Viral Marketing - It
Date: 7/18/2008 By:
Two of the
biggest and best consumer brands have recently entered into the
viral genre. McDonald's is using the 40th anniversary of the Big
Mac to forge a position on MySpace with Big Mac Chant. Klondike
Bars have their own online promotion with www.klondikecontest.com.
Both brands have storied histories with jingles that are instantly recognizable. As you're reading this, you might be humming, "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" and "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?"
These are great jingles and taglines that have endured for years and years. They are as relevant to second and third generation Big Mac and Klondike Bar enthusiasts as they were decades ago. Sometimes it's hard to improve on ad greatness. But both of these brands have caught the viral bug, so they're trying.
They are searching for the inner "ad man" in everyday Americans in a quest to contemporize these campaigns in the online space. Each is asking for consumer content videos to be uploaded to their sites.
Klondike asks you to submit a video, the only caveat being it has
to be a positive reference to Klondike and/or a visual of someone
enjoying a Klondike Bar. How hard is that? I've enjoyed Klondikes
hundreds of times!! The incentive for entering is huge - $100,000
for the winning video entry and a $25,000 prize drawing just for
voting. That is some sweet cash! As of this writing there were only
200-plus videos uploaded. That's negligible participation
considering the $100,000 prize, and a horrible return on the
promotion investment. Even the videos are less than
inspiring.
The same holds true for Big Mac on the My Space page - www.MySpace.com/BigMacChant. It appears that
their "community" is fairly small. Who wouldn't want to render
their own creative version of that great jingle? Apparently, not
many are that motivated. The participation is low as well. I
question if there is any connection to the brand. I'm not jazzed
about any of the videos, let alone even thinking about emailing one
to a friend. The videos are trying too hard, just like the brands
in the online visit.
Maybe the viral consumer content video has run its course for consumer brands. YouTube still rules, with thousands of videos being uploaded hourly; but they are not "brand driven" by marketers. The lesson learned is that you can't force consumer affinity with your brands. Be careful of the viral bug. It is a disease that may be contagious to your brand.?
Is it me, or does it seem as though every major consumer brand is coming up with a "viral" campaign? You can't make great viral campaigns happen. Many appear forced and/or are trying far too hard. The best ones grow and evolve on their own, without any marketing gimmicks. Viral marketing isn't easy. It is far more than just some cutesy URL. Yes, brand buzz is utopia for marketers; yet it is so hard to achieve. This isn't stopping brands from trying.
Two of the
biggest and best consumer brands have recently entered into the
viral genre. McDonald's is using the 40th anniversary of the Big
Mac to forge a position on MySpace with Big Mac Chant. Klondike
Bars have their own online promotion with www.klondikecontest.com.Both brands have storied histories with jingles that are instantly recognizable. As you're reading this, you might be humming, "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" and "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?"
These are great jingles and taglines that have endured for years and years. They are as relevant to second and third generation Big Mac and Klondike Bar enthusiasts as they were decades ago. Sometimes it's hard to improve on ad greatness. But both of these brands have caught the viral bug, so they're trying.
They are searching for the inner "ad man" in everyday Americans in a quest to contemporize these campaigns in the online space. Each is asking for consumer content videos to be uploaded to their sites.
Maybe the viral consumer content video has run its course for consumer brands. YouTube still rules, with thousands of videos being uploaded hourly; but they are not "brand driven" by marketers. The lesson learned is that you can't force consumer affinity with your brands. Be careful of the viral bug. It is a disease that may be contagious to your brand.?
