• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, May 29, 2007

Viral marketing has long been more art than science. Think Burger King's subservient chicken. Startup PopularMedia is trying to change that, however, through a platform that relies more on science than serendipity to launch viral campaigns.

The company's PopCommerce 2.0 software lets clients create, measure and fine-tune viral efforts with an extensive set of publishing and analytics tools.

PopularMedia CEO Jim Calhoun describes the platform as a "testing engine" allowing marketers to adjust creative and other campaign features on the fly. "It's really a tricky balance to get a viral program going," notes Calhoun.

PopularMedia's platform has itself gone viral, attracting more than 60 clients from eToys to Borders to Sephora. Companies typically pay $8,000 to $12,000 a month, depending on the package of software and services they choose.

When it comes to return-on-investment, Calhoun says click-throughs to its viral campaigns generate more than $3.50 apiece for e-commerce clients. Each click also adds a prospect to an online retailer's opt-in e-mail marketing database.

With more than $4 million in venture backing from Sequoia Capital and Disney's Steamboat Ventures, PopularMedia is poised for growth. In March, it started a program for agencies to offer a white-labeled version of its viral platform under a revenue-sharing arrangement with the company. And by year's end, Calhoun expects to add another 100 clients to its roster.