The Buzz and Viral Marketing

Mobile Fashion

2010-04-16T03:28:00.000-07:00

When researching mobile marketing campaigns, I thought, who better to analyze than my favorite retail store, H&M? H&M is a clothing retailer known for its "fast fashions" for men, women and children. Basically, they offer highly fashionable clothes without the highly fashionable cost. They had two problems they were looking to solve: how do we promote our latest collections and how do we increase membership in our rewards program? H&M turned to mobile marketing agency Mobiento for the answers.

H&M's first mobile marketing campaign appeared in 2006, making it one of the first brand's to really capitalize on this technology. To borrow a term from the fashion world, it really set a trend for other brands to follow. So far, the campaigns have mostly been in H&M's home country, Sweden.

How It Works
Consumers click on a banner ad which takes them to H&M's mobile site (slightly difficult to navigate if you don't speak Swedish). They are then prompted to enter their mobile number to receive SMS alerts and mobile coupons. The purpose of the coupon is to drive them to the store's physical site (H&M does not sell clothing online). It has a time limit on it, usually 3-4 hours, so that consumers will be prompted to go to the store immediately. H&M runs competitions where consumers can create an outfit then write a short essay about why they want to win it. The winner then receives a gift card so they can go buy that outfit. They also release their catalogs via SMS so that consumers have an easier way to view it. This mobile technology also has a viral aspect to it. Consumers can pass offers and new collection alerts along to their friends via text.

A great example of how this can work is how some stores approached their grand opening in Germany. 120,000 people received a picture message prompting them to go to H&M to pick up a free t-shirt. This was so successful that within 48 hours, 78% of the recipients reacted to the message. There was a line of 100 people waiting for their t-shirts before the store even opened.

Who It's For
H&M's target market consists of young, fashion-forward men and women ranging from ages 18-30. However, this mobile campaign is mostly geared towards women ages 20-40. People that take part in this campaign are most likely going to be into fashion, into bargain shopping and mobile technology savvy. While the campaign is mostly geared towards women, there is a portal for men too. When you enter the site, you can choose your gender and the site will then be tailored to you.

Does It Work?
This is a very cool idea but the important question is, does it work? I think that this a great campaign and that it works on many levels. However, I think there are some things that could be improved as well.

The Good
Most importantly, I think that H&M really knows its consumers. Just the fact that they would approach a mobile marketing agency shows that they realize their consumers are young, hip and into new technology. Consumers that shop at H&M are into fashion and it seems that they would really appreciate being alerted when the new collections come out so that they can be the first ones to get it. H&M shoppers are also bargain shoppers. If all they cared about was fashion, they would be shopping in Louis Vuitton and Prada. However, they care about price too. This is why the mobile coupons are a great idea. Very rarely will there be a 20% off sale for the whole store. By sending consumers a 20% off coupon, it will prompt them to go to the physical location and shop 'til they drop! I think this is a great campaign and they should expand to the U.S. for young consumers like me!

The Bad
As great as this campaign seems, I feel it would be much more effective if H&M sold clothing online. Some consumers (like myself) live over an hour away from any H&M locations. If I sign up for SMS alerts and receive a coupon that expires in 3 hours, I am most likely not going to drop what I'm doing and run to the mall. If they sold the clothing online and offered the same type of coupon, I would most definitely hit the net to do some shopping. The mobile site allows you to look at the collections yet you still can't purchase the items. I'm not sure why H&M does not wish to sell their clothing online, but I think it would be a huge success.

Case Study 2-To Tweet or Not to Tweet

2010-03-05T03:38:00.000-08:00

Imagine this: one day you walk into work, chipper as can be just like any ordinary day. But today is no ordinary day. In fact, today is a terrible day. When you reach your office you find a memo waiting for you on your desk. But this is no ordinary memo. In this memo, your boss is telling you that you can no longer use Twitter at work unless it serves the company. Oh no! How will you send your tweets out to all your tweeples in twitterverse?!

