Viral Ads and Emails

The Internet has revolutionized the way people communicate. Finding dates, friends, products, services, cool things to watch, secret societies, committing crimes are among the many things done online. Millions of people interact with each other, at the same time, in different areas and on many different topics all thanks to the way that the internet has revolutionized communication.

The aspect of selling and being sold is one of these elements. It has truly shaped the way marketing works and it has restructured it forever. Big brands and companies cannot just use their money and unlimited resources to get ahead anymore. Anyone can buy, sell or advertise online at a fraction of the costs of the traditional media such as TV, Print Ads, and Radio.

Using Viral Ads, companies create and put up videos on different spots on the web to be picked up and seen by other sites and ultimately, potential consumers. Of course, these videos have to be cool, interesting, attractive and smart. Online branding seems to be a lot more complicated than traditional branding but it effectively decreases the time frame of reaction. You could literally have your brand or product seen by thousands in a matter of days.

One of the most successful viral ads of all time is without question the Nike Ad where Ronaldinho, the famous Brazilian soccer player, wears the Nike R10 Soccer shoes and hits the ball 4 times on the post without it ever touching the ground. Of course, as many people know, this video has been edited. However, the people watching do not know that. If you watch the video, you do not see any ads, any narrative saying, “Just Do it”. However, you see the Nike logo everywhere. It’s brilliant. Pay attention to how randomly the video has been shot. It has been viewed over 50 million times online.

Another great example is the Absolut Vodka commercials, which you might have seen on TV as well. They first appeared online and were tested online. When you start watching the video for the first time, you will see that it’s kind of odd and unexpected. However, towards the end you see, “In an Absolut World” which brings a smile to your face. Here is a clever viral campaign which seems to have been more costly; but also very effective.  Video

So, we have given examples of big brands that can afford millions of dollars. You might think, “What’s the value here for my small or medium business?” You would be mistaken if you ask that question. All businesses and any product or service can benefit from Viral Ads. A great example is the famous “Nintendo Wii” video on YouTube. The title reads, “Why every guy should buy their girlfriend Wii Fit?” The video shows an attractive female at home playing with Nintendo Wii Fit. This video has been seen online over 10 million times. The most amazing thing is that Nintendo Wii did not come up with this viral ad; it was done by a consumer.
Video

Strong word of mouth and referral business has moved to the Internet and Email. People interact with each other on social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Marketers and small business should not overlook the fact that all of these users are potential consumers. However, “Nobody likes to be sold, but everybody likes to buy!” How will you sell them?

We will not even get into the technical side of Viral Campaigns in this article;

-         How many people have seen it?

-         For how long did they watch the video?

-         Where did they stop watching the video?

-         What will be the call to action after watching the video?

-         What’s the ultimate objective? A sale or brand awareness?

These are all legitimate questions that we ask ourselves while we work on Viral Campaigns for our clients. If you would like to track your Viral Ads, we can help.