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On his blog, Rohit Bhargava outlines "The 3 Philosophies of Word of Mouth Marketing," which are the three major categories WOMM falls into when being defined within an organization. According to Rohit, WOMM is being categorized most frequently as a channel -- because that makes it easier to explain WOM to people used to dealing in traditional marketing terms. WOMM as an outcome, alternatively, puts WOM at the core of all of a company's marketing programs, and implies an understanding that other forms of advertising will impact the shape and feel of the WOM spread. Of course, there's also the perception that WOMM is all about making things "go viral," which is just one slice of the whole WOM pie.
The "Case 1017" video, a grainy, 43-second-long clip that is the entry-point for a viral mystery and which was streamed via YouTube's promoted videos portal, has garnered more than 1.9 million views since its mid-March launch. The mystery of the clip, which generated buzz on blogs and in chat rooms all around the web, leads back to "Quarantine," a sci-fi thriller from Sony's Screen Gems that is set to be released on Oct. 17.
To get the word out about its crossover event "Secret Invasion," Marvel Comics is tapping a variety of social media outlets. Efforts include a fictional MySpace profile featuring video blog posts from a teenage girl whose brother is involved in events that unfold in "Secret Invasion." Thus far, the videos have generated nearly a quarter of a million views, and the profile has attracted "friends" from demographics that Marvel rarely penetrates -- specifically 18- to 22-year-old girls.
When the now-infamous Diet Coke and Mentos video clips first hit YouTube, Coke was unhappy with the unwanted, uncontrolled attention. Now, two years later, Coke has joined the viral video bandwagon, and has embraced a video from a Lyons, France-based online video user featuring shots of young men throwing bottles of Coke into a garbage can from "impossible angles." The video has garnered a following, and Coke is paying attention -- even going so far as to collaborate on a follow-up.
To get the word out about the upcoming "Indiana Jones" movie release, Paramount has launched a widget and is offering the two fans who distribute the widget most widely tickets to the flick's world premiere. The winning fans will also act as red carpet correspondents at the premiere, content from which will be streamed into the widgets.
This article from Advertising Age answers some of marketers' questions about social media, including where opportunities exist, why they need to get on the blogging wagon, what they should do to prevent/respond to negative social media, and more.
The next Batman movie, The Dark Knight, has launched the next segment in its viral-driven marketing strategy. Following on the heels of the flick's December efforts, which used online viral marketing to "reveal" the movie's trailer, the latest campaign is driving Batman fans to the "I Believe in Harvey Dent" website, where they can enter their email address to join the fight to save Gotham City and follow the fictional District Attorney candidate's campaign efforts.
To promote an upcoming presentation featuring Andy Sernovitz, CEO of WOMMA member company GasPedal and author of "Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking," the American Marketing Association created an online video promotion. Whether or not the video gains traction remains to be seen, but using word of mouth marketing tactics to promote WOM is a resounding endorsement.
Contests that feature consumer-generated content have recently spiked in popularity, but for every Super-Bowl-worthy competition that manages to rally the creativity and imagination of a brand's fans, there's a slew of others that fall short. So what makes the difference between a contest that generates interest and one that falls flat? This ClickZ article takes a look at some of the elements that make for an effective consumer-generated contest.
Nashville-area hospitals, Saint Thomas Health Services and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, are using YouTube to vie for heart patients. Both medical establishments have created videos touting their own experience over that of their rival, and are hoping that the power of word of mouth propels their message to the right audience -- people in the market for heart care.
Old Spice has picked funny man Will Ferrell -- playing the character "Jackie Moon" from his upcoming film "Semi-Pro" -- to plug its new deodorant. The series of videos, which feature Ferrell ad-libbing in character about the product, will be hosted on OldSpice.com where viewers can vote for their favorites and watch "making of" footage.
Politicians have long relied on word of mouth from their supporters to spread their messages and, according to this All Things Considered broadcast from NPR, as water cooler conversations have migrated online, viral marketing is proving to be a significant game-changer in this year's presidential campaigns.
Proctor & Gamble's talking stain Super Bowl commercial for Tide detergent has driven enormous amounts of traffic to the spot's microsite, mytalkingstain.com, where consumers can vie for prizes by submitting spoofs of the ad. So far, the site has received more than 30,000 unique visits, and more than 5,500 consumer-generated spoofs have been uploaded in response to the call for CGM ads.
Weight Watchers has tapped a well-known video blog personality, Faint Starlite, to spread the word about the company to her online community. Starlite, which is the screen name of 24-year-old Milwaukee resident Esther Brady, has been posting video blogs on a variety of topics, from politics to weight loss, and has earned a dedicated following in the year that she's been active online.
Sometimes great content isn't enough. So how do you get your online video -- with all of its viral potential -- to get noticed? Here are some tips for how to make a video standout and not get lost in the clutter.
Creating a viral sensation in the vein of OfficeMax's recent "Elf Yourself" success takes a certain amount of luck, as well as a good measure of finesse. Here are some tips from viral experts on how to make a campaign more likely to take off.
