Definition: web, video or image content which gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or IM messages, blogs and other media sharing websites. (Wikipedia)
Corporate Examples: Coke and Mentos video, OfficeMax’s ElfYourself, BlendTec’s “Will It Blend?” video series, Ford’s “Evil Twin” advert
Analysis: It’s difficult for a company to show its personality, but there are ways to do it that maintain the authenticity of the brand, as the corporate examples above illustrate.
A guest post on TechCrunch revealed one firm’s approach to creating viral videos for clients, and it involved a lot of tactics commonly called astroturfing, which is essentially creating the appearance of a grassroots movement when in fact it isn’t..
It’s a common mistake among communicators to ask their PR agencies to create “something viral” without first asking questions like:
- Who’s our target audience?
- Why would someone want to share our post/video/image with their friends?
- What metrics will help us determine if this is successful?
Without first addressing the question of community, audience and content, it’s nearly impossible to create something viral. Looking at the above corporate examples, can you answer those three questions?
