This year's viral campaign?

Nice idea by Disney: Create a video, let people customize it and let it spread by offering embedding in your site or blog. Since one of my client's (Fleming's Steakhouse) new restaurant just opened in downtown LA, I thought they deserve their own video.

Will it blend?

It still works and entertains but the series has lost its luster. I guess it's time to blend the blender as the big finale.

Viral Marketing

Great post by Scott Monty on his Social Media Marketing Blog. He starts out:

"Viral marketing is like the weather: everyone's talking about it, but no one is doing anything about it.

You know why? Because you can't. That's right. You can't simply manufacture viral marketing. But don't tell that to some marketers. They're out there, practicing something akin to alchemy."

He's spot on with his post. I would like to add 2 thoughts:

1) It's all about the idea. Revolutionary things are happening in the advertising world but the core of advertising remains: A good idea will be successful.
2) However, in this new world of gazillion channels, our job as marketers is to find the right distribution channel to allow the great idea to spread.

My formula would be: Research + outstanding idea + chosing the right distribution channels: Wildly successful campaign.

Visual history of digital viral marketing

Hilarious video animated by Dan Meth, with music by Dan Meth and Micah Frank.
I hope many people see it and begin to understand that viral marketing is not a marketing technique, just the side effect of great creative.

Thanks to The Meth Minute for this!

Don't hurt my ears anymore

I've had it.
Please don't call campaigns/features viral when they're not.
It's not viral just because you can send it to a friend.
It's not your latest commercial converted to a digital video on a site.
It's not everything that can be attached to an email.
It's not viral just because you call it viral.
It's not something you can demand. Viral happens.

Viral happens. It's something that attracts attention, makes people want to share and spread it. And that's all there is to it.

Scratch Yourself

I discovered a new service called Scratchyourself.com. It's a simplistic flash application that allows you build a lottery-style card that you can send via email or embed on your site/blog. Above scratch card pays homage to my favorite act of Coachella 2007.

A rather attractive solution for advertisers with low media budgets to engage consumers with their brand. No, not interesting as a conversation tool. But it interesting way to spread your message/images around.