World Vision launched an online video spoof with a serious message. In the video, an affluent child struggles with the decision to have either toast or cereal for breakfast as a way to promote World Vision's Alternative Gift Catalogue for the holidays. The effort, which is a first for the charity, is paired with a Facebook application that allows users to send pages from the Alternative Gift Catalogue to their friends along with a personalized message.
When director Judd Apatow makes a viral video, you know it's not going to be a run-of-the-mill clip. In a video piece created to promote Apatow's latest movie, "Walk Hard," the joke is on viral marketing, as the cheeky director and actors Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Paul Rudd, and Craig Robinson discuss Apatow's movies and even acknowledge that what they're doing is viral marketing meets comedy.
Mobile viral marketing is something with all the right ingredients for word of mouth success, but the techniques that make online viral marketing succeed aren't going to cut it. Mobile viral will only take off if marketers change their approach to get the most out of this medium.
GoViral has ranked the top five viral video ads of 2007. The top ad, the "Gorilla Drummer" viral video from Cadbury, generated more than five million views on YouTube.
"Chain Factor," a complex puzzle started by CBS to promote their series "Numb3rs," snagged the interest of hundreds of people all around the country last month. With both online and offline elements to keep them hunting, viewers searched adamantly for clues -- an effort that CBS claims helped drive viewership for the show.
So how does a small company compete with social media giants, such as YouTube and Facebook, for viral attention? WeProNews covered a moderated panel that spoke about how to ignite a viral marketing campaign, all from a small business perspective. Bill Hanekamp of WOMMA member company The Well was one of the panelists, and was joined by Ed Kim, CEO of Red Bricks Media and Fionn Downhill, CEO and President of Elixir Systems.
To launch its new flavor of Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper, the company created a viral video starring Tay Zonday, who became web-infamous for his online video rendition of the song "Chocolate Rain." The Cherry Chocolate video garnered more than 300,000 hits in the first 24 hours, and reached more than one million hits in under five days.
The Out of My Gord blog showcases some great tips on how to take something from an idea or rumor and fine tune it into the next viral sensation. The post covers everything from jumping weak ties to what to do about negative word of mouth.
Showtime's online viral promotion for its series "Dexter" generated more than 300,000 unique emails, 750,000 page views, and brought home BIMA's "Best Use of Viral Marketing" award.
Viral emails where consumers can add their pictures or voices are taking off like wildfire, garnering tons of attention for the brands, such as OfficeMax, Purina, and Careerbuilder, that have used them.
If everyone practiced ethical word of mouth marketing, the industry would be a better place for all parties -- consumers and companies alike. In this article from the Los Angeles Times, one shill marketer confesses some of the shady practices their startup uses to artificially viralize online video. While these practices might work in the short term, the long term damage such tactics can have on a company is enormous, which is why all WOM marketers should mind their ethical manners.
The latest Batman movie installment is revving up its viral potential with the launch of five movie-related websites, which Batman fans are helping go viral.
Here are ten tips on how to light the fire that propels the videos you create on to viral success. After all, it's not a viral video until someone hits the "forward" button.
Cookie maker Pepperidge Farms has launched a new website, ArtoftheCookie.com, aimed at helping women amp up their social networks and connect with one another. Sally Horchow, co-author of "The Art of Friendship: 70 Simple Rules for Making Meaningful Connections," is the campaign's spokesperson, and the website includes video clips from a cross-country trip that features Horchow speaking with women around the country about making and maintaining friendships.
Viral marketing is one of the biggest conundrums in the WOM world. What creates the spark that takes something from "video" to "viral"? Here's a look at five viral marketing campaigns that were successful.
Part of making viral marketing work is knowing what not to do. The Agency Blog offers up six lessons of what not to do when making your viral video.
It's not enough to just shoot a video; viral marketing that takes off takes more planning than that. Here are three simple tips for making your viral marketing efforts work.
Consumers aren't just watching more online video, they're taking it with them. Eight million Americans watched video on their handheld devices in August, according to a study by M:Metrics. The number is up 36% from January 2007.
It all started with a series of Guitar Hero parties -- which were aimed at putting the PlayStation 2 game in the hands of potential fans. Now more than 700 WOM-worthy clips exist on YouTube, showing the party-goers rocking out and playing hard.
Where does viral marketing fit in to the word of mouth marketing mix -- inquiring minds want to know? Seth Godin and WOMMA's founding CEO Andy Sernovitz offer up slightly differing definitions.
Up-and-coming bands are using blogs and online social networks to generate waves of word of mouth enthusiasm, which result in more listens and more fans in the stands. Some bands are gaining enormous amounts of notoriety, could the same techniques work for brands?
Companies are spending lots of dough on online video, which is a relatively new ad platform that marketers are still trying to master. A recent Adweek Media Digital Special Report offers some insights on what marketers can do to best utilize online video ads -- without jeopardizing their offline marketing efforts.
Learn how the "I Got a Crush on Obama" video became a political, viral sensation with millions of views on YouTube. Ben Relles details what he did to make it happen.
Viral marketing done right can make all the difference. A Saatchi & Saatchi spot for Toyota's Tacoma got tons of people clicking and watching on YouTube.
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