PR Advanced 2015: Content Creation & Viral Marketing

Content Creation + Viral Marketing – Why it matters and how to do it right

BRIANNA

VIEIRA Strategy Coordinator Jack Morton Worldwide

@BriannaVieira 617.425.7293 www.briannavieira.com

@JackMorton www.jackmorton.com blog.jackmorton.com

BEN

GROSSMAN VP, Strategy Director Jack Morton Worldwide

@BenGrossman 617.752.1171 www.ben-grossman.com

@JackMorton www.jackmorton.com blog.jackmorton.com

The Creative Process

Experience Principles

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Definitions

The Landscape + Importance

Six Lessons from Viral Brand Activity in 2014

How do we define viral?

Definition 1: of relating to, or caused by a virus. Example: Chicken pox

vi·ral

vi·ral Definition 2: when content is viewed and shared millions of times within a community to increase brand awareness. Example: Cat videos

CATS SUCCESS

VIRAL SUCCESS

= VIRAL SUCCESS

C A N



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pieces of content are shared each day.

27M AOL

of global marketers plan to increase or maintain their digital marketing spend in 2015.

84% Salesforce

of marketers use social media (the most common content marketing tactic).

CMI

87%

Search + social networks are consumers’ preferred way to discover new brands and products.

Forrester

Forrester

of marketers take a sophisticated approach to

measuring content performance against customer segments.

12%

Virality. Is: Isn’t:

Virality. Is: •  Broad

Isn’t:

Virality. Is: •  Broad

Isn’t: •  Targeted

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable

Isn’t: •  Targeted

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable •  Risky

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable •  Risky

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded •  Managed

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable •  Risky •  Popular

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded •  Managed

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable •  Risky •  Popular

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded •  Managed •  Right Every Time

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable •  Risky •  Popular •  Possible

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded •  Managed •  Right Every Time

Virality. Is: •  Broad •  Memorable •  Risky •  Popular •  Possible

Isn’t: •  Targeted •  Always Branded •  Managed •  Right Every Time •  Easy



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LESSON #1

BRAND VALUE TRUMPS VIRALITY

Eaton My IT Empire Infographics To be successful, content does not have to “go viral” in a traditional sense. Instead, brands should start by defining their business objective, then deciding how content, the way it’s created and how it’s distributed meets that objective. Instead of creating content that is absorbed by the audience one-way, or simply commented on, Eaton made the target audience content creators themselves. An infographic wizard asked professionals about their IT infrastructure, their personality and their jobs, then visualized it in a powerful, shareable infographic. We increased familiarity with the brand by 34% and sent them evergreen posters they will be proud to hang in their offices – generating additional impressions and top-of mind status.

LESSON #1

BRAND VALUE TRUMPS VIRALITY

•  Don’t assume you have to reach millions of people to be successful – sometimes highly targeted content trumps millions of views.

•  Consider how to make your content an experience, instead of just a consumable.

•  Define clear business value-driven objectives at the start of your initiative. “Going viral” doesn’t count as a business objective.

LESSON #2

CONTENT THAT CAPTURES MORE THAN ATTENTION

MINI USA Lost & Found While ‘viral’ content of the past has been focused on capturing the attention of users and their friends, today, content is capable of much more. Brands are getting ahead by creating content that captures more than a like, comment or share: they’re capturing leads. As a way to activate partnerships with other like-minded brands, MINI USA has created a fantasy “Lost & Found” where items supposedly left behind after test drives go to be claimed. The brand posts “lost” items to its social channels and partners post them to their unique social audiences as well. Users then not only are exposed to interesting content, but actually encouraged to claim the items for a chance to win them. In order to claim items, MINI USA captures the individual’s contact information and thus also captures them as a prospective car buyer.

LESSON #2

CONTENT THAT CAPTURES MORE THAN ATTENTION

•  Consider how content can help you capture more than soft social metrics.

•  Identify like-minded partners that can help expose your brand to new, strategic audiences.

•  Content is most powerful for brands when it is attached to a clear call-to-action (CTA) that gives consumers an obvious next step.

LESSON #3

VALUE PROPOSITION PROMPTS PASS-ALONG

T-Mobile – Big 7th Consumers pass along content to help it go viral when brands strike a chord with the value proposition of taking that action. In other words, “What’s in it for me?” For some content, simply sharing a funny or poignant piece of content that friends will want to talk about is enough. However, to grease the wheels, some brands find new ways to add value to consumers in exchange for their willingness to share content. When T-Mobile wanted to own a moment during the World Series, Jack created an initiative to appeal to a tradition fans already know and love: the seventh inning stretch. Consumers and major digital influencers were invited to be part of the biggest seventh inning stretch ever (valuable in and of itself), but then increased value further by giving them a chance to appear in a T-Mobile commercial during the World Series, singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” Consumers cared and shared, because of the organic fit of the idea and the high value proposition that participating, then sharing the final user-generated commercial represented.