Well this is exactly what happened to ESPN on-air talent and writers on August 4, 2009. And how might you ask was this information released to the public? Well, thanks for asking. It was released through none other than, Twitter! ESPN NBA Analyst Ric Bucher tweeted: "The hammer just came down, tweeps: ESPN memo prohibiting tweeting info unless it serves ESPN. Kinda figured this was coming. Not sure what this means but…I’m probably violating some sort of policy just by telling you. In any case, stay tuned." ESPN ensured that they were simply providing guidelines to its employees for the use of social media, yet it seemed to be more of a ban of it than anything. Can a company really tell employees how they may and may not express themselves? This case definitely raises questions of free speech and the ownership of a thought or idea. And if you think ESPN is taking this lightly, they're not. ESPN columnist Bill Simmons was banned from using Twitter for 2 weeks for violating the policy.

Why ESPN, Why?
In order to fully understand the decision made by ESPN, one must analyze arguments for and against the ban. In an interview with Sports Business Daily, ESPN VP and Editor-in-Chief Rob King made the case that it is not uncommon for Twitter users to retweet breaking news and later find out it was untrue. This could be a legal issue for ESPN, with the risk of being sued. Another possible reason may have been that ESPN is afraid that if sports fans are getting breaking sports news from their employees' tweets, then they will stop reading ESPN magazine or going to ESPN.com for sports news stories. While this could be the case with some people, most people are going to want to read more than 140 characters. Reading the tweet will most likely grab their attention and increase the likelihood of them continuing on to ESPN.com to read more about it. An argument for allowing the use of Twitter is that when an employee tweets something, they will probably get more followers, in turn increasing their impact. There is a conversation going on in the social media world, so shouldn't ESPN want their employees to be making an impact on it?

Who Else is Banning Twitter?
If you think ESPN is the only company restricting the use of Twitter, you're wrong. The NFL first banned the use of Twitter in the locker room and has now expanded that ban to the press box, sidelines and even the stands. The Miami Heat no longer allow their players to tweet while at work, whether home or away. Texas Tech football players are no longer allowed to Tweet after an incident where a player tweeted that the coach was late to a team meeting. Not just American sports teams are banning Twitter, even European soccer teams. Manchester United recently banned the use of Twitter by its players while at the field. The banishment of Twitter is becoming an increasing theme in the sports world and is something that continues to make some athletes very sad.

The Solution-Is There One?
So is a ban of Twitter the answer? I don't think so. I think Twitter is an incredible tool that allows people of importance like athletes or sports commentators to have a more personal connection with their fans. Fans like to know what their favorite football star had for breakfast, it makes them feel like they know the player personally. Should players be able to tweet during a game? That's questionable. If it is taking their focus off the game, then no. But if they aren't playing in that game or if it is before or after the game, then I don't see a problem with it. Allowing the players to tweet is only going to increase public interest in the team and even the sport itself. I think companies like ESPN must realize the importance and growing impact of Twitter before they lose out on a great social media tool that could really help them.

Case Study 1-NikeiD vs. Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ

2010-02-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, you can customize everything from your food, to your computer, to your car. So why not your shoes? Many large shoe companies have realized this and put a lot of effort into their sneaker customization websites. In today's web 2.0 world, companies can't have a boring website that simply allows consumers to order a product. They need impressive sites with high functionality that offer an incredible customer experience. Nike has the NikeiD site and Puma has the Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ site. These sites aren't for the occasional/average shoe shopper. On both of the sites, all the types of shoes are over $100. People that would use sites like these are serious shoe shoppers. They don't mess around. Below I will discuss my experience using both sites to customize a shoe, my evaluation of the approach that each company has taken towards this type of site, and the overall customer experience provided by each site.

NikeiD
The first thing I noticed about the NikeiD website is that it looks very clean and professional, which you can see in the picture below. This is not surprising because Nike is a global company so it makes sense that they would put the effort into making their website sleek and functional.

Nike definitely has a more straightforward approach than Puma. They do employ some interesting strategies in order to increase interest in their product. They offer a shoe called the Zoom Kobe. Their tagline is "Made for Kobe. Designed by You." I think the most interesting thing about this strategy is the exclusivity. Only 24 pairs are sold per day worldwide. This creates a desire because the consumer feels that it is a scarce product and they are lucky if they can even get a pair. The use of a celebrity endorsement is also a key factor. People may think that if they dress like Kobe, they will play like Kobe. That said, Nike's target market seems to be more the athlete type, whether they play a sport or wish they did.

