A really nice little flash animation on how to sell soap via viral marketing! really well put together! and nice background song.
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Virals take advantage of our social networks
Do virals take advantage of our social networks and web 2.0? Yes. I think viral advertising will be greatly increased as we begin to connect more with each other. Social networks allow virals to be passed around easily and quickly with technologies such as mash-ups.
We are living in a society where we love to be involved. We are no longer just a user of the web, we become a participants who love to share content. Its easy for us to pass on information, easy to send a link to you tube, and I feel social networks of facilitate this even more. We want to become active, and virals are just one way of how online users today can become active.
Also as Millward Brown points out:
Virals are no way a new method of advertising online, its just the above will allow virals to be much more successful in future.
We are living in a society where we love to be involved. We are no longer just a user of the web, we become a participants who love to share content. Its easy for us to pass on information, easy to send a link to you tube, and I feel social networks of facilitate this even more. We want to become active, and virals are just one way of how online users today can become active.
Also as Millward Brown points out:
When within social networks, its easy for the sender to be recognized by others as the one sending it on. They can be seen as the funny one!
"People pass along ads for the same reasons that they pass along jokes, stories, and recipes. It is a means of staying in touch, of making a connection, of sending the message "I'm thinking of you, and I hope you'll enjoy this." Ads, however, can have value that goes beyond the personal connection represented by a photo. An ad can become a unit of "social currency," transmitting the message "I'm cool and special because I'm hooked into this new, fun, interesting stuff." But if either of those messages, especially the second one, is to register and resonate with the recipient, the content (i.e., the ad) must be appreciated by the recipient, thereby reflecting well on the sender. Sending a viral ad that's considered stupid or offensive is rather like telling a joke that falls flat - embarrassing for all involved and something to be avoided"!
Virals are no way a new method of advertising online, its just the above will allow virals to be much more successful in future.
Friday, 21 March 2008
Step up The movie & Bebo- Co Creation
You may of seen the latest trailer for the film 'Step Up 2-The Streets' on TV. But what I didn't know about that the first movie 'Step Up' and in fact the latest one, is that their success is down to the social networking site 'Myspace'.
In 2006 'Step Up' movie marketers and in fact creators created a community around the film. Online. At Myspace. The trailer says
'In 2006 the Myspace community made the movie 'Step Up' a phenomenon'. In 2007 you get to help us make the sequel'
asking for the public to upload their own video's, either performing dance moves with your crew, dancing solo, and singing. Obvious the best ones got chosen. They got the chance to perform their own dance moves in the movie and sing on the 'Step Up 2- The Streets' soundtrack.
I would presume they asked to do the same for the first movie as well judging by the quote above.
Heres the trailer asking for new moves and songs for the current movie in 2007:
What a way to get some much possible content for the movie, thousands of videos, and a lot of talent. An online casting convenient and easy for everybody involved. Defiantly the brand.
What does this do for the brand? well bang, they have created a community which gets everyone talking within. Taking advantage of their fans social communities. Placing their brand where everyone is, making it easier to target their desired audience. Quickly and directly.
Again the push to pull idea, they provide an web presence that we want to use. We go to them. Once we are there, we can them be subject to more information about the movie, more advertisements, and to register. Taking our email address which they use for future promotions.
We pull them in. It engages us interactively. Its a fun, enjoyable, and potentially rewarding experience. Creates a community around the brand. Takes advantage of social networking, broadband and more compotent users? Sounds like a web 2.0 application to me
In 2006 'Step Up' movie marketers and in fact creators created a community around the film. Online. At Myspace. The trailer says
'In 2006 the Myspace community made the movie 'Step Up' a phenomenon'. In 2007 you get to help us make the sequel'
asking for the public to upload their own video's, either performing dance moves with your crew, dancing solo, and singing. Obvious the best ones got chosen. They got the chance to perform their own dance moves in the movie and sing on the 'Step Up 2- The Streets' soundtrack.
I would presume they asked to do the same for the first movie as well judging by the quote above.
Heres the trailer asking for new moves and songs for the current movie in 2007:
What a way to get some much possible content for the movie, thousands of videos, and a lot of talent. An online casting convenient and easy for everybody involved. Defiantly the brand.
What does this do for the brand? well bang, they have created a community which gets everyone talking within. Taking advantage of their fans social communities. Placing their brand where everyone is, making it easier to target their desired audience. Quickly and directly.
Again the push to pull idea, they provide an web presence that we want to use. We go to them. Once we are there, we can them be subject to more information about the movie, more advertisements, and to register. Taking our email address which they use for future promotions.
We pull them in. It engages us interactively. Its a fun, enjoyable, and potentially rewarding experience. Creates a community around the brand. Takes advantage of social networking, broadband and more compotent users? Sounds like a web 2.0 application to me
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Are virals an example of web 2.0?
So how do virals relate to web 2.0?
Mash-Ups
Firstly It takes advantage of social networking with the ability for us to easily communicate with each other over various channels, and broadband connections with more competent users, people know how to attach something and send it on.
Virals use social networks and include a new application built for the new web. These are mash-ups, these are new applications that have ability to retrieve data from one source and place it within another. By using mash-ups, the brands viral ad can be placed anywhere, anytime. It can have a much wider reach to its audience, spanning over all the different social networking channels. Like a virus, it starts to appear everywhere allowing the brand to get endless amounts of publicity, good and bad.
To show an example, I have done it above, placed YouTube videos within my blog. Users can now view videos without having to go to the direct source. I will explain a bit more about mash-ups hopefully later on.
From user to participant
Its fun, enjoyable, they do something, they become active. instead of just reading content. they are almost writing it. user generated content. What we want to see, not the brand.
