Businesses Creating Viral Videos

Brendan Flowers

I've been looking at alternative ways to promote a website I have. I've noticed Businesses are creating viral videos to promote themselves/their products. If done right this seems a great way of advertising, it can be done cheaply, could reach a large audience.

2 examples of this I've seen were done by Cadburys and Dollar Shave Club...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryb4CMtj7y4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI

Anyone come across any other good examples of companies making viral videos? Or have you ever been involved in making one? If so have you got any advice about it?

Grudaire

I like this Sugru video, although it's got less views than your videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fOSo_EN-y4

Getting a video to go viral is a bit of a fluke.. if you watched the Irish apprentice (S4E7) there was two useless efforts to make a viral video!

McGilla

Here is another good viral made by an agency called BACKUP for Tesco Ireland.
It's a really nice piece.

In my opinion virals are made look inexpensive, but they aren't as inexpensive as one would think. They are inexpensive in comparison with traditional media only.

The reason they spread is they are either:
- Totally Unique
- Funny
- Cool

They rely more on the creative process than other media forms, this is the key!

The mentioned clip from the apprentice is a great example of what happens when the creative isn't spot on. (carcrash TV)

Brendan Flowers

I guess the apprentice video might be a good example of what not to do when trying to make a viral.

I was thinking if doing a viral, something similar to Cadbury would be good, using members of the public in a fun, hidden camera type situation. That might help get it going if people started sharing a viral that they, or friends/family had been involved in.

McGilla

Brendan Flowers wrote: »

I guess the apprentice video might be a good example of what not to do when trying to make a viral.

I was thinking if doing a viral, something similar to Cadbury would be good, using members of the public in a fun, hidden camera type situation. That might help get it going if people started sharing a viral that they, or friends/family had been involved in.

My advise would be to use a marketing agency.
*Full disclosure - i work for an agency so it's in my best interest to say that...but it is also true.

You can bet you bottom dollar all of the best virals used an agency at some level.

Brendan Flowers

McGilla wrote: »

My advise would be to use a marketing agency.
*Full disclosure - i work for an agency so it's in my best interest to say that...but it is also true.

You can bet you bottom dollar all of the best virals used an agency at some level.

Yeah I can understand the need for an agency. I suppose it'd just be good to see what others have done and it might trigger some ideas!

Fukuyama

You really have to hit one of two nails on the head to go viral - be really funny or really emotional. If you slightly miss the mark then your brand will be associated with a really bad YouTube video with six views.

Also, Irish comedy tends to be quite stereotypical when done by companies. The new Sprite ads are rubbish IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hJakT0EkN0

Where as if Sprite/Coke had made a video like the one below which is going viral at present (costing next to nothing, crap camera quality etc...), with decent actors and followed it up with campus promotions around Ireland, it would have been a huge success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=004_jiSL0uY

Depending on your business you might even want to avoid going viral. It's only a good tactic for mass market products. A lot of businesses make small videos that are helpful to their niche customers. This builds their credibility and they're shared in online spaces where other, similar customers congregate.

What's even worse is when large companies like Lidl rip off videos that have already gone viral, in an attempt to seem cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-kvto8XYNU

It's the online version of doing this.

If you need a B2B video, PM me.

Fukuyama

Brendan Flowers wrote: »

Yeah I can understand the need for an agency. I suppose it'd just be good to see what others have done and it might trigger some ideas!

I'd be wary. There's only a few decent agencies that consistently make great content in Ireland. In The Company of Huskies springs to mind. But if you have a small budget, an agency will be out of your reach. Creative work costs a lot.

The DollarShaveClub video was made by the owner and a few friends. They knew their customer (18-30 year old males) and made a great video FOR them, not targeted at them.

I'll finish my rants by saying that you don't NEED video. It's an expensive medium at the best of times when you're trying to go viral. A lot of companies are doing live social media marketing. They work great for sports events. Oreos had a team of five people watching the Super Bowl a couple of years back. There was a power failure in the stadium and this went viral within minutes. A free copy of GIMP (photoshop) and you could start making 'tweetable' images that connect with your customers.