Fab Friday: Viral Marketing Ain't Free

Filed in archive Fun , Marketing , Society & Public Policy on November 10, 2006

In an amusing turnabout, fans are billing Universal Studios for their marketing effort. Universal released the movie Serenity, which was based on the TV show firefly. So Universal's marketing arm courted Firefly fans to help with the marketing. And they did. Fans created web sites and sold t-shirts and were fundamental in building Serenity's audience.

How were the fans repaid? Not with freebies or even thanks, but a kiss from the attorneys. Universal's legal department sent cease and desist letters plus a licensing fee of $8,750 to a t-shirt peddler. One good turn deserves another and so the fans are billing Universal for their services. It's high time that fans were recognized and not attacked for their efforts.