Why do people keep doing it to themselves? Are they so self absorbed and disconnected from reality that they don't recognize how they come off? I am speaking, of course, about the latest Internet sensation, Aleksey Vayner. In case you are unaware, Aleksey is a student at Yale who sent an 11 page resume (11 pages!) to a couple of merchant banks looking for a job. In addition, he created a 7 minute video of himself that accompanied his application. The video has Aleksey expounding on subjects like success and personal development ("If you're goint to work, then work,if you're going to dance, then dance, but do it with passion"), while showcasing his weightlifting, tennis playing, karate chopping skills. Needless to say, the video is less than flattering, and has subsequently gone viral.

While it was clearly inadvertent, and obviously personally detrimental to poor Aleksey, viral marketing, done correctly can be of enormous value to businesses. Watch this space on more information about viral marketing.