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The Importance of Video Long Tail

admin — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 01:27:37 +0000

Don’t Focus Solely on Opening Number

In the movie world, it’s easy to get caught up on the opening weekend box office numbers. Last year, The Avengers made a staggering $207 million on its opening weekend, setting a record. The movie would go on to make $623 million in the U.S. alone, and $1.5 billion worldwide. Focusing merely on the U.S. number, you’ll see that the movie made an additional $416 million the rest of the way. In the movie industry, that means it “had legs.” It played well long after the initial burst of interest.

For the video industry, this is known as “long tail.” Most new videos that do well will have an initial burst where it will collect a great number of views, but then it will flatten out and in comparison to the first and second weeks will be a relative trickle. That trickle means more than you might think.

Long Tail Views: Videos Have Life Well Beyond Opening Week

I’ll take this sample graph from YouTube Analytics of a video I have been given the opportunity to dissect:

This video shows an initial burst in week 1 of around 450,000, and then it had an additional 581,000 in the second week. Much of this is due to good coverage on the video, getting a lot of media attention that drew in viewers. So within 2 weeks the video was over a million. Then you’ll see a steep drop by week 3 when the video’s newness and popularity started to wane, but still, an additional 173,000 views isn’t bad. After that, you see a literal long tail on the graph, where the views move up and down usually at a clip of 78-85 thousand per week. And that long tail will only grow longer with additional video uploads, new fans coming in, fans of the video watching it repeatedly, and so on.

So, in the first two weeks, this video got over a million views. In the time since, it’s getting closer to another million. While the speed of views isn’t nearly as great as the initial burst, the amount of them is still impressive. And for those of you where views = AdSense dollars, those trickles are very important, working like a savings account in some weird way.

This is what is great about having videos on the internet, because they are always available to watch and can be seen from virtually any device in most cases. And for those of you who run channels on YouTube, it’s important to give those old videos some love with links in new videos and inclusions into playlists to keep the interest going, because those old videos continue to work for you. That’s especially the case if those older videos have some popularity because those too can help out with the new videos if you update their annotations and links now and again.

Originally posted on ReelSEO

YouTube Co-founder Prepping Possible Rival

admin — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:51:45 +0000

Chad Hurley talking about new video platform designed for collaboration

By: Tim Peterson

YouTube has had its share of competition over the years. Companies like Vimeo and DailyMotion (plus copyright lawsuits and crushing overhead costs) led Chad Hurley and the video-sharing site’s co-founders to sell YouTube to Google.

More recently Hulu and others have entered the fold. Soon Hurley, who left Google/YouTube in 2010, will launch a potential new rival.

“I wish South by Southwest was a month later because I could unveil the new product,” Hurley said during a Q&A with Digg founder and Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose on Saturday afternoon. Without going into too much detail, he said the product is “primarily video based … and gives flexibility for people to work together and create content.”

Sounds like Hurley is talking about taking a second crack at creating a better YouTube. Rose asked whether that’s indeed his intention. “We’re not setting up to [kill YouTube]—now,” Hurley said. He added, “there’s always going to be a place for YouTube.” His intention, instead, is to create a platform better suited for collaboration.

Beyond hinting at his latest aspirations, Hurley used the interview session to shed some light on how YouTube found its current place within Google, recalling how some of the key deal discussions took place at Denny’s, just as Yahoo was looking to squeeze in on the deal.

“We met with Eric [Schmidt] and Sergey [Brin] at Denny’s in Redwood City [to talk about the possibility of selling YouTube]. We met there the week before with [Yahoo’s] Jerry [Yang] and Terry [Semel],” he said, noting that Semel had suggested the locale because it was “very low-key and had great breakfast.”

Despite Yahoo’s culinary courtship, Hurley and his fellow co-founders went with Google. “Yahoo didn’t necessarily step up the way Google did. … We knew they were going to give us the support,” Hurley said.

Originally posted on Adweek

The 10 Most Innovative Viral Video Ads of 2012

admin — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:21:49 +0000

By Josh Warner

Josh Warner is president and founder of Feed Company, which promotes and distributes brand videos for Fortune 500 companies and ad agencies. In six years, Feed Company has seeded more than 400 videos across the social web.

