Ypulse Sponsored Guest Post: One Giant Stage
Posted by anastasia on 07-08-2008As part of Fuse Marketing's anchor sponsorship of the Ypulse Mashup, we offered them the opportunity to write a series of guest posts on Ypulse. Below is the second in this series…
One Giant Stage: How the user-generated content generation is changing more than their profile picture
By Amy Doyle, Communications Manager, Fuse
In 1968, Andy Warhol stated that "in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes" — hence where the term "15 minutes of fame" originated. With the emergence of user generated content, viral video websites and reality television, that statement could not be truer than it is today.
The momentum started in North America about a decade ago with reality TV, and thus a shift in the celebrity landscape and entertainment media industry began. From reality TV spawned YouTube - the video portal that when launched in 2005, made it possible for anyone to upload video to the Internet and capture an anonymous audience of millions.
Marketers also jumped aboard and took advantage of the reach that viral video websites offered, but with such a huge reach - how can a company possibly strategize? When dealing with viral video, there are a few elements that can make or break your marketing strategy.
Let's take Smirnoff's viral video "Tea Partay" as an example: They invested in video production over a traditional ad buy, and were able to reach and entertain their target market, as well as make the rounds virally - thus expanding the campaign's lifespan and breadth (the video was posted to YouTube approximately one year ago and to-date has nearly 4.5 million hits).
When using viral video, you as a marketer give up control over the end viewer. So how could Smirnoff possibly have reached their demographic?
They produced a video that would be hilarious to their estimated target market. The younger 20-something-ish demo "got it" whereas "Tea Partay" flew over the heads of the older set. Smirnoff used quality content and a specific genre of entertainment to draw-in their target demo - something that is much harder to achieve with a TV ad.
What else attributes to the success of a winning viral video campaign? Here are a few key pointers to using online video to your advantage:
- Little to no branding. However much you want to throw your logo in throughout the entire video, resist the urge. Think of it as the Internet's version of reverse psychology if you will
- Entertain, entertain, entertain. If you were to buy a 30-second ad spot on TV, you create an advertisement - not the case with this medium. Viral video is meant to entertain. If the video doesn't capture attention within five seconds it will be replaced by one of the billion other videos out there
- Be different. Do you think it's too obscure or people won't get it? Not the case. If your video has been well planned out and is in line with your overall marketing goals then take the risk
- Involve your audience. From reality TV to YouTube - people in general crave stardom. So, like a great birthday present - give your target something they would never (be able to) get for themselves; an insane opportunity and an equally crazy prize. What's a more buzz worthy prize in your opinion? A giant check? Or… a role in an upcoming action movie? Hmm… give them an adventure and an experience
Okay, we've covered the basics of viral video - so how is this shift in entertainment media affecting other industries? Subsequently, shortly after YouTube emerged, the first edition of Guitar Hero was released, and thus began the strengthening of the consumer trend to meet the consumer's need to express their inner super star. RockBand, Sing Star, (the re-emergence of) Dance Dance Revolution are all at-home versions of reality TV shows - American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars.
What could be next with these products? Their evolution will continue to meet the growing desire of stardom within our society. In the future, games like Guitar Hero, RockBand, etc. could, for example, add a video recording element, complete with digitally inputted backdrops, vocal enhancements and screaming fans. The consumer is the star and has the video to prove (and post) it.
Unfortunately when quantity increases so quickly, the level of quality is going to suffer, and marketers will have less control over their reach and impact. With YouTube now looking to be broadcast into living rooms across the country and reality TV giving more and more regular people a shot at being the next sub-rated star, quality entertainment may get lost in the mix.
So what services could emerge in the future to address this? It's definitely not out of the question that a large-scale service will be developed to standardize user-generated content. It will sort through the masses, distinguish the mediocre from the stellar and deliver only the best - guaranteed.
This could be an ongoing endless cycle. User-generated content sets the bar in entertainment, a service is introduced to sort through the content to deliver the best, and from this products will have to evolve to meet the standards that the service sets. For example, this sorting service could result in companies developing products that only allow people to produce quality content - the products will have to constantly evolve and grow with the ever changing standards.
The possibilities with mass viral media are endless and the key to a marketer's success is to see one step ahead of the next. Andy Warhol was right I guess; in the future everyone will be famous and the internet is becoming one giant stage. Over the years however the 15 minute window has been cut short to about fifteen seconds. Make every second count.
