Does virus marketing really help to sell?

Till the Music Business (tough by F.Selden) lesson on Friday I was absolutely sure, that virus marketing is one of the best advertising ways to talk with people and that you should definitely include it, writing a new advertising plan campaign for some product/ service/ music group or etc. Why? Because virus marketing has a dozen of good points. Here is my list of some of them:

Virus marketing provides an opportunity to break through traditional advertising fuss and gives an opportunity to reach audience more effectively;

If you are using virus marketing than product/service etc. don’t need to have resounding features to increase its visibility and create noise, because virus marketing already consists of communication components causing surprise and interest;

Unlike traditional advertising, virus marketing is not intrusive. On the contrary, people are willing to watch them in Internet and if it really works, then send this link to other Internet users. This is a very good word of mouth distribution technique.

Last but not least, it doesn’t cost any money. You don’t need to pay for space and audience attention.

To have really good virus marketing campaign, you need to follow some “rules”:

The most important thing is to create STRONG emotions (laughter, fun, sorrow, hatred). Virus marketing is 100% about feelings! Make something unexpected. Don’t make advertising, make story!

So far everything looks really great.

BUT! Let’s come back to advertising main purpose. There are a lot of various aims, but in terms largely there are 2 aims. The first aim is to attract more sales for the company.

The other one- help customers recognise the product of competitors. The second aim include a lot f other aims, for example, to build the overall company image, to effect immediate buying action, to create a reputation and etc.

My opinion is that the use of viral marketing depends from the main aim, it’s not for the entire.

The second thing about virus marketing („thanks, my teacher”) is to now, what are you going to do after you will put your video on Internet? OK, the idea could will be very good and the video will be watched more than 100 000 times, but what comes next and what will be the result of this video? You need to think about these thing BEFORE you make the viral. Whether it will be only one element? How does it fit into the overall advertising campaign? What comes AFTER the viral and what will be the RESULT of it?

I want to show 2 examples of virus marketing videos. One of them works, the other- no, but both of them are great and people love them!

The viral marketing video for the song "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go.

The video ir great and it has more than 2,682,760 views, 5,531 comments, 31,695 people added this video as a favourite. These guys get a contract because of its video („Thanks, teacher”), but nothing happens after that. The guys made an attractive virus, but they didn't consider about the next step. And what else- this video is sooo good, that they are now not able to surprise people with another such a great video. So, this example is like a Boom! And everybody likes that and everybody is looking it, but actually nothing else is happening. So the result of it is nothing. So, it’s a fail actually. One big „boom” and that it. The video now is living his own life and it doesn't help the band to reach some other goals on their career as a group. But anyway, this is a great example how you can build a video without a big budget behind it.

The second example of viral ad:

This video had an aim and a strategy. The aim I suppose is to show the companies attitude towards artificial beauty and it build the image of the company.

This video has more than 10,918,485 views,it has 5,364 comments and 39,664 people added this as a favourite. And what is more important- they follow their strategy. The company has defined the values and with this viral video they represent it.

Also, there are more than 10 videos who make an answer to „Dove” commercial, so people are really addressed in and they have their opinion (good or bad) about this commercial. So, this is an example, how viral marketing commercial fits into the whole strategy of company and reach the target audience.

Finally, I would like to say that you it’s a failure if companies uses virus marketing only because it’s modern and timely. It is really important to consider all the steps: the aim of the video, how it fits into the whole strategy and what will follow after it, it should be continued. People have just seen the campaign. They think, it was interesting, unexpectedly, and their emotions have reached a high level, the video has obtained their full attention. So what will follow? Of course it depends of the goal. Maybe it’s the right time to attract more sales for the company.

That’s all!

P.S. For the sweet dish...The teacher also showed a funny virus comercial example (parody) for the Beyonce song "Single Ladies". This video is watched more than the official video clip version :) Enjoy!