What makes a viral... go viral?

The main watch out with ‘viral’ is the name itself. Not only does it instantly imply that anything which is badged as such will suddenly become massively sharable but that it also seems to equate to ‘funny film’. So rather than thinking about doing something ‘viral’, marketers should be outlining which emotional connections the brand communication should be making in order to create a need-to-share reaction in the recipient.

2. Reactions should be instinctive and immediate

The reaction to a viral should be instinctive and immediate. It is in that first nanosecond that you realise you connect emotionally to the communication and when you decide to share the content or not. It is just as much about psychology as it is about promoting your brand. That is why the Let Your Body Drive campaign has proved so popular. Marquese Scott is an extreme pop and lock dancer, a style which is growing incredibly popular with the younger generation. Scott’s movement is so fluid and dynamic that you can’t help but want to watch him dance and see what he does next. When the viral first went live it was done so without branding – the only link to Peugeot was the car parked behind Scott. It was only after two weeks that it was officially revealed what the film was in aid of.

3. Avoid too simplistic an approach

A lot of marketers still think in terms of ‘is it funny? shocking? racy? topical?’ (or a combination of these factors). This is far too simplistic an approach. Like any form of advertising, it will only be considered sharable if it resonates with a powerful insight. Not only does this have to identifiable with the audience but also hold credibility or a brand truth with the brand – however extreme the scenario is presented. That is why the T-Mobile viral films in particular have been so successful. They have humanised the brand not only through humour but also by dramatising the happiness generated when people come together.

4. Viral doesn’t have to mean expensive

Whilst YouTube videos undoubtedly make up the vast amount of content which is often considered ‘viral’, brands don’t have to resort to expensively produced film to create an impact. Think of the many ‘Motivationals’ doing the rounds on Facebook. It does not matter what the medium is or how much it costs to produce as long as it drives an instant connection, a moment of distraction and something of value. The recent ‘What My Friends Think I Do’ meme was effective because it genuinely reflected misheld stereotypes and amplified these in a humorous manner. They required little effort on the part of the view to be engaged, were immediate and generated an immediate response.

5. Be brave

Be brave. Ideas often get watered down by committee – usually from the need to be pacifying Compliance or Legal departments. Not only does this dilute the idea but the end result often isn’t overly impactful or entertaining. As soon as you hand something to the Community, you can’t ask for it back and that applies to brands and content which is already in the public consciousness. Rather than trying to stop users from sharing content created from your assets, actively encourage it. When the distributors of Downfall demanded YouTube to remove all parodies of the film it ended up alienating the actual advocates of the film in the first place.