Viral marketing does not exactly sound like something pleasant. It sounds like some disease or ailment and not a successful marketing scheme. It is however becoming the new trend in advertising and marketing. So if it is not an illness, what does it mean?
Viral marketing is basically any type of advertising or promotion that encourages people to spread around to their friends through social media networks or by word of mouth.
Viral marketing is great for companies and consumers because it is something that benefits the client or consumer and promotes the company at the same time. Consumers do not feel like they are being told what to buy or like, but instead become interested in the campaign and in turn promote the product or service.
Many companies are using viral marketing to reach consumers because of its proven success. I saw this recently on an episode of the Apprentice. The task for the two teams on the show was to come up with a commercial for All Small & Mighty detergent that would be edgy and popular enough to be spread around the internet.
The teams both presented pretty controversial ads. One featured an adulterous Clint Black and the other a team of midgets scrubbing Jesse James.
I didn’t find either commercial particularly funny and the client agreed. While the attempts at viral marketing were racy, they were not true to the product or the demographic (housewives and soccer moms). Ultimately neither commercial was chosen.
This proves that viral marketing can be a tricky thing, and does not work well for all products. Moms who use All detergent are not checking YouTube everyday for the funniest new videos. They may not be able to come up with a successful viral marketing campaign for them.
Some products and companies lend themselves very well to viral marketing though. My absolute all time favorite YouTube video is actually an ad for Starburst.
The ad is funny and quirky enough that it catches people’s attention and makes you want to pass it along to your friends. This promotes the product in a positive light because people associate the product with having a good time, and it gets the company or product’s name out to more people.
The best viral marketing campaigns utilize a number of resources that consumers already use. If a company can attach an online game, free prizes, or even go so far as making a TV show from an ad they will have a successful viral marketing campaign.
A great example of this is Burger King’s Subservient Chicken. The ad, which promoted the TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich, developed a following because of its catchy jingle and interesting concept. It even encouraged people to go online and watch an actual person in a chicken outfit perform commands.
This campaign went on for three years and definitely propelled the image of Burger King as a creative advertiser.
Viral marketing is an excellent way to promote a product and is fun for consumers. I don’t think people will ever get sick of viral marketing.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Do what you love...
“Take the work seriously, not yourself.”
Rift Fournier is a very cool guy. He has taken the idea of not taking yourself too seriously and lived his life accordingly. With all the success and achievements he has accomplished it is hard to argue against his philosophy. He worked in almost every realm of the entertainment business and has plenty of stories and names to drop. Although with Rift, it does not come off as arrogant. The guy has lived an extraordinary life is still extremely genuine.
It was not his stories that impressed me the most though, it was his attitude and encouragement. He takes a genuine interest in the well being of the students and encouraged us all to pursue careers that “make your heart pump.” He compared work to dying and said that we have to care about what we are dying for, otherwise what is the point.
This is something that I struggled with coming out of high school. I attended a private college preparatory academy and graduated at the top of my class. My teachers and peers expected me to become a lawyer or mathematician, which I easily could have, but I just was not passionate about either. I wanted to be a musician or artist. I was undecided my first year and a half of school because I felt like doing what I actually wanted to do would not be good enough.
Now I am pursuing what I love and I feel really confident about it. I may not make as much money, but I would rather be happy and do something I am really passionate about. Not everyone is as excited as I am. My high school principal was so disappointed when I told her what career I was pursuing, but I like to think I will show her and others that I will succeed because of my passion.
Rift Fournier is living proof that a person can do what they love and work their way on to success and happiness. It isn’t always easy, but when you look back at the end of the day, you can be proud of the work you’ve done and be excited for tomorrow. That’s the way Rift sees it, and I hope I will too.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The times, they are a changin'...
Gary Vaynerchuk is quite an interesting character. Once you get past his abrasive, in-your-face style of talking and get to the heart of what he is actually saying, it is quite interesting and very true. He is all about promoting social media or as he calls it “business”.
Gary Vaynerchuk is known as the “social media sommelier” and for good reason. He has obviously taken the idea of using social media as an outlet for a company’s branding and run with it. He used social media to further his wine business and has become a sort of guru on the process.
“Everybody has the ability to play the piano, but not everyone is Billy Joel.”
He used the outlets of facebook and twitter to promote his company, but he says there has to be more than that. He produced a webcast about his wine and promoted that on the internet. He feels like the times are changing and the best way for a business to reach its consumers is to connect with them through social media. He even gives the idea of watching a person at McDonalds make your burger on your iPhone. That would be so crazy, but really cool. The ideas of reaching out to consumers have to be innovative and creative. Having a facebook page alone will not cut it.
