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Raising the Bar for Viral Marketing

It's time for those of us in viral marketing agencies to prominently take the lead and raise the stakes in the world's most pervasive advertising medium, says Graham Green.

It's time for those of us in viral marketing agencies to prominently take the lead and raise the stakes in the world's most pervasive advertising medium, says Graham Green.

Many can see that 'The People' have taken power, but maybe not for long. So far, the online social networks have survived on a diet of user generated material, revelling in the fact that it isn't published by some elite media mogul in Soho or Manhattan: it's anarchic and democratic and passed from peer to peer, from Balham to Bali.

So can the combined creativity and expertise of the agency take on this powerful movement? Can we bring quality to the masses? For the first time, the marketeer must sing to the public's tune, rather than the other way around. Our challenge is to make our version the best they can find.

The commercial future of viral communication splits into two.

First, the licensing of good viral videos, promoted by a number of smart licensing experts. This is already happening through the new Google Video Upload Program (Beta) which offers creators a free uploading system and the chance to charge viewers to see their video.(https://upload.video.google.com/). This brings pounds as well as power to the people but, I think, will kill the spontaneity and surrealisam of virals - instead, film makers will be trying to predict what their peers want.

Second, brands will embrace viral marketing, sponsored content and self-selected advertising. This, I think, is likely to be less retrogressive because it doesn't interfere with the people's own viral creativity, it simply enhances it. But to succeed, it must keep pace with them or improve on what individuals can do. (See Reebok's 'Terry Tait Office Linebacker' videos which employ high production values and quality scriptwriting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=753ENZ2vDko).Thus it will help to drive quality upwards.

It certainly provides a challenge to advertisers and brand champions.

In the past, an ad stayed in a magazine whether or not the reader wanted to view it. A radio commercial was heard, even if not listened to. And TV commercials and sponsorship trailers are pushed into your face unless you very carefully edit them out of your replay.

But virals…if you don't like 'em, you won't propagate 'em. You'll only view virals sent by people you trust to know what you like.

No longer can we force our messages onto the public.

You might see this as a great victory for democracy and a good thing all round - but you need to consider that 'sound bites' can be very pernicious. Think how 'sound bite politics' have trivialised governance and fostered a superficial gut response to hollow rhetoric, destroying the opportunity to express a balanced and in-depth view.

So we move on to the importance of written communication. The web has created a new opportunity for wannabe critics and writers to be published - through wikis and blogs. Again, it is the responsibility of the creative agency to harness their professional expertise to create better, more exciting and more motivating copy. (Honda's 'More Forwards' Campaign uses scriptwriting, copy and live webchat: http://www.honda.co.uk/warmtechnology/)

This is the dilemma, then. Whilst marketeers have always adapted their style of message to suit the receptivity of their target audience, the balance has now shifted. The users dictate the media to us and our job is to stay ahead of the collective resource and creativity of the public. If we don't work together to combine the copy, creative and production, we don't even be calling the shots…we will just echo them.

The only way the gang will let us play is if we play by their rules.

Of course, although it's democratic, it won't be all spontaneous. Those of us in the marketing gang will be weaving our messages into the game. But the advertiser's message must be subordinated to the fun and inventiveness of the viral itself.

We used to produce commercials to present the product benefits impressively or entertainingly. Now we have to produce virals that are impressive or entertaining first, and informative/persuasive second.

If we're truly creative, we can find a way through the new priorities of this internet-led cultural revolution.

We may have to be more concise…more irreverent…more anarchic. But it's just a new discipline. To work with it, you've got to understand it; but for marketing people, what's new about that?

It's just that the stakes are higher. Get it right and a billion people will respond. Get it wrong, and no-one will even see it.

The power has gone to the People. But viral marketing can plug into that power.

About the Author
Graham Green is Director of Viralfever.co.uk