If you have any idea about Social Media or Marketing you would know that the Viral I am talking about has nothing to do with the flu. So, you may ask, was it Pepsi or Coke that started India’s first viral campaign?

It wasn’t any cola giant nor was it any corporate house that started the first viral campaign.  It was our Satyagrahis, the freedom fighters, who were the pioneers of the viral campaigns.

Without the presence of any kind of media they made the  Quit India movement go viral way back in 1942. Within days the whole nation was aware of the movement. There was a huge army of volunteers who would paint the messages on the walls in the dark of the night, even in the most distant villages of the country. The concept of posting messages on walls could have started from there, the same message being posted on different walls in different languages, to create a wave which would jolt the whole nation awake.

The freedom fighters in order to come into limelight would get themselves caught by the police so that a court case could start. These cases were reported in the newspapers and the press, which again worked towards spreading the awareness of the cause. Much like our blogging networks these days. One bad move by a corporate or a brand and it is all over the blog world, everyone’s writing about it, spreading the words around.

It isn’t just the wall or the blogs which could have come from the stone age of viral campaigns, but also the ‘buddy referral’ system. Someone who knew anyone interested in the cause would recruit him as a volunteer for the movement. These revolutionary groups always needed volunteers who could be trusted and they always came through referrals. Later on as the groups increased in size and expanded throughout the country they would be opened to all.

In the pre-independence days the only source of instant information was telegraph, and no one would know what was happening in the world until the next day when the newspapers came out. You also had to be literate so that you could read the papers. Yet, Gandhiji’s Quit India movement or the news about the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh and friends spread like wild fire.

The recent issue of Jan Lokpal Bill became a national issue within a matter of days because of  the sensation hungry Indian media. Within days everyone who was anyone was seen debating the matter.

So, is it the medium or the message that is more important?

The people were not watching the news because they wanted to see the antics of the Bollywood actors. They were watching the news channels to witness the common people revolt against the tyranny of an authoritarian government.

Was it really the media which was responsible for the spreading awareness about the issue, or was it the issue itself, or was it the charisma of the leaders which created these viral campaigns methodically, yet unknowingly?

The message, I believe, will always be more powerful than the medium which carries it. Be it the graffiti painted on the wall or updates on the micro blogging sites, it will always be the message that would determine how long the effect of the viral would last.

(Image courtesy: flaivoloka from sxc.hu)