According to Gary, having everything out in the open through social media promotes truth. This is obviously a big plus for consumers. In this day of age if companies are not being honest, it is not long before a YouTube video is up and the company’s popularity starts falling.
It is not just companies that need to utilize social media for success, but people looking for jobs are also using the new mediums to get connected and network for potential job opportunities. One of the best ways to do this is through a site called Brazen Careerist.
The site was started by a woman named Penelope Trunk who also blogs about careers and networking. Her goal was to create a place where people could get information about jobs, links to what is happening in a field and most importantly a place where companies could find tech-savvy, motivated careerists to hire.
Trunk encourages bold careerists who are sick of waiting to climb the corporate ladder to join the community on her site and meet others who can potentially work with them to make their own path in the business world.
The blogs on the site have very useful information that challenge the conventional way of doing business. They are open and honest and right in with the way things are changing.
This article certainly made me question a few things I had been taught about school and work. People on Brazen Careerist understand that the way things used to be done, won’t cut it anymore.
Branding and social media are the future of careerists. Trunk and Vaynerchuk know this, but how long will it take the rest of the world to catch on?
Gary Vaynerchuk is known as the “social media sommelier” and for good reason. He has obviously taken the idea of using social media as an outlet for a company’s branding and run with it. He used social media to further his wine business and has become a sort of guru on the process.
“Everybody has the ability to play the piano, but not everyone is Billy Joel.”
He used the outlets of facebook and twitter to promote his company, but he says there has to be more than that. He produced a webcast about his wine and promoted that on the internet. He feels like the times are changing and the best way for a business to reach its consumers is to connect with them through social media. He even gives the idea of watching a person at McDonalds make your burger on your iPhone. That would be so crazy, but really cool. The ideas of reaching out to consumers have to be innovative and creative. Having a facebook page alone will not cut it.
According to Gary, having everything out in the open through social media promotes truth. This is obviously a big plus for consumers. In this day of age if companies are not being honest, it is not long before a YouTube video is up and the company’s popularity starts falling.
It is not just companies that need to utilize social media for success, but people looking for jobs are also using the new mediums to get connected and network for potential job opportunities. One of the best ways to do this is through a site called Brazen Careerist.
The site was started by a woman named Penelope Trunk who also blogs about careers and networking. Her goal was to create a place where people could get information about jobs, links to what is happening in a field and most importantly a place where companies could find tech-savvy, motivated careerists to hire.
Trunk encourages bold careerists who are sick of waiting to climb the corporate ladder to join the community on her site and meet others who can potentially work with them to make their own path in the business world.
The blogs on the site have very useful information that challenge the conventional way of doing business. They are open and honest and right in with the way things are changing.
This article certainly made me question a few things I had been taught about school and work. People on Brazen Careerist understand that the way things used to be done, won’t cut it anymore.
Branding and social media are the future of careerists. Trunk and Vaynerchuk know this, but how long will it take the rest of the world to catch on?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Social Media is an amazing phenomenon that over the course of about three years has completely changed the way I relate to the people I know, and even some I do not. Social media is basically the name for the ways of communicating with each other through the powerful media that is the internet. We do this through sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Flickr, Digg, World of Warcraft, Yahoo! Answers, Blogger and so many more. The way that we give and receive information has completely changed all thanks to the amazing invention of social media.My grandmother was lamenting to me earlier this week about how terrible it is that people do not send letters anymore. In her eyes, there is nothing more fulfilling than receiving a hand written personal letter. I felt it best not to tell her that I haven’t checked my school mailbox at all this semester, but I check my Facebook inbox at least three of four times a day. She was disappointed that I texted while in her presence. “Whatever happened to actual conversations? The good ole’ days when life was slow and you could stop and take the time to talk to someone?”
I will tell you what happened, Grandma- Social Media. With the invention of social media, we can now send messages to each other instantly. Why would I wait to get a letter in the mail, when I could get one right away? The amazing thing is that in addition to messages we can now do so much more than that! I can share pictures through Photobucket, listen to people’s music on YouTube, and get (mostly correct) answers to my questions from actual people on Wikipedia or Yahoo! Answers.
When I think about it, I actually base so much of my life around social media, and it all happened over time without me even realizing what I was doing. I started with a LiveJournal because one of my friends had one. Then I got a Xanga then MySpace and now Facebook and Twitter. I went from writing one or two entries a month about random topics on an internet journal to holding deep and meaningful conversations through my Facebook page.
I share pictures with my family on Photobucket. I learn how to play songs on piano by watching free lessons on YouTube. I get the answer about what episode of Scrubs a certain song was played in from Wikipedia. So much of the information I share and receive is through social media. The only avenue of social media I have not explored is the virtual reality communities like World of Warcraft or Second Life. Sadly, I do not feel like I will be investigating those any time soon.
