Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of Business, said Virality isn't born, it's made.In other words, no brand is born with the ability to viralize, and viral marketing can be thought, planned and put into practice by any brand.
Why does viral marketing matter? Between 20% and 50% of the purchase decision is influenced by word of mouthAccording to the McKinsey study. And the percentage is even higher, the more a brand is new or relatively expensive.
Consumers have a multitude of daily choices, therefore, they often choose shortcuts in the decision, turning to the recommendation of someone nearby, to a trusted source who could advise them.
Influence word of mouthBoosted by the Digital Revolution
The digital revolution has significantly diversified the ways to share information, to pass it on, from product reviewson social networks. Some consumers even create websitiand blogs to express their admiration or punish brands. In the face of this evidence, brands need to reconsider word of mouthmarketing.
Before proposing to develop such tactics, marketers need to answer three fundamental questions:
/Who (influences the brand)
/What (message/content)
/where/context (networks)
Viral marketing, or word of mouth marketing, is not about the product behind the brand, but rather about the consumer and the psychology behind their social actions. This means that marketers have the ability to create and coordinate initiatives that reach the right target with the right content and in the right context.
How do digital campaigns go viral?
Applying science
There seems to be some magic in word of mouthLike catching light in a jar, yet understanding the scene behind social influences, it's possible to make your own products/services/ideas contagious. Science says that people do not sharuiescrandom things.
Jonah Berger, professor of marketing at the Wharton School says that: “If you understand human behavior and the science behind it very well, you can predict what people will pass on, and you can create your own contagion — things that you want people to pass on, whether it's messages, products, or ideas.”
Knowing the reasons why people share-forget something
The professor's studies reveal that there are 6 reasons why people share:
S--- Valuta Sociale(Status): People need to express their status by sharing information that attests to their status and ensures their status by association
T--- Triggers(Current): we do more often compartirof things that deal with a topical topic/topic, in the top of our mind/on everyone's lips
E--- Emotion(Emotion): When information triggers a strong emotion/engages you emotionally, then it is easier to share
P--- Openbaar: The more someone with a reputation, recognition, whom we admire, does an action, or transmits something, the more willing we are to share their initiation/information
P--- Praktiska valor: Useful things, loaded by knowledgeand expertise can be easily transmitted
S--- Historias: Information circulates through stories. A story that people want to share brings with it your idea/product.
Using the topical (Insight) that reflects the positioning of the brand
At the end of the day, let's not forget that the fundamental purpose of marketing campaigns word of mouthIt is the support of the brand. An example of a campaign that intrinsically reflects the positioning of the brand is the Dove Face Sketch campaign, in which the brand reiterates its mission to engage the consumer or trust them and their true beauty.
The identified topic is the lack of confidence of some women regarding their true beauty. Calling on strong emotions that make people care, share with others, act, participate. Drs. Karen Nelson-Field and her team at the University of South Australia, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing and Science, have grouped together, following a research, the intensity of emotions:
/Positive emotions with high activation: laughter/hilarity, inspiration, amazement, joy
Positive emotions with low activation: amusement, calm, surprise, happiness
/Negative emotions with high activation: disgust, sadness, shock, anger
/Negative emotions with low activation: discomfort, boredom, irritation, frustration
Following researchit turns out that video information with positive emotions with high activation is more share-viewby 30% than those with low activation. And the people share-forgetPositive videos 30% more than negative ones.
Viralization Motivation: Anchoring in the Present
We are more often sharing things that deal with a topical topic on everyone's lips. An example of a campaign anchored in the present is also the series “The Truth Is Worth It”published by The New York Times, focusing on the social context of fake newsand the contradictory statements of President Trump's press secretary, as well as the publication's blacklisting.
What did he tick?
/Anchored in a current theme: truth in journalism, politics, social life
/In line with the purpose of the brand: quality and integral content
/Full of emotion: engaging, engaging message
/Result: 276,000 subscribers in the digital environment
Viralization Motivation: Strong Emotion
When information triggers a strong emotion or is emotionally involving, then it is easier to share. One such example is the WWF campaign — “Last Selfie”. The campaign used Snapchat (context), known for its selfie functionality, to show the latest Selfieshas some endangered species, thus encouraging users to immortalize them and share-uiascafurther.
Snapchat (context) helped viralize due to the limited retention time of a story (only 24 hours), which allowed the audience to print-schermimmediately or find a way to forward the image on social media with touching messages like: “the last selfie of the bear...”. Thus, the context amplified the emotion.
What the WWF campaign ticked “Last Selfie”:
/The content was highly emotional
/In line with the purpose of the WWF brand:Para un planeta de vida
/Context (Snapchat post) appropriate (stories shown briefly, as the message sounds: last...)
/Snapchat target, sensitive to the purposeWWWF
Viralization motivation: Practical value/utility
Easily share useful things loaded with knowledge and expertise. Campania “Know your lemons”Breast Cancer Awareness, conducted by Worldwide Breast Cancer is proof of this. The campaign had two objectives — to identify early signs of cancer and risk factors for the disease and raise funds.
What the campaign ticked off”Know your lemons“:
/Usefulness (through clarity of message and relevant image)
In line with the mission of Worldwide Breast Cancer
/Emotion: Motivation, high intensity, positive
/Context: current topic for women
Results:
/7.3 million views on Facebook
/sharedmore than 40,000 times
/raised funds of more than $166 million
Viralization Motivation: The Story
Information circulates through stories. A story that people want to share brings with it your idea/product.
“Breaking2"is a campaign by Nike, Heineken and State Street Global Advisors. The idea was that Nike launched a new product — VaporFly Elite, with qualities that will help 3 elite athletes break the barrier of the 2-hour marathon. The campaign included a streamingdirectly with the race.
What the campaign ticked“Breaking2":
/Her story and her ability to catch people, to follow her soul to mouth
/In line with the Nike brand idea: To bring motivation and innovation to every athlete in the world
/Emotion: motivation, inspiration
/Background: The race was broadcast live, via a streaming; a documentary was broadcast on National Geographic
Results:
/Hashtag #Breaking2it has been used over 407,000 times
/Over 87% positive responses to the video
/Over 2 billion Impressionscreato
Important to note about viral campaigns
Viral campaigns do not add value to the brand if they fail to connect with their target. Let's remember the campaign.”Laser, Brother!“, awarded for its originality and viralization ability, which failed to connect the Teletech brand with its own target, becoming viral among an audience with other needs and expectations from a brand in the home appliance category.
The mechanism works if all elements are strategically aligned: Who (influences the brand), what (message/content) or where/context. There are motivations for consumers. It remains to find solutions that serve the brand in the long term.