As far as my experience with this site, I really liked the amount of options you were given for shoe style. There were several types of shoes to choose from. When browsing for a shoe, I was able to see detailed product information for each shoe to help me make my decision. Once I chose a shoe, I was given the option to purchase it already customized or to do it myself. I chose to start from scratch. A great feature of the site is that you can click on the part of the shoe you want to change the color/material of and it allows you to do so. You can even add your own ID to the shoe. I think this is a great feature because people want people to ask where they got their cool shoes and they can answer, "I designed them. You can see right here on my shoe what I named them." Below you can see the NikeiD shoe that I ended up with!

The Down Side
Unfortunately, Nike does not allow for the use of many different materials on the shoe, usually just 3 types. I would like to see more options for that. The views available to look at the she you are customizing are limited. I would like a more functional option for looking at the shoe. With NikeiD, it is more like you are just choosing colors, rather than "building" your shoe.

Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ
I had never been to this site before and WOW it is so cool! I love the approach that Puma has taken with this site. It makes the whole experience more enjoyable and fun. Pum takes the idea of designing a shoe and compares it to mixing up ingredients to make Mongolian BBQ. The home page sets the tone for the rest of the site. You are greeted by a very excited chef who tells you to grab your chef hat and "taste the art of shoemaking."

The different "ingredients" are actually the different colors and materials available for your shoe. The options seem to be endless. I decided to have fun and go a little crazy with the colors. With all of the options, i was really able to do this. For women, this site offers more options than Nike as far as colors and materials. Nike's target seems to be more athletic while Puma seems to be targeting people interested more in fashion than functionality. Puma offers 13 parts of the shoe to customize, which is more than Nike. The different views available to look at your shoe is also a great feature. You can really look at it and imagine what it will look like when you can finally hold it in your hands and admire it. My favorite part of the site is your "doggy bag." Instead of calling it a shopping cart, Puma keeps in line with the restaurant theme and puts the products you want to purchase in your doggy bag. You can see my crazy shoe below.

Here are some of the other views that I think are really cool.

The Down Side
With this site, I really feel that there are so many good things about it that the not so great things aren't a huge deal. One thing that could definitely make the site better is a wider array of types of shoes to choose from. Right now, there are only 3 types of shoes to choose from. They might increase their online market share if they expand the options.

Wrap-Up
Drumroll please! And the winner is.... Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ! Although NikeiD is a very professional looking, highly funcitonal site, it simply does not provide the fun customer experience that Puma does. Standing out in the digital world is hard because it is so huge, but I think Puma is unique and really does stand out. It not only wins for its unique approach, but it also wins for its vast array of color and material options for the shoes. I think that you can really come out with a more original product by using Puma's site.

Final Thoughts

2008-04-27T21:43:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of this semester, I did not really know what viral marketing was. I had also never had a blog before. Through this blogging assignment, I have learned so much about what it actually is as well as the different trends that are emerging. I have also learned about how big blogging really is. When you think about it, viral marketing really is a genius concept. Rather than spending millions of dollars on media, you spend nothing. Instead, you let fans of the content do the work for you. I don't know about you, but spending less money to have people do your work for you sounds like quite a deal to me.

One of the biggest things I learned was the power of viral marketing. According to a report just released by Sharpe Partners, a marketing agency, 89% of US adult Internet users share content with friends, family and associates by e-mail, with 25% of those people doing so daily (see chart below). The study was done in 2005, so the numbers have probably even gone up since then. This means that online content has a very good chance of being passed along. The study also identified a group it called "Brand Fans." These are people who share so much viral content that they are "contagious." They are likely to share content with ten or more people. 35% of Brand Fans share content daily. Over 80% of them feel positively about brand sponsored content shared at least once a week. It seems like more companies would take advantage of viral marketing if they knew the actual potential of it.

One trend that really stuck out to me was what type of content has the highest pass along value. After writing about several successful campaigns, it seems that humorous campaigns work the best. I myself am most likely to send something to my friends if I find it funny. The chart below shows that humor works the best for viral marketing. Two examples of sites that are popular purely for their humorous content are the Cart Whisperer and the Ford F-Series websites. They both feature very funny videos that have seen great viral success. It also does not surprise me that news is the second highest type of content that is shared via E-Mail. The Internet allows users to get the most recent, up-to-date news. They can then pass this new information along to their friends. Games also work well for viral marketing because they are interactive. I wrote about campaigns for Travelzoo and the Great Delivery Race for QAS. Both of these campaigns were successful because the games were actually fun to play and really engaged the user.

