Viral. Everybody wants it, and these days, everybody’s doing it. It’s a simple enough concept – a message, like a virus, spreads through consumers rapidly and exponentially. It thrives on cheap production, free media and irreverent humor. It’s amazing. Magical. Recession-proof.

And it’s a lie.

There’s an unfair assumption that just because social media gives consumers an efficient tool for spreading a message, they will. An unreasonable expectation that any mediocre message placed on a social network will reach one million views / friends / tweets / hits. And an unprecedented practice of encouraging these ideas from within our industry. After all, when was the last time you heard someone sell a viral billboard? A viral print ad? How about a viral sandwich?

A sandwich, after all, has every opportunity to “go viral.” One consumer enjoys a delicious, breath-taking, awe-inspiring sandwich, and shares the juicy details with two of their closest friends. Soon, each of the friends eats a sandwich of their own, and can’t wait to describe the taste to their friends as well. Before long, it’s a viral sandwich – over one million served.

Nobody sold a viral sandwich. Someone focused on concocting an unbelievable culinary masterpiece. Somebody might have constructed a community tool where sandwich-revelers could share their experiences. And a lot of sandwich-servers made sure they gave consumers a consistently conversation-inspiring meal. But nobody promised viral.

Social media is not magic. Viral is not a cause of consumer engagement – it’s an effect. People spread things they believe are worth spreading. And the most successful companies, in social media or any other pursuit, focus on great brand experiences and memorable consumer engagements. Our industry’s legitimacy and profitability depends on this understanding – that great results come from significant investments.

So if we tell clients that advertising works like magic, can we really blame them for being skeptics?