Accidental Viral Marketing?

When I came across an article that had the words "cat toilet" in it, I knew I had to read on. The Cat Genie is an actual flushing toilet for cats! So how does it work? The Cat Genie hooks up to your plumbing and actually flushes. The washable granules are then washed and dried for the next use. There is a detailed diagram of how it works on the website. Stop and think before you run out to buy one for your smelly cat, they start at $297!

Okay, so what in the world does this cat toilet have to do with viral marketing? The website features a video showing how the toilet works. After watching the video, I just had to tell my roommate to watch it. Then I sent the link to a couple of my friends. Just as Sally McKenzie mentioned in her article, I too played a hand in spreading the buzz about this product. The fact that there is no "send to a friend" link makes it seem that there was no intention of doing any viral marketing. It seems like more of a simple "how it works" video. But this simply goes to show that just an interesting product alone can do its own marketing. Companies with interesting products should think about the value of making a simple video. Some other strange products that I think could benefit from an informational or humorous viral video are: The Pathlighter, The Dogone, The Rocking Horse, and The Octodog. My message to Cat Genie: Add a "send to a friend" link to the video and make this a viral smash!

To view the full article by Sally McKenzie, click here.

"Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat
It's not your fault"

Feeling Lost?

In order to get people talking about its fourth season, ABC implemented a viral marketing campaign for the prime time show Lost. This campaign includes billboards in several cities nationwide and two websites. The billboards are featured in: Los Angeles, CA, Tustin, CA, Ames, IA, Miami, FL, New York, NY, Portland, OR, Knoxville, TN, Seoul, South Korea, and Sydney, Australia. The whole show is based on an incident where an airplane carrying passengers (flight 815) disappeared. The billboards are ads for the fictional airline on the show, "Oceanic Air." The billboards "appear" to have been vandalized with the message "Find815.com" written across in paint.






The website for the Oceanic Air features a video which appears to be an ad. However, the ad is interrupted by a man, Sam Thomas, pleading for help to find his girlfriend who was on flight 815. The website also allows you to download a press release from Oceanic Air about the incident. The other website, find815.com, appears to be the work of the fictional character, Sam Thomas. Users of this website can view video and learn clues that may lead to more information about the disappearance. It also features an interactive narrative that is connected to season 4. The bottom of the narrative page has links to register, invite friends, their flickr page, and a fan forum. The screen shot to the left shows a video of Sam explaining what happened with the disappearance of flight 815.




I give this campaign a HUGE thumbs up! I think the billboards are attention grabbing. Fans of Lost would recognize the fictional airline on the billboards. People who have never seen Lost might still be likely to go find815.com because it looks like the board had been vandalized. Find815.com is a great website. The narrative allows you to look for clues, and then incorporates those clues into the videos. I don't know much about Lost, but I still enjoyed this website. I think it is a great way for fans to feel like they are a part of the show. Either way, I think this campaign is fabulous!

To view the full article from TV Crunch, click here.

The Great Delivery Game

QAS (Quick Address Software) is a company that helps organizations worldwide verify addresses accurately. This Experian company conducts strictly Business to Business commerce. When QAS wanted to get the word out about their software, they hired Silverscape. Silverscape is a marketing strategy, technology and design firm.

Silverscape created an online game called The Great Delivery Race. This game allows users to deliver items to houses in a neighborhood. Users can choose to drive a Mini Cooper, monster truck, or delivery truck. You can also choose to deliver things like monkeys, puppies, or even toupees. There are different bonuses and obstacles on the way. Players have one minute to deliver three packages in a style similar to Pac-Man. This game is fun and gets players engaged. The page features a link to more information about the software.

I spent awhile playing this game and found it really fun and interactive. I submitted my highest score of 6100 and I wasn't even in the top 100. The user with the highest score had 10,550 points. So obviously, some people are spending a long time play this game! I think QAS did a good job bringing the creativity to a rather mechanical market. When users finish a game, they have the option of sending it to a friend. When you send it, your friend receives an email that reads:



"Hey,

You have to check out this game! It's called the Great Delivery Race and while it only takes a minute to play, you won't be able to stop. First you pick your vehicle, what to deliver and then try to get it to the destination before time runs out. I just delivered puppies in an Off-Road Super-Truck. Watch out for the road kill and make sure you get extra points by letting Grandma cross the street!

Bet you can't beat my score 5100. Here's the game: http://www.qas.com/greatrace

Regards,

The Champ"


To view the full article, click here.

