25 lttrs n th alphbt

Rule #3a Not all virals are video

To keep these posts succinct, I'm splitting this rule into two. We'll explore Rule #3b Not all videos are viral in the next post. So for now, let's just look at Rule #3a Not all virals are video:

"Viral" is a shortcut in so many people's heads to mean "Viral Video". Usually of the kind that used to get sent around as a 5 meg attachment on email back at the end of last century. This is one of the problems of treating "viral" as a noun. Remember "Bad Day"? That first appeared in 1997. Even a decade on, people assume that you can still make a wacky film and it will fly round the world.

It's as though YouTube and the epic proliferation of video content online never happened. You are now competing against too many alternatives. Yes, some videos do go viral, but the proportion of those that do diminishes exponentially day by day. And if you think that your brand's film will luck out and beat the latest wierd meme, then you might as well factor in a lottery win into your ROI calculation too.

Increased competition, means that you are going to have to get smarter and think of new ways to encourage viral proliferation. So let's explore a few:

• 40% off Thresher's voucher - Back in December 2006 this caused a storm when it was "accidentally" leaked. Bollocks was it leaked. This was very much intentional. And the 40% discount was pretty much a parity offer with what they offered in store anyway. Still, millions printed it off. And footfall surely followed. Viral sales promotion? Absolutely.
• Carling iPint - Despite being an utter rip off, which led to a $12.5 million lawsuit, this simple iPhone app still spread through word of mouth. People naturally wanted to show it off, and watching iPhone users eagerly downloaded it for free to show it off too.
• Do us a flavour - This year's big marketing success is also a viral campaign. The initial idea "create us a flavour and we'll give you 1% of the profits" had huge word of mouth potential. But also, the voting stage and the creation of partisan groups to back each flavour creation also created massive fodder for people to talk about online. Everything about this idea was viral.
• Dark Knight promotion - For the numerous fervent fanboys of Batman, the Dark Knight "why so serious" campaign was one of the most brilliant pieces of viral marketing ever. They managed to make such paltry elements like this JPG of Heath Ledger into one of the hottest viral properties on the web.
• Axe Feather - From back in 2005, we created this piece of interactive content for Axe. This spread so far and wide (particularly amongst our spotty, randy teenage audience), that it totally eclipses Subservient Chicken in terms of viral exposure.
• Best job in the world - Queensland tourist board created a viral PR property when advertising for a caretaker for an island. This was vastly successful globally, but be under no illusions, this cost a vast sum of promotional budget to make happen (and we'll discuss this next in Rule #4) 

So that's just 6 examples. All of them viral properties, none of them are video. But don't think you can just go and replicate these ideas now instead. Every viral idea has a lifespan, and as soon as people rush in to copy a mechanic you end up in the same competitive marketplace that you do with video.

Take the Thresher's voucher. Since 2006, has there been a similar viral vouchering phenomenon? Nope. But there had been an absolute deluge of vouchers, but not one of them has been anywhere near as succesful as the first. 

Likewise, look at the iPhone app. This was launched in July 2008 when there were just 500 applications in the Apple App Store. By December 2008, there were 10,000 apps to choose from. And on June 8th 2009, the 50,000 applications milestone was reached. Do you think it will be as easy to replicate the success now?

There is a law of diminishing returns with any viral mechanic. So that just means we have to continue to be creative about what a viral can be. Or we have to start investing in promoting that viral content using (gasp) traditional marketing methods and media spend. But that is one for following up in Rule #4 The best viral content is advertised.

Rule #2 This is still marketing, never forget that

Seth has a very funny shaped head. But it must be configured that way specially beacuse it contains a quite astounding brain. Have a read of his sage like wisdom:

"Being viral isn’t the hard part. The hard part is making that viral element actually produce something of value, not just entertainment for the client or your boss...
Marketers are obsessed with free media. We create content that is hampered or selfish or boring. Or we create something completely viral that doesn’t do any marketing at all...
Something being viral is not, in and of itself, viral marketing. Who cares that 32,000,000 people saw your stupid video? It didn’t market you or your business in a tangible, useful way.”

All too often the rationale behind the "can I have a viral, please?" brief is not a marketing one. It is one that predominently centres on a covetous desire of getting something for free. And producing something a bit sexy in the process.

