Unleashing the Ideavirus

Unleashing the Ideavirus
110
 www.ideavirus.com
Is UNLEASHING THE IDEAVIRUS An Ideavirus?
Here is the step by step plan I’m using to turn this manifesto into an ideavirus:
1.
Describe something important and cool and neat and useful and new, and do it in
compelling, clear and exciting words.
2.
Launch the virus to the largest audience of sneezers I can find. In this case, that means
the readership of 
Fast Company
. Do it with graphic splash and panache and impact.
3.
Make it smooth. Post the entire manifesto at 
www.ideavirus.com
. Include commentary
from big-name authors, pundits and industry professionals. Include the entire text of not
just the manifesto but the entire book. Make it easy to send the book to a friend. Include
an audio version of the book. Include my powerpoint slides. All for free.
4.
Run ads to create an environment in which sneezers feel comfortable spreading the
manifesto to others.
5.
Maintain the virus as it grows by doing speaking engagements and distributing free
copies of the hard-copy version of the manifesto to appropriate sneezers.

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Unleashing the Ideavirus
111
 www.ideavirus.com
Moving Private To Public
One of the challenges facing oldline companies as the ideavirus becomes more important is
that they’re used to providing private services. Your friends and acquaintances probably have
no idea what brand of PC you have, whether you have gas or oil heat, how often you see the
chiropractor or what your favorite kind of wine is.
Because of the private nature of these relationships, the only way to expand the market for
them is for the marketer to spend more money and interrupt more people with more junk
ads. BUT, if they can figure out how to make them public, if they can figure out how to
launch an ideavirus, the whole equation changes.
Here’s an example: your frequent flyer miles.
American Airlines has made a fortune using frequent flyer miles to induce loyalty, and just as
important, to establish a currency that they sell to other companies.
But none of your friends really knows your frequent flyer habits. You almost never talk about
them unless something exceptional happens that you want to brag about… like buying
tickets for the whole family to fly to France with your miles.
There are a number of things that American Airlines can do to move miles out of the closet
and turn them into an ideavirus. For instance, they could allow people to buy, sell or trade
their miles. Would this lead to more mileage redemptions (a bad thing)? Sure. But it would
also turn miles back into a nationwide fascination.
Far more clever would be to make the following announcement at a convention jammed
with business travelers: “If you can find someone at this convention who has precisely the
same number of miles as you do, we’ll give you both a million miles.” Suddenly, every
person you meet wants to talk to you about your mileage status.

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