VALUE PROPOSITION PROMPTS PASS-ALONG

LESSON #3

•  Think about efficient ways to recognized large audiences. •  Engineer content where the audience becomes invested in

propelling content forward. •  Don’t just post and hope – use relationships with

influencers with established audiences to ensure that content has advocates from the beginning.

LESSON #4

SOCIAL REACH THROUGH SOCIAL CAUSES

LESSON #4


Always #LikeAGirl There are several ways to encourage pass-along and, thus, virality ranging from humor to shock value. One of the best ways to ensure share-ability to align with a social cause that an audience cares about. When Always wanted to win the hearts women everywhere, it created an emotive TV spot makes a provocative, yet easy to support statement about how society raises girls and how they see themselves. By accompanying the commercial with a simple hashtag and launching it widely during the Super Bowl, when a lot of buzz is about commercials themselves, Always increased its chances at virality. The combination between a highly social period of time and a socially relevant topic struck gold for the brand, though some consumers misconstrued the commercial as an initiative from Dove.

LESSON #4


•  Social causes can be powerful sharing motivators, especially combined with the right audience and right timeframe.

•  Because brand association can be weak in viral videos, differentiation and strong brand ties are important.

•  Consider how your content touches people in a way that motivates them to share your content as a reflection of who they are as a person.

LESSON #5

PARTNERSHIPS ENERGIZE CAUSES

GoPro’s Video Content Sometimes, content partners can speak to the value of brands in a way that is better or fresher than the way brands can represent themselves. In addition, sometimes these partners bring new audiences to brands which they never would have had access to before. GoPro could focus its content on the many technical features of the camera, but instead the company engages content partners to do what they’re good at: using the device in amazing ways. Through GoPro’s video content, the brand essentially uses content production experts to demonstrate the plethora of uses for the device, bringing unique audiences and perspectives to the brand’s communications. GoPro’s content creator strategy, combined with likable, Internet-friendly topics, including dogs with sticks, firefighters saving kittens and most recently dub stepping owls maintains a high level of ongoing virality.

LESSON #5

PARTNERSHIPS ENERGIZE CAUSES

•  Consider what partners have desirable audiences and something to offer your brand.

•  Create sustainable content strategies that engage audiences in the long-term in a serialized manner, instead of as a one-off.

•  Be open to partners bringing their expertise and personal style to the table – they often already know what their audiences respond to.

LESSON #6

KNOW MECHANIC NIRVANA

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Sometimes, the technical mechanics of how an initiative works is as or more important than the creative idea itself. In an extraordinarily complicated media landscape filled with technicalities, it can pay off to have perfectly balanced initiative inner-workings. Heralded as one of the most successful viral movements in 2014, it is important to remember that the Ice Bucket Challenge was an organic movement – not one engineered to be as big as it became. In a happy accident, ALS nailed perfect mechanics for the promotion through four things. First, heavy reliance on video at a time when Facebook is favoring video and video creation through smartphones is at an all-time high. Second, an unusual act that has a low-barrier to entry and high entertainment value. Third, public pass along and shaming of friends to get involved. Fourth, widespread support from influencers with a very specific request. The results were astounding – even though many didn’t donate money, the reach was so great that many did.

LESSON #6

KNOW MECHANIC NIRVANA

•  Think carefully about how something will actually work, aligning closely with consumer technographics and behavior.

•  Understand that viral is hard to create – the ALS ini@a@ve was an organic happening, not a marke@ng campaign with a master plan.

•  Grab a first mover advantage when you can. Be willing to take risks – ALS was first to market with an ini@a@ve like this. Other brands will try to replicate this success and there will be diminishing turns.



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Creative Process / PIE2 _


PROBLEM à POINT OF VIEW P =


P =

I = INSIGHTS IMPLICATIONS à IDEA

PROBLEM à POINT OF VIEW


P =

I = E = EXPERIENCE à EXECUTION

INSIGHTS IMPLICATIONS à IDEA

PROBLEM à POINT OF VIEW



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BRAND EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES

•  INSPIRE SHARING •  ADD VALUE •  ON (NOT IN) THE WAY •  ENGAGE ALL •  USER-FIRST DESIGN

Thanks –

x1,000,000

Interested in interning? www.jackmorton.com

PR Advanced 2015: Content Creation & Viral Marketing

Marketing

Transcript of PR Advanced 2015: Content Creation & Viral Marketing