Both are misguided starting points. Just because this form of marketing exists doesn't mean it is the answer to your needs. Hey, door drops and cold calling are in your marketing arsenal too, but I don't see everyone clamouring to do those with every campaign.

Viral marketing is just that - marketing. Therefore it conforms to all of the rules and processes of a classic marketing strategy. What is the business issue you are addressing? What are your marketing objectives? Who is your target audience? What is the desired out-take and action of that audience? What is the market environment that you are in? What is a desired cost per response? What constitutes a response? And on and on.

When you work through these questions, the solution may well be another marketing mechanic altogether.

It is all too easy to drool at the rampant success of films like the Viral Factory's brilliant LED sheep. In fact, let's oogle at it now:

Blimey. Best part of 10 million hits! That is truly incredible. Buuuuut, I wonder how many of those knew it was about a new LED TV? How many knew it was from Samsung? How many of their target audience are in that 10 million? And how many LED tellys has it sold to them? Or more importantly, how many telly's did Samsung want it to sell? Probably none. But as Matt from the Viral Factory tells us, the brief was merely to associate Samsung and LED in a fun way that creates a bit of buzz. And to a proportion of the 10 million, it has no doubt done that. So brief answered. Sales are not what they were after.

So next time you think that getting a zillion people to see you wacky film will shift a million units off your shelf, think again. An old school sales promotion may well be the answer to your marketing needs.

And that drags us on neatly to the next point - a sales promotion can be spread virally too. All will be revealed in Rule #3 Not all virals are video and not all video is viral

Rule #1 "Viral" is NOT a noun

"So, um, can you make me a viral please." We've all heard it before. We've all said "yes" and then regretted it. The correct answer always should be, "a 'viral' what?"

"Viral" can just pertain to so many chuffing things, that asking for one is possibly the loosest brief in existence. It is the equivalent of requesting an agency to produce a "digital" for them. Y'what?

The way I see it, the definition of "viral" is thus:

When you start to cross tabulate all of the permutations that could be involved in the above, you start to see the terrifying breadth of potential answers that the original brief could produce. Or you could simply define it as: 

Something that is just so blimming good that people want to share it with others.

So maybe the best place to start is NOT asking for a "viral" like it is a convenient, defined entity like a 30 second telly ad. How's about we start by asking not what the solution should be, but what is the problem that it is supposed to be addressing?

And so we conveniently segue on to my second point: "This is still marketing, never forget that." 

Lewis, Heikki and Barry from Eastenders

 

And so before I embark on my rules of "viral", here's one that answers all the points that I'm going to make. I hope... 

We've got Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen a new job working for Barry from Eastenders in a taxi firm. All in honour of promoting our lovely little Taxi Grand Prix for Vodafone. F1 geeks can look out for Martin Whitmarsh at the end. And if anyone spots Heikki's acting ability, can they post it back to us please.

6 rules for "viral" marketing

Virals, eh? If there was another such misused, misunderstood and misinterpreted term in the history of marketing, then I'm yet to stumble across it. And it seems that over the last decade the problem just hasn't gone away. So, I'm taking proactive steps to rid the world of this particular albatross through the medium of Powerpoint. Well, and this blog.

My top six pain points with "viral" are listed above. And over the next few days, I'll try and flesh each of them out in seperate posts. If I stuck them all in one place the collation of that much concentrated angst may make Typepad fall over.

Would love to hear your thoughts on viral. Good and bad examples. Painful stories of woe and the odd glimmer of success. Do share. It will be cathartic for us all.

Here are the completed Rules to date:

Rule #1 "Viral" is NOT a noun

Rule #2 This is still marketing, never forget that

Rule #3a Not all virals are videos

Vodafone Taxi Grand Prix

Now this is going to be awesome. Our Vodafone Taxi Grand Prix kicks off in just over 12 hours time. We've gone and stuck 10 HTC Magic phones in 10 cabs around the country. Then from tomorrow, we'll track the distance they cover with a fare on board and convert that into distance covered over the British Grand Prix.

It's a race to see who can cover the entire Silverstone race distance first. You get to pick a combo of drivers which you can swap around at any time. The person with the most kilometres covered by their cab by the end of the race wins. Woo!

I'm signed up. Head to the Vodafone Taxi Grand Prix and try and beat me.