In looking at different campaigns this semester, I have learned the "dos" and "don'ts" of viral marketing. While it is impossible to determine which campaigns will fly and which will flop, there are certain factors that serve as good predictors. There are two things that really stuck out to me as "don'ts."
1. Don't bother viral marketing if you don't have something sexy, funny, controversial or interesting. People will not just pass along any old message. It has to be something interesting and relevant to them. Humor is always a great way to go with viral marketing. People love to pass along funny things to their friends. No matter what it is, make sure it is something people will want to see.

2. Don't put all your focus on the tactic and none on stratgey. You may come up with a brilliant idea for viral marketing, yet if it doesn't go along with your strategy then it most likely will not help you. People may find it interesting and pass it along, but if it does not help your brand then it is not worth it. For example, the Subservient Chicken campaign received many awards but did little to help Burger King's sales.

While those are ways to ensure that a campaign will flop, these tips will help increase the successfulness of a campaign:
1. Create and emotional reaction. People will be more likely to pass something along if it is something they feel passionate about it. You should try to evoke an emotion from the user of the content. Whether they laugh and feel happy, or feel inspired to do something, just getting them to feel something will help towards your viral goal. The My 2 Cents For a Change website is a great example of this. Kids do not always get a chance to speak out. This site gives them a sense of empowerment because they can voice their own opinions. The Nike Free Running website is also good at evoking emotion. Seeing your name or whatever phrase you want in the video can make users happy. If it is something they find entertaining and emotion-provoking, then they will be more likely to send it to a friend.

2. Do something unexpected. Make it a clutter-buster. When I think of something being a clutter-buster, I think of people's jaws dropping. I imagine that people were shocked when they saw the Obay campaign ads. The HEMA website is a perfect example of a clutter-buster. At first glance, the website looks like any other, but then the products begin to interact, leaving the viewer somewhat mesmerized.

3. Do no make it a blatant advertisement. Viral marketing is not just people sending advertisements to their friends. They need to have a reason to send it in the first place. However, the product and brand name obviously need to be some way involved in the viral marketing tactic. If they are not included, then no one will know who is behind the campaign.

4. Follow up. Make sequels to campaign content. This will keep people interested in it. The campaign for Dark Knight has been successful because there are always new developments in it. Fans are always wondering where the next event will take place and what the next website will be for. The beginning of the campaign was focues on the Joker, then it moved to Harvey Dent.

5. Allow sharing, downloading and embedding. The whole point of viral marketing is to get users to share it. Make it easy for them. Make sure to include a "send to friend" option. If your website has videos, allow users to download the video.

6. If it's a video, keep it short! No longer than about 2 minutes. People have short attention spans and don't want to sit and watch a long video. Keeping it below 2 minutes will help hold the viewer's attention throughout the whole thing. They will be less likely to skip through it if it is shorter.

7. Spread the word. Bloggers are your friends! They will help you. Forums, social networking sites, emails, and friends can all help you to get the content out there.

8. Suspense. Campaigns I've written about for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Lost, and Dark Knight are great examples of this. Perhaps the best example of a suspenseful viral marketing campaign is the Obay campaign. The Internet was littered with blog posts and news articles speculating who was behind the ads.

9. Give readers incentive to come back to the website or share its content. This can be accomplished by offering something to your readers for free. Whether it is free wallpaper downloads or free screensavers, users appreciate anything that is a gift. The Simply Marry campaign allowed users to download the song in their viral video for free. This gives users more of an incentive to send it to their friends. You can also do this by having a contest. This will give readers incentive to keep coming back to the site. Some websites have contests that involve users inviting their friends. The Travelzoo contest allowed users to have more entries in the contest each time they invited more friends. The Indiana Jones contest gave fans the chance to win a trip to the movie premiere. These contests work well because the prizes are something relevant to users of the websites. Someone using Travelzoo would be likely to appreciate a vacation package, and Indiana Jones fans would most likely enjoy going to the movie premiere.

Who the Heck Is Sarah Marshall?!

2008-04-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

At first glance, Ihatesarahmarshall.com may look like the angry blog of a recently dumped guy. And it is. However, this guy just happens to be a fictional character, Peter Better (played by Jason Segel), in the new movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The blog is HILARIOUS! It has actually got me interested in a movie that I overlooked based on just the trailers alone. There are also billboards up across the country to promote the website. The billboards appear to be little messages from Peter to Sarah. You can see one of the billboards to the left. Another billboard reads "You do look fat in those jeans Sarah Marshall!" A movie poster is also out that simply says "You suck Sarah Marshall." The blog features videos from Peter, links to other websites that he likes and dislikes, and a special 18+ trailer. The videos from the site are all featured on YouTube and users are encouraged to pass them along.

