Hybrid Viral Marketing

Thanks to Jason Kottke for pointing me to a new paper by Duncan Watts that explores the idea of "big seed marketing."

Basically, the idea is that viral marketing campaigns bolstered by large mainstream media advertising campaigns can create an escalating conversion effect that neither activity would catalyze on their own. The math behind the idea seems solid, and it reminds me of my recent PodCamp talk "What If Ads Were Content?"

The more ways people are able to share, keep, and annotate ads online -- and off -- the more effective those ads could become.

XLNT Party Time

XLNTads, which specializes in consumer-generated advertising, announced the members of its Creator's Advisory Board today. The board will advise the company on user features and other aspects of the business, which is slated to introduce brand advertisers in July.

Board members include:

• Sean Bury, Invisible Engine Films
  
• Angela Calman, video producer and publisher of Mediamogirl.com
  
• Jefferson Chaney, video editor, director and producer
  
• Mark Day, comedian and video creator
  
• Kevin Nalty, viral videologist and founder of Will Video for Food
  
• Zack Scott, video creator and entertainer
  
• Matt Wyatt, Invisible Engine Films
  

That's a pretty impressive roundup of videographers, producers, publishers, and entertainers who've made names for themselves on YouTube, Revver, Metacafe and other popular video-sharing sites. It'll be interesting to see what develops.