Social Media is definitely the wave of the future. It is how we relate to each other now, and I definitely only see it getting bigger. Companies are reaching buyers through new technologies like viral videos or promotions on blogs. Ordinary people are becoming famous without powerful producers. It has changed our communication, our culture, and our lives. I think this is great… but I still have to convince Grandma.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Reading the article about Generation Diva made me really sad. I mean I have seen everything they talk about in the article on TV and in real life, but thinking 
about it makes me really hurt for the future generation of girls.
Young girls should be playing with dolls and having little tea parties. The idea of toddlers concerned with fixing her hair and putting on makeup is heart breaking. They lose their innocence at such a young age and grow up way too fast.
The most concerning part of the article for me was the fact that so many girls said their biggest fear was of getting fat. Primping yourself at such a young age is sad, but not necessarily dangerous to the girl’s health. Girls thinking that they have to be super skinny at such a young age could cause major health concerns both mentally and physically though. I did not even think about being fat or skinny until high school when a boy grabbed my side and called me squishy.
For me personally, I was not a member of “Generation Diva”. I started wearing makeup and caring about the way my clothes and hair looked at a pretty normal age (around middle school). When I was a toddler through elementary school, I was much more concerned with dressing up a Barbie than dressing up myself.
I think I was not a part of this movement for a number of reasons. The media was not as prevalent a force in my life as it is for young girls today. The internet opens up a world of images and ideas that girls, even very young ones, are influenced by. Another big reason is parenting. My parents did not allow me to wear makeup, get my ears pierced, or shave my legs until I was an appropriate age. Even though I sometimes complained, I appreciate it now. I had no reason to be concerned with my appearance as a child.
Parents, like the ones on “Toddlers and Tiaras”, who push their children into being little beauty queens are plain horrible. Pushing their ideals of beauty on a baby is disgusting, and I do not think the media should glorify them by giving them a TV show. Watching even a little bit of a show like that breaks my heart. Girls should be allowed to stay young and innocent as long as possible. It is the parents’ responsibility to protect their children, not exploit them to live out some vicarious fantasy.
Ultimately, I do not see any slowing down of Generation Diva, especially with the role models these young girls have. Their biggest heroes are Disney channel princesses like Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens. With the internet these girls Google their icons and see provocative images. These leaked photos were apparently sent to their respective boyfriends but released on the internet. This sends a message to the young girls that you will not get anywhere in life unless you are beautiful and flaunt your beauty for a man.
With messages like this being thrown at Generation Diva, we can look forward to a generation of very insecure, broken women who never had a real childhood, and that is the saddest part of all.
about it makes me really hurt for the future generation of girls. Young girls should be playing with dolls and having little tea parties. The idea of toddlers concerned with fixing her hair and putting on makeup is heart breaking. They lose their innocence at such a young age and grow up way too fast.
The most concerning part of the article for me was the fact that so many girls said their biggest fear was of getting fat. Primping yourself at such a young age is sad, but not necessarily dangerous to the girl’s health. Girls thinking that they have to be super skinny at such a young age could cause major health concerns both mentally and physically though. I did not even think about being fat or skinny until high school when a boy grabbed my side and called me squishy.
For me personally, I was not a member of “Generation Diva”. I started wearing makeup and caring about the way my clothes and hair looked at a pretty normal age (around middle school). When I was a toddler through elementary school, I was much more concerned with dressing up a Barbie than dressing up myself.I think I was not a part of this movement for a number of reasons. The media was not as prevalent a force in my life as it is for young girls today. The internet opens up a world of images and ideas that girls, even very young ones, are influenced by. Another big reason is parenting. My parents did not allow me to wear makeup, get my ears pierced, or shave my legs until I was an appropriate age. Even though I sometimes complained, I appreciate it now. I had no reason to be concerned with my appearance as a child.
Parents, like the ones on “Toddlers and Tiaras”, who push their children into being little beauty queens are plain horrible. Pushing their ideals of beauty on a baby is disgusting, and I do not think the media should glorify them by giving them a TV show. Watching even a little bit of a show like that breaks my heart. Girls should be allowed to stay young and innocent as long as possible. It is the parents’ responsibility to protect their children, not exploit them to live out some vicarious fantasy.
Ultimately, I do not see any slowing down of Generation Diva, especially with the role models these young girls have. Their biggest heroes are Disney channel princesses like Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens. With the internet these girls Google their icons and see provocative images. These leaked photos were apparently sent to their respective boyfriends but released on the internet. This sends a message to the young girls that you will not get anywhere in life unless you are beautiful and flaunt your beauty for a man.