This year in viral video, advertisers either broke new ground or just got better at old concepts. Red Bull went to the edge of space with Felix Baumgartner‘s freefall 23 miles to Earth, which certainly qualifies as breaking new ground. On the other hand, Cartier’s bejeweled panther was so sumptuous as to feel brand new.

Elsewhere, an independent filmmaker from New York took a refreshing route within the well-tread travel video genre, with a personal and inspiring execution for Nike. Innovation even made its way to Davenport, Iowa and Sweden, where Will Ferrell’s rogue ads for Old Milwaukee Beer befuddled everyone.

But what is clear from this year’s top 10 is how passion — for a company, brand or creative concept — continues to drive innovation in viral video advertising. From scrappy startups like Dollar Shave Club to independent producers for PBS, viral video marketers seem to love what they’re doing.

Here are the top 10 most innovative viral video ads of 2012. Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

1. Red Bull Stratos

Advertiser: Red Bull

Ad Agency: N/A

Why It Works: Red Bull went to the edge of space to get our attention. Felix Baumgartner’s breaking of the sound barrier in a 23-mile freefall to Earth was riveting wherever you saw it. Red Bull has rewritten event marketing forever, leaving us with transcendent images of a man who could have exploded in space.

Felix’s final words before his jump: “Sometimes you have to get up really high to understand how small you are.” Indeed.

2. L’Odyssée de Cartier

Advertiser: Cartier

Ad Agency: Marcel

Why It Works: There are all sorts of rules for creating successful viral videos, and then there’s an epic piece of film art like L’Odyssée de Cartier’s to remind us never to follow rules in the first place. This ad amazed viewers everywhere, starting with its premier in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to millions of views on YouTube.

3. OK Go – Needing/Getting

Advertiser: Chevrolet

Ad Agency: Goodby Silverstein &amp Partners

Why It Works: The audacious OK Go music video for Chevy Sonic takes Rube Goldberg to the extreme, with a careening, four-minute musical joyride down a two-mile racetrack, outfitted with 1,000 musical instruments. The video took four months of preparation, and it shows in every frame and note. With 23 million views on YouTube, the video proves product placement can be innovative, when the right creative people are involved.

4. Best Job

Advertiser: P&ampG

Ad Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland

Why It Works: With a multitude of marketers vying for attention at the London Olympics, P&G’s “Best Job” commercial stood out. The ad focused on mothers of athletes, rather than the athletes themselves. Helmed by Babel director Alejandro González Iñárritu, each scene lovingly focuses on the sacrifices mothers make to help bring future Olympians from the crib to the medal stand. Millions of YouTube views and social shares later, sons and daughters everywhere confirm once again: Moms rule.

5. Make It Count

Advertiser: Nike

Ad Agency: N/A

Why It Works: Independent filmmaker Casey Neistat breathes new life into the well-tread travel genre. His rogue execution for Nike+ FuelBand follows filmmaker and collaborator Max to as many countries as possible before the money runs out. Interspersed with inspirational messages, the video shows how people can make every day count in their own individual ways.

6. DollarShaveClub.com – Our Blades Are F***ing Great

Advertiser: Dollar Shave Club

Ad Agency: N/A

Why It Works: Every startup dreams of making a splash with an innovative marketing concept that doesn’t require a big budget, but very few succeed. Dollar Shave Club’s execution is loaded with laughs but doesn’t forget to communicate why you should buy its product. Scrappy on-and-off camera CEO Michael Dubin used the video’s viral success to help secure VC funding, putting the perfect bow on the company’s David vs. Goliath storyline.

7. Dumb Ways To Die

Advertiser: Melbourne Metro Trains

Ad Agency: McCann, Melbourne

Why It Works: This charming animation, which promotes rail safety in Melbourne, Australia’s Metro Trains, has earned more than 30 million views on YouTube and has already spawned 85 cover versions.

Despite its morbidity, the video is insidiously catchy. How can you not sing along with cute critters as they recite — and experience — all the dumb ways to die? “Eat medicine that’s out of date, use your private parts as piranha bait.” Classic.

