
6
Page |5
interconnected networks. This campaign effects globalization by increasing the spread of
information across networks. Anon members and non-members alike were quick to respond by
increasing the flow of data over the internet not only on a national level but an international one.
Anon members in other countries would post to blogs and social media platforms to share data
gleaned from hacked sites and databases. Non-members following these members would find
and repost the information thereby spreading it over and over again. Anonymous has helped
spur globalization by integrating its members, followers, and bystanders into an international
network that spreads one another’s cultures across platforms.
In conclusion, the implications these examples present is a much larger picture for
expectancy and/or reliability on globalization as a collective action goal. Viral marketing and
more specifically Anonymous’ use of viral markets to advertise their campaigns show that the
use of viral media only stimulates globalization and enhances global interconnectivity. Primary
reasons for this growth, as explained previously, are the integration of cultures and societies
through mass spreading generally caused by viral structures. Global media in this way has
become an easily accessible resource. As the global media ecology grows, so does the intensity
that media and communications have on globalization.7 This is because of the growing audience.
With the number of viewers and consumers increasing because of growing technology
capabilities (among many reasons), the viral capabilities of organizations, institutions, or
individuals are also amplified. This means that the ability for globalization to be affected is also
increased, because with a rise in virility there is also a rise in the number of recipients. The
number of recipients increasing also creates a faster political, economic, and cultural integration.
This means that the more viral the object, the faster globalization becomes thereby causing a
7
Ampuja, Marko. "Globalization Theory, Media-Centrism and Neoliberalism: A Critique of Recent Intellectual
Trends." Critical Sociology (Sage Publications, Ltd.) 38, no. 2 (March 2012): 281-301. Academic Search Complete,
EBSCOhost (accessed May 1, 2012).
Page |6
stronger emersion of networks. Again, the implications and more importantly the applications
viral media have on globalization is a massive topic. It could easily be covered in a book or
thesis, but for this paper it cannot be accomplished. However, there is one topic application
which can be briefly applied. The use viral media and global media ecologies have on political
applications. “According to Aristotelian reasoning, message characteristics can fall under either
logos (logical arguments) or pathos (emotion, such as humor), and communicator characteristics
are referred to as ethos. A large body of work, both qualitative and quantitative,
has examined the use of these appeals in political communication.”8 If this is true and
completely capable for mass persuasion then, political Youtube videos could be used to influence
and persuade on mass scales. However, taking it even further and applying it to political actors
who participate internationally, terrorists for example could use the mass spread as a means to
distribute fear or United Nations representatives could appeal to masses for a humanitarian
cause. Overall, viral media can be applied to information spread on many different levels.
Within the realm of globalization, viral media has the ability to enhance the speed and
integration of political, economic, and cultural norms and the functional possibilities of this
concept are still open to the future whether for natural evolution or intentional control.
8
English, Kristin, Kaye D. Sweetser, and Monica Ancu. "YouTube-ification of Political Talk: An Examination of
Persuasion Appeals in Viral Video." American Behavioral Scientist 55, no. 6 (June 2011): 733-748. Social Sciences
Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed May 1, 2012).