Growth Hacking is a process primarily engaged in by startups and small businesses who aim to use creative, low-cost strategies to grow their customer base, enhance their popularity or attain other business objectives swiftly. This buzzword became popular in Silicon Valley and has since pervaded the global business community.

Definition:

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Sean Ellis coined the term "growth hacking" in 2010. Essentially, it refers to a process that focuses on experimentation across various marketing channels to identify the most effective strategies to grow a business. Growth hackers often break conventional marketing rules to experiment with alternative strategies, leveraging the digital environment to achieve growth goals.

Formula to Growth Hacking:

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1. Define Clear Goals: Be specific about what 'growth' means for your business. It could be increasing website traffic, subscriber growth, or product sales. Clear objectives shape your strategy.
2. Perform Analysis: To ensure that the goal set is realistic, analyze current performance. This is important to track progress later.
3. Develop and Execute Strategic Plans: This is where creativity comes into play. Growth hackers brainstorm multiple methods to achieve their targets. One might focus on social media outreach, while another might leverage content marketing. The main aim is to employ inexpensive yet effective tactics.
4. Analyze: After every strategy is implemented, it's important to dissect its performance. Understanding what works enables a business to refine its strategies going forward.
5. Repeat: Growth hacking is ongoing. Strategies that work for a specific goal might not work for a new one.

Growth Hacking Example:

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Dropbox, the popular file hosting service, is a successful example of growth hacking. Instead of opting for traditional marketing methods like advertisement placements, Dropbox provided additional storage space to users who referred their friends to the service. This simple, cost-effective method led to an exceptional growth spike.

Growth hacking is an impactful practice when leveraged effectively. Its cost-effectiveness and innovative nature make it an appealing concept for startups and businesses in a growth phase. Understanding and applying this methodology can result in exponential growth, enabling a business to stand apart in a competitive market.

In conclusion, Growth Hacking leverages unconventional, yet tangible marketing strategies targeted at swift growth. It represents the modern business world's adaptable, flexible, and creative approach to outpacing competition and achieving business objectives.