Here’s a great post from ReadWriteWeb (link here).  The jist is that hip agencies are creating viral content that appears to be fan produced.  But turns out it is produced as a marketing tool for the advertiser.

BMW's The Ramp

I don’t fully agree with the RWW post.  I can see that in some cases agencies can cross the line.  But I was a huge fan of The Ramp documentary supporting the introduction of a new BMW to the US market.  This was obviously a Fake Viral Video — so it might not be considered truly a fake.  But if I’m being sold a BMW I don’t mind also being entertained.

This example is not from an online source — it comes to us from last nights SNL where Pepsi blurred the line between Ad and Sketch.  I post it here because it is a great idea starter for innovative online campaigns.  Whenever putting together a creative campaign I recommended to always look for a way to merge the advertising with the editorial.  Yes, the editorial folks always balk — but your engagement will by multiple times higher than going with straight ads.

Pew Podcast Trends

Pew released some stats showing that 19% of internet users have downloaded a Podcast — 17% of that 19% download Podcasts regularly.  Not huge numbers but it has grown from 7% just two years ago.  The growth can be attributed to the proliferation of iPods and folks discovering the enormous wealth of content (I’m a big fan of Byzantine History). Expect this number to increase as iPods and iPhones continue to mature.

Podcasts offer paid placement opportunities in the form of commercial breaks.  I haven’t bought these yet but have heard a bunch of them on the Podcasts I listen too -  I’ve heard Audiable, Visa, and GoToMeeting ads a bunch of times.  Keep an eye on this space and if the podcast content attracts your target it may be worth a test buy.

Pew Podcast Demo

Now let’s mash the increase in PodCasts with the news today that Netflix and LG are developing a TV that allows direct movie downloads.  (link here).  This is not a huge surprise, Netflix has already deployed a set top box and is streaming into XBoxes.  But there is a BIG event happening here below the waters that will change the way to look at internet marketing.  The net and TV are merging together and couch potatoes will soon have access to the nichiest niche content ever conceived.

Thoughts:

• Anyone in the online marketing business is not surprised at this trend — we’ve been talking about it since broadband hit 5% penetration.  And we have all read the stories about Madison avenue scrambling to keep up. What I am surprised at is how much ink goes to Twitter compared to the oncoming TV/Net merge.
• Content is king.  When the day comes when Joe consumer can access internet video over the net he’s not going to download commercials — unless that commercial adds value.  Think about developing video content that adds value to the viewer while communicating a marketing message.  Example: Lego has just started to offer their web videos through Comcast On Demand (link here).
• This revolution will has been slow coming and will be slow to evolve.  We won’t wake up in 2012 and choose to watch our favorite LonelyGirl38 espisode every time we flip on the tube.  Mostly we will watch what the networks push at us — but that 19% of web users downloading Podcasts today will be 75% of TV watchers downloading internet content by 2015.
• The opportunity here is to start to think about video content that communicates your brand/product message while creating an audience of your target consumers willing to download that content on their TV.

Excedrin

This example comes to is from Online Media Daily.  Excedrin created a YouTube contest as part of their campaign to launch their new Express Gel.  The contest asks participants to send in a video of them displaying some amazing feat of speed.  The winner receives $15,000.  Other runner ups won Flip cameras.

The article stated that there were 200 videos submitted — but I only see 13 videos listed on the site today with links to another 54 videos as “favorites”.  The contest’s YouTube Channel has received over 154,000 views.  The top video has received over 330,000 views — the the next highest viewed video coming in at 23,600 views.

The contest was promoted through YouTube network text ads and some YouTube home page placement.  The real story here is the kid who got 330,000 views to his video.  In the video some kid beatboxes for 32 seconds — that’s it.  No softcore, no bacon or cats, no ultimate bmx crash – just some kid beat boxing for 31 seconds.  So how does this video — which didn’t even win the Excedrin contest — manage to rake up over 330,000 views?

After some digging we find that the video was one that was seeded in the contest to show the kind of videos people should enter.  The kid beatboxing is none other than the world famous Skiller the human beat box.  The guy is world famous for his mad skills — see this forum string from www.humanbeatbox.com. (yes, it’s a real site).  Skiller’s world wide following believed he could win the contest and drove up the views.  Unfortunately, Skiller is from Bulgaria and not eligible to win.

What’s the learning here?

I have some personal experience with this — when creating a viral video campaign look to leverage an existing audience.  Specifically,  use underground talent that has an online following to improve the viral-ness of your videos.  I’m not saying it is easy to do, but if you’re looking to create a viral video campaign it helps tremendously if you grease the wheels with talent that will draw an audience.  In my case, the music used in some of the videos we posted on YouTube legally used an underground artist that had a robust online community.  Just using that bands music as the videos sound track drove a ton of views.