So just who is Sarah Marshall? She is played by Kristen Bell. There are supposedly about 6 websites like this that Universal has created to promote the movie. One of these is sarahmarshallfan.com. This is one of the websites listed on Peter's blog that he dislikes (obviously). I think this campaign works a little like the campaigns I've written about for Dark Knight and Lost. Like Dark Knight, it keeps people guessing as to what will come next in the campaign. The blog engages viewers and lets them pretend the movie is real, just like the Lost campaign does for the show. Bloggers have been buzzing about this campaign like crazy.

To view the whole campaign from First Showing, click here.

Travelzoo

2008-04-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Travelzoo is a website that lists travel deals for hundreds of leading travel companies. Every week, they send out an email listing the best flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. They recently started a contest called "Win the Entire Top 20." The contest has a micro-site to go with it. Users can register on the site as well as play the "Clear the Skies" game, invite friends and answer trivia questions. Clear the Skies (see the picture below) is a matching game that enables players to win an extra entry in the contest for every five times they play it.

The beauty of this campaign is that the more you visit the website and play the games or invite friends, the more entries you are given in the contest. Users can also gain entries by posting banner ads for the contest on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Even if you aren't the big winner in the end, there are 9 smaller prizes every week. This definitely gives people incentive to keep coming back. Each time you log in, it tells you how many entries you currently have in the contest. This campaign doesn't simply get people to register for a contest, it engages them and gets them involved in recruiting others for the contest. With the possibility to win prizes and the entertainment factor of the game, I think this site is a great example of how to implement a viral marketing campaign.

To view the whole article from MIMA, click here.

You Call Him Dr. Jones!

2008-03-28T19:53:00.001-07:00

He's baaaack! There are many devoted Indiana Jones fans who have been anxiously awaiting the next installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So where can you see the trailer for this movie? Well here's where the viral marketing comes in. Instead of just releasing the trailer anywhere, Paramount has released the movie through widgets that can be posted on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace as well as other types of sites.

According to Rafe Telsch of Cinema Blend, Paramount has used this type of tactic for other movies. So why should fans post these widgets? The two people who post these widgets the most across the web will win a free trip to the premiere of the movie. Not only will they get to go to the premiere, but they will also get to be streamed on the widgets as the red carpet correspondents. I think this prize will definitely give fans incentive to spread the word. Offer people a prize, and they will spread the word like wildfire. Indiana Jones fans will definitely be interested in this campaign. It also has the potential to draw in other audiences such as movie lovers or people who use the sites the widgets are posted on. I think this is an interesting way to market a movie because it really keeps people curious. I'm not a huge Indiana Jones fan and I've posted the widget here. This just shows the power of a campaign like this. Maybe you'll see me on the red carpet in May! You can click "grab to win" to download the widget.

To view the full article from Cinema Blend, click here.

The Cart Whisperer

2008-03-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of the Horse Whisperer, the Ghost Whisperer, or the Dog Whisperer, but I'm guessing you probably haven't heard of the Cart Whisperer. Well my loyal readers, meet Liberty Fillmore, Cart Whisperer. This hunk has devoted his life to "letting shopping carts know they're not alone." So who in the world could be behind this? A shopping cart manufacturer? Think again. This wacky campaign is actually backed by VeriSign, a company that operates a wide variety of network infrastructure. The purpose of this campaign, according to Tim Callahan, a VeriSign product marketing executive, is "aimed at highlighting the cost of abandoned shopping carts and encouraging action to solve this problem."

The website for the campaign is hilarious. It features three different videos showing Liberty rescuing carts. He takes his job very seriously. The videos mainly work just because they are so FUNNY! The site also features photo albums, poems, a bio, and downloads. One very cool feature of this website is an ongoing contest that it has. Every day there is an animated cart that is hidden in a different part of the site. If you find the cart and click on it, you are then entered to win a prize. This website works because the content is very humorous and engages the user. I myself found one of the carts on the site and I'm very proud of my official certificate. Check it out below! Kudos to VeriSign, you have me interested in a campaign for a company that I would never usually take notice of.