With messages like this being thrown at Generation Diva, we can look forward to a generation of very insecure, broken women who never had a real childhood, and that is the saddest part of all.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
podcast...it's not a spaceship.
I have to admit that when I first read that our assignment was to blog about “podcasting” I was a little bit apprehensive. I’ve never downloaded a podcast and have never even looked into it. This is sad to admit as a musician, but I do not even own an mp3 player. Upon researching what a podcast is all about though, it seems pretty cool and is definitely something I want to use in the future. I was amazed to find out how much stuff is out there for the taking.
A podcast is basically a show (either audio or video) that is available for free download to your computer or iPod. Its name is derived by combining the words (i)Pod and (broad)cast. Because you can download the podcast, you don’t have to be connected to the internet to view whatever you want to watch. You can take it with you on your computer or iPod.
This technology is especially useful for people who want to broadcast their own radio show or put music or shows they have created out there for people to get a hold of. It makes it easier to gain a fan base or garner attention, instead of relying on production companies to back you for promotions. With podcasts, you can promote yourself without the industry telling you what to create. This is an exciting advancement for people wanting to express uncensored creativity and opinions.
It’s also exciting for people who love certain shows or music and want to take clips with them. You can subscribe to a certain podcast and whenever that podcast posts new material it will be downloaded for you, kind of like the way a DVR works. This is nice if you have something you are really interested in and would like to be continuously updated on it.
If I were to subscribe to a podcast, I think I would start with The Soup starring Joel McHale. Even though it is just clips of his TV show, which I watch religiously, I would still be interested in watching them over again or sharing them with friends (that is if I owned an iPod). Some other ones that I found that looked interesting were Dawson’s Creek reruns (when I feel like kickin’ it old school) and a podcast devoted to movie and music reviews.
I can see that this might be a problem if I get into this, because so much of my time is already devoted to keeping up with my favorite shows on DVR then reading the reviews of the shows on fan sites, watching YouTube weekly broadcasts, and keeping up with my social media outlets of course. This is just one more thing to add to my already technologically dependant life. That is part of the reason why I refuse to get an iPod or internet on my phone. I know I would lose all touch with the physical world around me if I had music and videos and at my disposal any moment I wanted to.
Maybe it’s time to jump on the bandwagon though because I have to admit, podcasts seem pretty awesome :)
A podcast is basically a show (either audio or video) that is available for free download to your computer or iPod. Its name is derived by combining the words (i)Pod and (broad)cast. Because you can download the podcast, you don’t have to be connected to the internet to view whatever you want to watch. You can take it with you on your computer or iPod.
This technology is especially useful for people who want to broadcast their own radio show or put music or shows they have created out there for people to get a hold of. It makes it easier to gain a fan base or garner attention, instead of relying on production companies to back you for promotions. With podcasts, you can promote yourself without the industry telling you what to create. This is an exciting advancement for people wanting to express uncensored creativity and opinions.
It’s also exciting for people who love certain shows or music and want to take clips with them. You can subscribe to a certain podcast and whenever that podcast posts new material it will be downloaded for you, kind of like the way a DVR works. This is nice if you have something you are really interested in and would like to be continuously updated on it.
If I were to subscribe to a podcast, I think I would start with The Soup starring Joel McHale. Even though it is just clips of his TV show, which I watch religiously, I would still be interested in watching them over again or sharing them with friends (that is if I owned an iPod). Some other ones that I found that looked interesting were Dawson’s Creek reruns (when I feel like kickin’ it old school) and a podcast devoted to movie and music reviews.
I can see that this might be a problem if I get into this, because so much of my time is already devoted to keeping up with my favorite shows on DVR then reading the reviews of the shows on fan sites, watching YouTube weekly broadcasts, and keeping up with my social media outlets of course. This is just one more thing to add to my already technologically dependant life. That is part of the reason why I refuse to get an iPod or internet on my phone. I know I would lose all touch with the physical world around me if I had music and videos and at my disposal any moment I wanted to.
Maybe it’s time to jump on the bandwagon though because I have to admit, podcasts seem pretty awesome :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Scavenger Hunt...
- Where is the job/internship located?
- Who is the parent owner of the agency/station?
- What interests you about the job?
I really enjoy the graphic design aspect of multimedia and would love to work in a position that combines elements of journalism and design. Being a web managing editor, I could control both the content that is put on the site and the physical look of it.
- What can you be doing while a student at Lindenwood University to prepare for a career in your chosen industry and at this station or agency?
As a student I can continue learning design software to prepare for the graphic design elements of the job. I could submit work to be used in school promotions to develop a portfolio. I could also improve my writing skills through journalism classes and try to submit stories to the newspaper. Another good thing to do would be maintaining a blog and promoting it so other Lindenwood students would read it.
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