8. Will Ferrell’s Old Milwaukee Dubstep Spot in HD

Advertiser: Pabst Brewing Company

Ad Agency: N/A

Why It Works: Over the past year, Old Milwaukee Beer commercials featuring Will Ferrell have been sprouting up for one-time runs in small cities like Davenport, Iowa. Now new spots have made their way to Sweden and are even more peculiar. It’s hard to figure out what Will Ferrell is up to, or whether Old Milwaukee Beer is even involved. That’s probably the point anyway, which is why it’s one of our favorites.

9. Mister Rogers Remixed — Garden of Your Mind

Advertiser: PBS

Ad Agency: PBS Digital Studios

Why It Works: PBS wanted to broaden its appeal, so it teamed up with Symphony of Science’s John Boswell, aka melodysheep, to create this awesome auto-tune of Mister Rogers, a staple of American children’s television. The touching auto-tune earned over 7 million views on YouTube and introduced Mister Rogers to a new generation of fans.

10. Parachuting Catsl

Advertiser: Folksam

Ad Agency: Akestam Holst

Why It Works: A Swedish insurance company asked its customers to suggest a web video ad. Eva, who insures her cat with the company, suggested skydiving cats alongside an R. Kelley soundtrack. Preposterous? Yes, but we can’t stop watching the mid-air paw-five and all that windblown fur. Cat lovers got riled up, but Folksam promises no kitties were harmed during filming.

Originally Posted on Mashable.com

Viral Content, Social Integration, and Television

admin — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 19:53:42 +0000

By: Beckie Stravers

When it comes to the current power of social media there is a lot of discussion of metrics and measurement and engagement. What do those numbers mean for a traditional medium like television? Metrics like Nielsen ratings is how the TV industry gets paid, but how much of a role can social play in driving people to their televisions in real time and increasing viewership and ad revenue.

Andres Adashek (Twitter), Mike Cioffi (Jimmy Kimmel Live), Marc Karzen (Relishmix), Daniel Mullin (ABC Family), Hardie Tankersly (Fox Broadcasting), and Josh Warner (Feed Company) hosted a great panel combining the two topics above and how it relates to the Social TV revolution in today’s market. When it comes to advertising we’re back again talking about utilizing the power of social marketing to let the fans to the marketing for you (word of mouth). Mullin and her team at ABC Family take this one step further, or backwards if you will. They center their SM strategy on ‘responsive marketing.’ Their campaigns start with listening and observing what fans are talking about already in regard to their shows, and building apps and contests and conversations around those topics creating a synchronous viewing experience.

Much like reality TV, social television is another wave of revolution in the industry. But success does not come from making a TV show and slapping a social team on it to create hashtags and tweet content. The integration is where the metrics speak loudest. Twitter is the new water cooler, and the timeline of conversation is compressed when a show is on the air. This engagement has the potential to extend beyond the show and into the commercial break. An entertaining commercial can produce a large volume of tweets within the time slot of a program, showing that advertisers and marketing professionals should be focusing on creating entertaining non commercial-like content to capture the engaged television viewer and potentially monetize the existing social engagement.

In terms of measuring the success of social metrics and television there’s a debate. Does a high volume of tweets per minute equal high ratings and what do creatives do with that information? Measuring your success means establishing a metric ahead of time. Is it Facebook likes? Tweets per minute? Video shares? Measuring these ideas is what will establish if a collective social experience is enough of a driver to propel the digital television experience into the future. As Steve Jobs once told Mr. Zuiker. “The win is in the doing.”

Originally posted on Social Media Week

Smart Thermostat Nest Looks for Happy Homes in First Ad Campaign

admin — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:53:33 +0000

By: KC Ifeanyi

The creators of the “learning thermostat” and agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners build a web spot and Pinterest contest on the idea of the happy (climate controlled) home.

Laughter, love, and caring: a happy home these things make–oh, and a technologically advanced energy efficient thermostat…that, too.
Palo Alto-based company Nest plays up the charming happenstance of houses taking on rather lifelike appearances in its first-ever spot for the “learning thermostat.”

