Is Viral Viable?
Viral marketing is entertaining and hip, but does it really do a better job of selling products than regular ads?
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Trevor is your typical intern. A 19-year-old student at the University of Cincinnati, Trevor spends his workweek answering the phone, juggling personal assistant duties, and—most important—taking orders. Unlike most interns, however, Trevor the Mentos intern has a few extra supervisors to report to: an entire audience of online viewers.
From 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, Mentos and Trevor fans can sign into the intern's schedule at mentosintern.com, assigning him jobs such as calling them in sick to work or making a "Happy Birthday" video for their friends. As fans watch Trevor perform his quirky tasks, they can also interact with each other on the site's live chat board.