2013 saw a few very memorable viral ad campaigns, like the Harlem Shake dance that made its way around the country in February, Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches, and Prankvertising’s Telekinetic Coffee Shop surprise. Each campaign was amazing in its own right: Dove’s sketches were inspiring and eye-opening, and the Telekinetic Coffee Shop bit left me utterly jealous that I wasn’t cradling a Cup o’ Joe in the West Village in that moment, but it leaves us all begging the question: How does a brand obtain that kind of viral status? What did Dove have to do to elicit those feelings of urgency to share their content? What separated their thought process from less successful viral marketing strategies?
Identifying with Internet Marketing Videos
Viral marketing, by definition, is a method of product or service promotion that relies on getting customers to market an idea, product or service on their own by telling their friends about it. Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches, which garnered over 61 million YouTube views, was the most watched Internet video of 2013.
The campaign’s success was largely based upon its perceived motive: It had nothing to do with Dove’s products, but rather focused on a growing social issue amongst young Americans. The campaign set out to prove that people see themselves differently than others see them, stressing that people are overly-critical of their physical appearance – an admission that, in theory, makes everyone feel better about themselves.
Remember the Consumers and They Will Remember You
Successful viral marketing strategies possess the type of awareness that Dove demonstrated: potential users and customers are more likely to be enticed by (and remember!) campaigns that reference a brand’s industry and culture as opposed to campaigns that are product-centric. Dove took this method to the next level when they infused a relevant, self-reflective social concern into their marketing strategy. The result? Stardom on a level all internet marketing videos aspire to.
While it is never guaranteed that a campaign will successfully go viral-as-planned, according to The Viral Marketing Cheat Sheet, there are several crucial steps to creating successful viral content. Making the very top of the list are instructions to specifically elicit emotion, provide original, thought-provoking content, keep the content about a message versus a product, and expand on the campaign afterwards (everyone who loved the first one will watch the sequel, right!?).
Viral Marketing Services
Viral content is exciting, promotes a ton of buzz, and often has a longstanding impact on consumers’ opinions of the brand. Are you seeking viral marketing services to execute your next campaign? Contact Women’s Marketing for more information on how we can help!