Free Running

From time to time, I see people running around and jumping on things around campus. I have always wondered what in the world they are doing. Apparently, they are doing something called Parkour. Parkour is an athletic discipline where practitioners travel through any environment in the most efficient way possible using their physical abilities. One of the founders, Sebastien Foucan (pictured left), created a form of Parkour called "Free Running." According to Foucan, Free Running is "the art of expressing yourself in your environment with no limitations."

Free Running is most closely associated with urban areas. When K-Swiss wanted to re-brand themselves as an urban lifestyle brand in Europe, they teamed up with Foucan. Together, they developed the first trainer specially designed for Free Running, the Ariake. K-Swiss launched a TV and print campaign as well as a website to support the launch of the shoe. They teamed up with Perfect Fools to create the website. This viral website allows users to type a message and then view a video of Foucan Free Running over the message. Users can then download the video to their computers. You can check out the message I created in the video below.





I think this website is a cool way to expose people to the Ariake. Free Running is something that not a lot of people know about. This site has information about Free Running as well as a small bio of Sebastien Foucan with a link to his website. It allows users to generate their own content for the message, while showcasing the shoe in the video. People may send the video to their friends to show them the message or what Free Running looks like. In return, K-Swiss gets exposure for their brand. I think this is definitely a good way for K-Swiss to appeal to an urban market. My only complaint is that in the video, you can not always tell what letter he is jumping over. This can make it hard to read the message. Otherwise, I give this campaign a thumbs up.

To view the full article from Marketing Week, click here.

RV Espionage

Recently, Monaco Coach Corporation implemented a marketing campaign very different from anything they have ever tried before. Monaco Coach is a company in Oregon that builds RVs under six different brands. There was recently a post on Yahoo Finance with a headline that read "Spying on the Monaco factory?" The post contains a link that directs readers to www.rvspyguys.com. The site includes a video as well as the option to sign up for email updates.

The video follows two middle-aged men as they "sneak in" to the Monaco Plant to discover the "latest and coolest in RVs." Under the alias of the RV Spy Guys, Bill and Ed (sadly, no resemblance to 80's heart throbs Bill and Ted), go on an ''excellent adventure'' to the plant.
This funny, low-budget video is Monaco's attempt at viral marketing. According to Monaco's Web Development Director, Steve Barth, this video is "really just an experiment." At the end of the video, viewers are encouraged to attend the Family Motor Coach Association show on February 25, 2008. There will be more installments of these videos to come, according to Barth.










Bill and Ed










Bill and Ted

I think this a creative attempt at viral marketing. It definitely stands out from typical over-the-top RV advertising. Monaco is a company with expensive products. Some of the RVs go for up to $500,000. I like that they are doing something to make themselves stand out, as the prices are comparable to those of other companies. I think the age of the men in the video fits for this campaign. It seems that you usually see older people driving RVs. These old men are friendly and would appeal to an older audience. I give this campaign a thumbs up. I'll keep you updated on the future trials and tribulations of the RV Spy Guys.

To view the full article from The Register-Guard, click here.

To Joke Or Not To Joke?

Many people have been anxiously awaiting the release of the movie Dark Knight (to view the trailer, click here). Warner Brothers implemented a viral campaign for this movie that was centered around Heath Ledger's character, The Joker (pictured below). Sadly, Heath Ledger passed away on January 22, 2008. So now the big question: will Warner Bros. continue the campaign despite the passing of Ledger?


First, a little bit about the viral campaign. This article from Superhero Flix gives details about it. Select people received a cake with the words "Call Me Now" written in frosting. When they called the number, the cake began to ring. Sure enough, there was a phone inside the cake. This Verizon phone came complete with charger, a "Gotham Times" press badge, and a Joker card with another phone number on it. When people called the number, they were directed to the premiere viewing of a 6 minute trailer of the movie in IMAX theaters. There is also a viral website to go along with the campaign. For a full gallery of the pictures, click here.























I think continuing the campaign could be a little weird, considering people could be getting phones with messages from the deceased. On the other hand, this movie is said to showcase what may be Heath Ledger's best performance. So continuing this viral marketing campaign could be another way to honor the talented actor. Word on the street is, Warner Bros. renewed the phones until March 30, 2008. The phone was originally set to expire on January 30, 2008. So this could be a sign that they plan to continue the viral marketing campaign. However, Warner Bros.'s website for Dark Knight features a simple page honoring Ledger. I will be on the lookout as to what direction they will take with this campaign. RIP Heath.

To view the full article from Superhero Flix, click here.

Wanna be an In Girl?

Sephora is a chain of beauty product stores founded in France in 1969. Since then, it has expanded into 16 different countries. Sephora has many loyal customers and wanted to find a way to capitalize on that. They decided to use viral marketing to build a more expansive network of shoppers. They turned to Popular Media Inc. to help create the buzz among their loyal customers about their In Girl consumer panel.