Architecture of participation
It demonstrates the 'architecture of participation' it gets the user to do something, in this case easily send something on, with minimal effort, but with maximum results.
All these things make up an excellent brand recognition for the product or service, intentionally or not. Its different in the way the brand isn't pushed in our face, its ambient approach to selling the brand allows us to enjoy these ads. And it this enjoyment, shock, or humor thats makes us unaware that we are marketing the brand subconsciously ignoring the face that its an advertising campaign.
People have the power
In web 2.0 brands are realizing the importance and power of internet users. Each and everyone one of us can see our friendship and communication trees expanding. Mainly through social networks. More information and data can be passed around far more quickly if it comes from us. allowing the brand to get more publicity over a wider audience.
But I think the main advantage we have is that we become the marketer for the brand. The advantage of this is that people receiving messages from their friends or people they know, respond more favorably than being targeted directly by a business. It has more credibility if we recommend it to others. We are unaware we are being targeted by an advertising message because it has come from someone we know. Like I mentioned in a previous blog entry, we are more media savvy than ever, and brands must find and devise equally savvy techniques to market their brands which we do not recognize as an advertising message. Otherwise it will get ignored. And i believe viral advertising gets across brand recognition in a very interesting way. Only if done correctly.
Push to Pull
Viral video's don't push the brand upon us, they don't wave it in front of our faces. They simply pull us in. The laughter and controversy gets everyone talking, either way your going to want to see it. People want to see what the fuss is all about, and go to the website or try out their products due to what they have just seen.
Theirs no direct sales pitch from the brand, it simply works on laughter. The fact its sent to us by a friend, we don't even see it as an advertisement so we don't ignore it. therefore watching it and eventually passing it on again and again.
It's up to us to go check out the brand, either through buying products, or going to their website, but we don't mind doing it because we had a laugh with the brand and find them more human.
Mash-Ups
Firstly It takes advantage of social networking with the ability for us to easily communicate with each other over various channels, and broadband connections with more competent users, people know how to attach something and send it on.
Virals use social networks and include a new application built for the new web. These are mash-ups, these are new applications that have ability to retrieve data from one source and place it within another. By using mash-ups, the brands viral ad can be placed anywhere, anytime. It can have a much wider reach to its audience, spanning over all the different social networking channels. Like a virus, it starts to appear everywhere allowing the brand to get endless amounts of publicity, good and bad.
To show an example, I have done it above, placed YouTube videos within my blog. Users can now view videos without having to go to the direct source. I will explain a bit more about mash-ups hopefully later on.
From user to participant
Its fun, enjoyable, they do something, they become active. instead of just reading content. they are almost writing it. user generated content. What we want to see, not the brand.
Architecture of participation
It demonstrates the 'architecture of participation' it gets the user to do something, in this case easily send something on, with minimal effort, but with maximum results.
All these things make up an excellent brand recognition for the product or service, intentionally or not. Its different in the way the brand isn't pushed in our face, its ambient approach to selling the brand allows us to enjoy these ads. And it this enjoyment, shock, or humor thats makes us unaware that we are marketing the brand subconsciously ignoring the face that its an advertising campaign.
People have the power
In web 2.0 brands are realizing the importance and power of internet users. Each and everyone one of us can see our friendship and communication trees expanding. Mainly through social networks. More information and data can be passed around far more quickly if it comes from us. allowing the brand to get more publicity over a wider audience.
But I think the main advantage we have is that we become the marketer for the brand. The advantage of this is that people receiving messages from their friends or people they know, respond more favorably than being targeted directly by a business. It has more credibility if we recommend it to others. We are unaware we are being targeted by an advertising message because it has come from someone we know. Like I mentioned in a previous blog entry, we are more media savvy than ever, and brands must find and devise equally savvy techniques to market their brands which we do not recognize as an advertising message. Otherwise it will get ignored. And i believe viral advertising gets across brand recognition in a very interesting way. Only if done correctly.
Push to Pull
Viral video's don't push the brand upon us, they don't wave it in front of our faces. They simply pull us in. The laughter and controversy gets everyone talking, either way your going to want to see it. People want to see what the fuss is all about, and go to the website or try out their products due to what they have just seen.
Theirs no direct sales pitch from the brand, it simply works on laughter. The fact its sent to us by a friend, we don't even see it as an advertisement so we don't ignore it. therefore watching it and eventually passing it on again and again.
It's up to us to go check out the brand, either through buying products, or going to their website, but we don't mind doing it because we had a laugh with the brand and find them more human.
Is Viral the way?
Millward Brown points out an excellent section in his POV again. Viral advertising isn't for every brand. Excellent ending to his article. Although Virals can be a success. They can also be a failure if not executed and presented in the right manner.
I recommend you read this article.
Is Viral the Free Ride Your Brand Needs?
'For the right brand, viral advertising offers a powerful means to reach target consumers for little cost. But despite the growing interest among marketers, viral may not be the right strategy for every brand. Unless carefully thought through and executed, these "experiments" may do as much harm as good. Free exposure online will be valuable only when the execution fits brand objectives, resonates with the target audience and does not offend viewers outside the target group. If a viral campaign can't work within those parameters, an advertiser would be well advised to pass it up rather than pass it on.'
I recommend you read this article.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Dove-Evolution-The Campaign For Real Beauty
The video demonstrates an example of how the fashionistic world often creates unattainable images of beauty that real women feel pressured to live up to. Illustrating how our perceptions of beauty are manipulated and distorted. Finally showing what goes on behind the scenes making us aware that these model pictures are not 'real'.
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