An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Meme Marketing

Abstract

The use of viral images as a sociological construct derived from shared experiences and the marketability of those experiences in advertising has great potential. Instead of thinking of memes as something to be studied in and of themselves, systems thinking offers you the possibility of thinking about them as the results of intersecting systems. Can viral digital media be used to target groups of people of specific markets? Who is most engaged by viral digital media and what are the most effective ways to create engaging viral media? Can I focus specifically on the “Loss” format meme, it’s cultural significance, the postmodernism language games it utilizes, and the active use by marketers? Can specific forms of viral media be used to advertise to target audiences through the use of postmodern language games utilizing shared experiences among groups of people? I answer these questions and more in this interdisciplinary analysis of viral media marketing, specifically relating to the “Loss” format meme.