Existing customers were given the opportunity to join the In Girl consumer panel. As a member of the panel, customers receive free Sephora products to review, an In Girl t-shirt, and access to exclusive online surveys. Winners were determined by who got the most nominations from friends. The idea behind the whole campaign was to get existing customers interested in being on the In Girl consumer panel and get them to use their online social networks for nominations. Customers used sites like MySpace, Facebook, and blogs to spread the word. The nomination directed the people nominating someone to Sephora.com. In the process of nominating someone, each person was asked questions about themselves, the person they were nominating, and the size of their social networks.



So what about the results? The consumer panel generated a response rate three times higher than banner ads or click-through email campaigns. According to Sephora, the average participant generated 2.5 brand impressions online. The most influential candidates recruited more than 100 new brand enthusiasts. This campaign makes a lot of sense because they are using something they already have, loyal customers, to use their social networks to promote the brand. They not only gained customers from this campaign, but also insights into the social networks of their customers. Sephora was smart to recognize the viral potential of their customers. This is just another example of the power and potential of viral marketing.


























A promotional picture from the campaign

To view the full article, click here

Talking Stains?

Along with all of this year's Superbowl commercials was one funny commercial with a great viral marketing campaign to go along with it. Tide used a Superbowl ad to kickoff their new digital "My Talking Stain" campaign and website for the Tide to Go. The Tide to Go is the #1 instant stain remover.




The ad was created by Saatchi & Saatchi of New York. This was Tide's first attempt at a Superbowl commercial and the first in four years for Proctor and Gamble. The ad shows a man with a stain on his shirt being interviewed. The stain begins talking and overshadows the whole interview. The ad received a Cannes Silver Lion award in 2007.






The website allows users to personalize the commercial by uploading a picture of themselves and dialing an 800 number to record the voice of the stain. When you make a video you can register to win one of the 1,000 prizes given daily. Users also have the option of making their own 30-second spot. The winning spot will air during a prime time television show. The website also offers product information, ringtones, wallpapers and buddy icons. I, of course, had to put my face on one! Check it out below.




To view the full article, click here

The Buzz on Snapbomb

On January 31, 2008, Snapbomb announced the launch of their Buzz Marketing Suite. This new service is the first of its kind. The Snapbomb Buzz Marketing Suite makes managing buzz marketing simple and easy.

There is a need for companies to increase their online marketing presence and Snapbomb offers a solution. So how does it work? Their services help create a direct relationship between advertisers and product promoters. Advertisers sponsor targeted campaigns to spread the word about anything that they want to expose millions of blog readers to. Bloggers pick campaigns that match their interests or blog topic. The bloggers get paid for doing this, but also get the satisfaction of writing about something that they are interested in.


Using blogs as a means of communication helps to ensure that the message will meet a relevant target audience. People who read blogs are likely to be interested in the topic of the blog. This would help make the message resonate with readers better than a normal banner ad. Snapbomb is the most advanced way to connect advertisers with bloggers. I think companies would be wise to use a service like this. Blogs have become a very popular way for people to get information and companies should start to capitalize on this.

To view the full article click here

Extreme Viral Success

It's amazing what can make a successful viral marketing campaign. Who would've thought that dancing elves would explode into a digital phenomenon? In 2006, the #3 office product retailer Office Max launched its promotional holiday website ElfYourself.com (only active during the holiday season). This website allows people to put their own face on the body of an animated, dancing elf. Ad Age writer, Jonathan Lemonnier, recently wrote an article about this phenomenon.

















The site gathered some attention in 2006, but nothing compared to the explosion of the site in 2007. It came back online in October 2007 and by December it was ranked 55th among all websites. This season alone, 26.4 million people visited the site. That's 1 out of every 10 Americans! Elf Yourself far surpassed other digital campaigns like Burger King's Subservient Chicken and Whopper Freakout. The chart from Ad Age below compares the Elf Yourself campaign to the Whopper Freakout campaign.


















While the site is fun, it also helped increase brand awareness for Office Max according to Hitwise Research Director, Heather Dougherty. The increase was evident in that 6 out of 20 of the most common search terms included the words "Office Max" for the month of December.
The proof is not only in the numbers, but also in all of the buzz generated by this website. It seemed that the Elves were everywhere you looked during the holiday season.

It's obvious that this site was a viral smash. In fact, it may very well be one of the most successful viral marketing campaigns ever. And all this for less than the price of a 30-second TV spot. So why don't so many companies spend more on viral marketing? I can only wonder.

You can read the whole article here