Birth of "Contamination Marketing 1N1"

Contamination Marketing 1N1 refers to the effective use of marketing communication techniques to reach target markets within the time and budget that is available to the message sender. The 1N1 has been included as a suffix descriptor to the concept to represent 2 parallels: (1) to how the current A(H1N1) virus has rapidly spread at low cost and huge impact worldwide, and (2) common use of 101 (say Science 101) to represent everything that is basic and integral to a subject matter. The marketing message content is generally the same as that contained in traditional modes of communication like advertising, public relations, sales promotions, personal selling and direct marketing. What differentiates "Contamination Marketing 1N1" is the cost,  form, execution, speed, and impact of the communication. Here are 5 key characteristics of Contamination Marketing 1N1, which are similar to how a flu is spread during an epidemic:
1. Rapid spread from source to new "contaminee"
2. Low cost of transfer per contaminee
3. Cannot be contained by traditional barriers like geography, politics, economics, culture & business
4. Evolves and mutates as the market reacts to the infection
5. Leveraged effect as a small contamination produces huge and lasting impact to the individual and to the total market

Contamination marketing 1N1  is particularly useful to small and medium sized companies and entrepreneurs with limited marketing budgets. However, even large companies can use contamination marketing 1N1 to complement their existing programs.

The "contamination marketing 1N1" concept was initially developed by Prof. Remigio Joseph De Ungria as part of the preparations for the 18th AGSB Marketing forum held Aug. 28, 2009. Copyright registration for the concept is now on-going.