Case library
Browse a library of 1,692 cases spanning films, products, campaigns, memes, music, games, apps and other cultural moments, with category filters and case-level scores.
How It Spread
How It Spread is a research library of viral marketing case studies that maps how films, products, campaigns, memes and other releases move from origin to peak. It helps strategists, marketers and researchers compare spread mechanics, timelines, platforms, sources and outcomes.
What is How It Spread?
How It Spread is a research library and case-study tool for understanding why content, products and campaigns go viral. It traces examples from an initial post, release or event to later amplification and peak performance, connecting people, platforms, press, audience behavior and commercial outcomes.
Each case combines a timeline and chart with a Spread Score covering reach, contagion, breadth, velocity and longevity. The library includes examples such as films, social videos, products, apps, campaigns, memes and music, while individual records link to sources and identify whether figures are reported, self-reported or approximate. Free browsing supports initial research; paid plans open deeper records and additional research outputs.
Research and analysis features
Dated spread timelines
Follow a case from its first seed or origin through amplification, platform changes, press coverage, audience activity and peak or afterlife events.
Spread Score
Compare how a breakout performed across reach, contagion, breadth, velocity and longevity, combined into a Spread Score for each case.
Spread mechanics
Review the platforms, mechanics and actors associated with a case, such as maker origin, sound or audio meme, press loop, identity badge, scarcity drop or platform jump.
Sources and numbers
Inspect linked coverage and sourced metrics. The site distinguishes reported, self-reported and approximate figures in case records, as shown in examples such as Obsession and KPop Demon Hunters.
Paid research outputs
Paid plans include recommendations, radar alerts, slide decks, and API and MCP access; the site also offers a team plan with seats.
Who can use it
Entertainment and media analysis
Study a film, series, song or creator-led release by mapping its origin, press attention, fan participation, platform jumps and commercial or audience peak.
Launch and campaign planning
Compare product, app or campaign breakouts across mechanics, platforms and measurable outcomes to identify patterns worth testing in a launch plan.
Strategy research and presentations
Use sourced timelines and evidence labels to brief a strategy team, explain a breakout to stakeholders or build a presentation from comparable cases.
Ongoing trend monitoring
Follow selected sectors or cases through radar alerts and revisit saved records when monitoring changes is more important than one-time browsing.
Agent-assisted research
Use the API and MCP listed on paid plans to make case research available in supported agent or data workflows, subject to the product's plan and access terms.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Connects origin events to dated amplification and peak outcomes instead of presenting isolated viral statistics.
- Covers a broad mix of breakout types and platforms, with category filtering in the case library.
- Uses a consistent Spread Score framework across reach, contagion, breadth, velocity and longevity.
- Links case claims to external sources and surfaces the people, organizations, platforms and mechanics involved.
- Offers both free browsing and deeper paid records for research, planning and monitoring.
Cons
- Detailed workflow evidence and the full extent of team collaboration are not clear from the available site material.
- The most complete numbers, sources, recommendations, alerts, decks and API/MCP access require a paid plan.
- Some case metrics are self-reported or approximate, so figures should be read with their evidence labels and dates.
FAQ
What is How It Spread?
How It Spread is a research library for tracing how films, products, memes, campaigns and other cultural moments spread from an origin post or event to a later peak. Cases include dated events, platforms, people or organizations involved, and linked sources where available.
Can I use How It Spread for free?
You can browse the case library and view Spread Scores, numbers, media and charts without an account. A free account opens the full timeline and the explanation of why each case worked; some detailed records, sources and strategic recommendations are reserved for paid plans.
What does a case timeline contain?
A case timeline generally connects an origin or seed to platform jumps, press coverage, audience activity, commercial results and later afterlife. The site presents these as dated events across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, X, the open web, the box office and retail, depending on the case.
What do the paid plans add?
Paid plans add the full record, every number and source, recommendations on what to do, radar alerts, decks and access to an API and MCP. The site also lists a Team plan with seats and a shared invoice, although detailed team workflows are not described in the available material.
What kinds of examples are included?
The library covers multiple breakout types, including films, products, food and drink, apps and software, campaigns, series, music, games, books, creators, memes and formats. Its cases can be filtered by category, platform or mechanic-related groupings shown on the library page.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Marketing research and case studies
- Library size
- 1,692 cases shown on the site
- Examples covered
- Films, products, campaigns, apps, music, games, books, creators, memes and formats
- Core output
- Dated spread timeline, chart, sourced numbers and Spread Score
- Score dimensions
- Reach, contagion, breadth, velocity and longevity
- Paid access
- Pro and Team plans add deeper records and research outputs; the site also lists API and MCP access
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