Going viral and making YouTube – your tube
The term Viral Marketing carries a distinct connotation often attributed to YouTube celebrities before a guerilla marketing tactic. We all remember the dramatic prarie dog, the tron guy, the dancing indian midget, and even the guy who makes musical instruments out of vegetables…but why? Why is it clips of ridiculousness across the world draw millions of views and command exposure that was once only accessible through advertising titans? It’s a question marketing agencies specializing in web promotion have been exploring since YouTube went big time.
The anatomy of a viral marketing campaign is as complex as it is difficult to initiate. It’s tough to gauge what will spark an enormous social reaction across the internet, but with a fair share of creativity, some research into the social musings of a target demographic, and a good old sense of humor…the answer may be closer at hand than you think.
Let’s take a look at a few case studies to illustrate this principle and see if we can find a lesson in the madness.
Case Study 1: The Search Engine Rap Battle
Our entire SEO team hit the floor when this came out. In nearly ten days the clip accumulated half a million views and the traffic to their landing page spiked. Why? Because the clip is hysterical if you know anything about search engines. Moral of the story: target a niche audience…and sell T-Shirts.
Case Study 2: Evolution of Dance
Commanding nearly 100,000,000 views since its posting, this clip of a motivational speaker getting down in front of some grade schoolers is the second most all-time viewed clip on YouTube. Does the global YouTube audience care that much about dance? Wait a second…what was the most viewed television show in America the last 12 months or so…oh yeah! That’s right! Dancing with the Stars. Maybe there’s a connection? Moral of the story: find a topic of broad appeal which is humorous, engaging, and captivating.
Case Study 3: The Subservient Chicken
Hailed as the quintessential viral marketing campaign, Burger King’s Subservient Chicken plowed through the U.S generating unprecedented buzz for the king of burger chains. The tag line was “Chicken the way you like it.” After the success of the Subservient Chicken, Burger King used the character in several subsequent advertising campaigns. Why…because this candid camera style ridiculousness was so absurd, people couldn’t help but tell other people “did you see that ridiculous burger king commerical with the dancing chicken?” The ultimate water cooler discussion…and the ultimate brand mention. Moral of the story: if you can come up with a clip that maintains the inextricable “you’ve got to be kidding me” factor…you’re in like flint.
Stay tuned for more ideas in viral marketing and harnessing the power of YouTube. Until next time…i think he can dance?
