• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, May 17, 2012

Just so we’re clear, the entire ad industry -- or, at least, everyone on the afternoon OMMA panel, “Feeding the Beast: How Advertisers Can Become Prolific Producers of Video” -- is sick of the word “viral,” and all its magical connotations. Yeah, “I’m soooo sick of viral,” declared Shira Lazar, panel MC and host and executive producer of “What's Trending.” (Frankly, we’re sick of hearing about how sick everyone is with viral -- but not enough to avoid writing about it, apparently.)

But, what should marketers be shooting for, if not the hackneyed V-word? “Evergreen,” says Alison Provost, CEO of Touchstorm. Maybe, but it’s a tough answer considering that most marketers lack a deeper understanding of what “virality” means, according to Chris Schreiber, VP of Marketing at Sharethrough.