To view the whole post from Tim Callahan, click here.

Menly Men

2008-03-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ford has launched a viral marketing website to promote their F-Series Trucks. The site is basically geared towards truck-driving "menly men." The site tells viewers they have to "man-up and do their part" and gives them a list of rules to follow. The list of rules seems like something that men would find funny. Check it out:

1. No roller luggage
2. No scooters
3. No puny dogs
4. No meat substitutes
5. No pink shirts
6. No fancy coffee
7. No fanny packs
8. No cutesy cell phone rings
9. No manicures
10. No hair products

They have created videos for three of the rules so far. The COPS-like videos feature the Built Ford Tough cops tracking down rule breakers. You can check out the video for the "no fancy coffee" rule below. What this site mainly does is create a brand image for the F-Series. It doesn't tell you any information about the actual vehicles, but rather creates and attitude for the brand. Truck-driving men may find this to be something that they can really relate to. The videos are funny and entertaining and make it worthwhile to watch all three. The videos feature an option to send to a friend or embed them on a website. Hopefully they will be coming out with more videos soon!

To view the full article from Automo Blog, click here.

Teaser Ads on the Rise

2008-03-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

Ads with no obvious backer seem to be on the rise. We've all heard about the clever Cloverfield teaser from last summer. It grabbed people's attention because they have no idea who is advertising to them. A campaign recently appeared on bus stops, subway stations, and transit vehicles in Canada (See example on left). The ads appeared to be promoting a medication called "Obay." This fictional product makes kids listen to their parents. There were many speculations about who was behind the ads. Some people thought the ads were a jab at parents who medicate their teenage kids to keep them under control. Others thought that the Church of Scientology was behind the ads. So who did it? A drug company? Anti-drug lobbyists? A church? The government? WRONG!

The ads were actually backed by Colleges Ontario, the advocate for the Ontario's 24 colleges of applied arts and technology. The goal of the campaign was to address the stereotype that universities are a better alternative than colleges. One of the reasons they decided to implement this campaign was because their research showed that parents favor university over college as the number one choice for their children by a 3–1 margin. According to Linda Franklin, President and CEO of Colleges Ontario, they hope to invite parents to "consider all that colleges have to offer."

Phase 2 of the campaign began last month. There are now large stickers over all of the ads that reveal who is behind the campaign. I think this was a great way to reveal that Colleges Ontario is behind the campaign. People who saw the ads initially may walk by again and see the new stickers over them. People who were wondering all of this time now have their question answered.

The campaign was created by Smith Roberts & Co. I think this is a really creative campaign to get people to think about something they probably wouldn't normally. The initial campaign grabbed a lot of attention, and even left many people appalled. The campaign worked because of its shock value. It also made people curious, which seems to be working with all of these mysterious campaigns. However, I have to wonder. People are shocked but do they really care to find out who was behind the ads? Will these ads really change people's opinions of colleges? Will enrollment in colleges increase? Only time will tell.

To view the full article, click here.

Kiddy Politics

2008-03-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

During an election year, it seems like there are political advertisements everywhere you look. But there are very few directed at kids, because obviously they are not old enough to vote. There is one website that gives kids the chance to voice their opinions about political issues. The My 2 Cents website is a site completely devoted to children. The look of the website is very kid-friendly. It gives users the option to view the opinions of others, give their "2 cents" on certain topics, and send their opinion to the candidate of their choice. When you sign up to participate, you are prompted to give your gender, religion, and political party affiliation. The ages of people giving their opinions ranges all the way from 4 to 17. This site allows kids to feel like their voice matters, even though they are not old enough to vote. When kids voice their opinion, they can send a message to friends to let them know. The email that friends receive encourages them to come check out the website and voice their own opinions.

I think this website is a smart idea. When kids have the option to voice their opinions, it gives them a sense of empowerment. This would make them more likely to forward the email to friends. All of the animation on the website is fun and interesting. For instance, the menu is written on a hand. Each issue is represented by a well. You can peek inside the well and view other people's "2 cents." This creative site is definitely a great way to get kids interested in the political process and also a great way to spread the word to other kids.

To view the full article from MarketNet, click here.

