Creativity is the single most important factor in viral marketing argues Colin Reeves of Viralfever . Because viral communication is peer-generated, if your concept is dull and boring it will not travel virally, however widely it is seeded.

Viral marketing offers us a dramatic renaissance of creativity - similar in nature to the punk rock revolution, but born out of technology and even more pervasive. It permits - in fact, demands - a creative freedom unparalleled in the history of marketing communications, simply because it need not be hampered by 'professional' standards - just the spontaneity of what captures the mass eye and imagination.

Around the '70's and '80's - the 'boom years' of advertising - the creative concepts used to sell products were imaginative and sometimes radical. The ideas created made people stop, look, think - and eventually buy.

Somehow, in the intervening years, commercial caution, restrictive budgeting, short term planning and political correctness all took their toll, to a point where creativity was widely stifled. TV commercials became tamer and more careful in their presentation - advertisers became frightened about alienating the consumer.

So how have things changed now?

At last we have a medium that's new, unhindered, uncensored and wildly creative. As a user, what you do not like, you move on from; what you do like, you can send to others and enjoy being an integral part of the communication stream.

From the internet to mobile phones, technology has enabled us to go reach more people more consistently, intimately and interactively than ever before. This opens up the creative opportunities and gives us the freedom that we have been hankering after for years.

In an 'on demand' world, the Internet delivers in a way that TV, radio and press simply can't yet match. Videos, images and blogs that capture the hearts, souls or minds of users can be viewed, shared and adapted 24-7. The content is even self-selecting as well as self-perpetuating. By using creativity to capture the attention of your target consumer, they will share the idea with like-minded individuals - organically finding your exact market with greater accuracy and more comprehensively than a TV or press advertising campaign.

So a viral campaign needs to create its own demand. Working in partnership, the agency and client develop a creative brief and the process begins conceptually. From blank page to studio, the creative process is a mutual one, sharing ideas, thoughts, feelings and reactions…involving blood, sweat and tears! Sometimes weeks are needed to find the most relevant and captivating creative 'Trojan horse' which will deliver a sales message or brand image almost unnoticed to a welcoming audience.

How do we take creative thinking to the next level? We need to tap into the element of surprise, shock, slapstick or humour, which will gain attention and captivate the viewer, then push it further, making it work harder to develop a viral with unique and extraordinary impact.

Creativity will be very carefully refined, tested and adapted to tap into the humour and capture the imagination of the target audience. Meanwhile dextrous software enables creative agencies to translate small bullets of marketing genius into PC and MAC friendly files.

Taken by a majority audience who enjoy its entertainment value, the creative viral moves swiftly through the Internet, picking up more viewers and enablers as it goes. Being passed from site to site, mailbox to mailbox, discussed, blogged and downloaded, the viral is stealthily delivering brand values and raising awareness. Combined with traditional and online PR, the exposure can grow exponentially.

If you seed a viral which lacks creativity, it may disappear without a trace. However, you should be aware that, at worst, this democratic, unbiased medium can damage a brand as much as it can enhance one, through perpetuating criticism or ridicule of anything which the market finds unattractive.

So, be sure to only accept the most creative of viral concepts that will carry your message competently and create a fervour and buzz that outperforms others.