2008-03-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Back in February I promised to keep you updated on a campaign that Warner Bros. did for Dark Knight using Heath Ledger's character. I had wondered if they would continue with that campaign despite his passing, or focus on another aspect of the movie. Well it seems they have moved on from the Joker campaign. A campaign for the character played by Aaron Eckhart, Harvey Dent, has recently taken off. Warner Bros. claims that this was the plan all along, but this campaign seems to have picked up where the Joker campaign was forced to leave off.

The viral website acts as a fake campaign site for Harvey Dent's campaign for District Attorney of Gotham City. The site has campaign materials available to download, the option to upload pictures supporting the campaign, and a personal challenge audio clip from Harvey Dent. It offers several ideas of how to show your support for the campaign including: write and perform a "Take Back Gotham" song, see if you can get up a Harvey Dent sign in every single window of your dorm building, and get your friends together and spell out Harvey Dent in human letters. You can sign you or you friends up for updates about the campaign. The site explains why people should show support for Dent:

"Show your support for Harvey Dent! Gotham City is collapsing from a runaway crime wave and Harvey Dent can save it. But he has to run for district attorney first.
The only way he’ll run is if he sees an outpouring of public support. Let’s all get out there and show Harvey Dent he’s got support to take back Gotham! Let’s get those videos and pictures coming!"

I think this campaign is a great example of how to do viral marketing. It has continued to keep fans interested over the past year. There are always new developments and features of the campaign, no matter what character it is focusing on. There are a few new Dark Knight campaign sites that are under construction. The Gotham City Clerk website has a link to the Gotham Times website. There is also a Gotham Election Board website that tells users it will be implementing online voter registration in the near future. I will continue to follow this marketing campaign for updates.

To view the full article from Pulp Secret, click here.

Fire and Ice

2008-03-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

SimplyMarry.com is an Indian website devoted to helping people find a spouse. They call themselves "India's only metro-monial site." This site allows its users to choose everything about their desired partner from height to caste or skin color. They teamed up with Mudra, an Indian design company, to develop a viral website. This viral campaign was designed to target their metropolitan target audience. The Fire 'n' Ice website features a touching video that depicts the relationship between man and woman. It shows all aspects of relationships, both good and bad. According to Mr. Rajat Gandhi, Business Head Manager of Simply Marry, the video uses a "route of wit and quick humour reflecting the youth’s mindset and their varying perspectives towards each other during their relationship." Rather than having a "send to friend" option at the end of the video, it has a "send to someone you love" link. It also prompts single viewers to find their own partner. It works in more ways than one in that it reminds married people of their love and influences single people to search for that special someone. This is consistent with the focus of the company.

I think this is a great viral idea because the video transcends language barriers. The song sounds romantic, and you do not need to understand the words to understand the video. The "download song" option is very clever because the song can bring the video and company to mind when people hear it. I think a video that leaves you feeling all "warm and fuzzy" inside is a good way to get people to use a matchmaking website. Their target audience is supposed to be young and hip. While I think this appeals to young women, would young men really be interested in this video? Either way, I think it's a great way to prompt people to search for their soul mate.

To view the full article from India PRwire, click here.

No, You're Not Going Crazy

2008-03-05T06:03:00.001-08:00

The screen shot on the right looks like any standard online store, right? Alright, well other than the piece of cake it looks pretty normal! That's what I thought too. HEMA is a Dutch department store. HEMA stands for Hollandse Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, which translates to Dutch Standard Prices Company Amsterdam. The chain has been around since the mid-1920s. There are 150 stores in the Netherlands, as well as international locations in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The company has an online shopping website that sells everything you can imagine.

Check out HEMA's viral website. You may be thinking I'm crazy when you first see it, but wait! After a few seconds, the magic begins. The products interact with each other, rolling, falling, squishing, burning, and bumping in a pinball-like fashion. At the end of the show, viewers are prompted to "stuur door naar je vrienden," meaning "forward to your friends." You may be wondering how you view or buy the products. That's the funny part, you can't! This site serves one purpose only, to be a viral marketing tool for the company. None of the links even work on it. To do any shopping, you have to go to HEMA's normal website.
The viral website seems to be a huge success. Many bloggers, like myself, have caught on to this cool website. A quick google search resuls in countless blog posts about the it. I'm hooked even though I don't understand one word on the website. This website gives HEMA a fun, hip brand image. It makes me want to go to one of their stores in hopes that it would be as cool as this! Bravo HEMA!

To view the full article from MadSilence, click here.

Accidental Viral Marketing?

2008-02-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-02-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-02-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-02-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-02-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

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