With its pedigree–the product was created by Apple alums Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers–unusual premise and compelling design, Nest gained a healthy amount of media coverage when it launched last year (see an interview with Fadell on Fast Company’s Innovation Agents and extensive coverage on our sibling site Co.Design). Now, the company has launched an ad effort to bring the Nest message to a wider swath of “the iPhone generation.”

“At Nest, we decided to take a different approach to the thermostat market, which has traditionally focused on the professional installer,” says Erik Charlton, VP, Sales and Marketing at Nest. “Instead, we designed the Nest Learning Thermostat for the iPhone generation, for people who expect their products to be connected, intuitive, and beautiful. Everything we do at Nest reflects our consumer-commitment–from the packaging and the installation experience to our website and the hands-on, interactive retail displays at Lowe’s.”

Created by agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, “Happy Homes” shows the anthropomorphic outside of what’s going on inside: a perfect indoor environment created by a thermostat that adapts itself to your schedule and preferences automatically.

“This spot provides insight into our company’s personality and allows us to share how we see home,” says Charlton. “We hope the video allows people to take a brief pause in the day and to see the world through fresh eyes. And we hope it brings a smile to their faces too.”

In conjunction with the spot debut, Nest is also undertaking a Pinterest-based contest. in collaboration with design blogs Justina Blakeney, Pennyweight, Satsuki Shibuya, Design Milk, and Design for Mankind.

To win their very own Nest thermostat, participants simply pin a smiling home or piece of decor with the hashtag #nesthappyhomes, include a link to the video below, and submit the pin’s URL as a comment on one of the bloggers’ “Happy Homes” posts.

Originally posted on Fast Company Co.Create

Video Seeding from the Beginning: A Conversation with Josh Warner

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:50:56 +0000

By: Mark R. Robertson

I sat down recently with Josh Warner, president and founder of Feed Company, the first video seeding company to launch in the U.S. in 2006, which seems like many years ago in Internet time. Feed Company is definitely a pioneer in video seeding, having been behind several of the industry’s early brand viral video hits including Ray-Ban “Sunglass Catch” and Levi’s “Guys Back Flip Into Jeans,” as well as having introduced the term video seeding into the marketing vernacular. For our conversation with Josh, we took a look back at the beginning of the video seeding industry and Feed Company, as well as a peek into what the future of social video seeding might look like.

When did you start Feed Company?

We incorporated in late 2006. YouTube was only a year old, but the growth rate was through the roof. I had a chance meeting with Lisa Nova, one of the first YouTube celebs, and within a week was pitching a YouTube promotion with Lisa to a friend at Warner Bros. Records.

How did that turn out?

It went really well. It was to support a music release from a band on Warner Bros., the Flaming Lips, but it was Lisa Nova who brought in the YouTube audience. It got my attention that many of the old media rules didn’t apply anymore. Whenever that happens, opportunity is usually close behind.

Was it?

Not right away. These were very early days for video seeding. I started pitching my friends at ad agencies. “Let me post your client’s videos on YouTube, Break, whatever other sites were around at the time. Amazing things will happen. I promise.”

Did you have competition?

Not really, and that surprised me. You had Viral Factory and 7th Chamber that were doing “viral video,” but they weren’t in the U.S. in any major way. I remember thinking I have to move fast on this. The opportunity just seemed too big to stay that way for long.

When did you start to break-through with the business?

Spring 2007. I was reading an article in Ad Age about a new web video campaign from a small agency in San Francisco, Cutwater. It was for Ray-Ban sunglasses, so I called the agency and told them what we were doing and they were, like, fantastic. We didn’t know anyone who was doing this. Within several weeks, we launched the first video for the Ray-Ban Never Hide series, which was “Sunglass Catch” It was an immediate viral video hit, millions and millions of views. For the next two years our phone didn’t stop ringing.

How did you get it to be a hit?

With true virals, it always starts with the creative. The Ray-Ban video was perfect for YouTube. Two guys who throw Ray-Ban sunglasses at each other from increasing distances and complexity – from a rooftop, bridge overpass, a moving car. Just from the first comments on YouTube we knew we had something special. But by then we also knew how to get the creative to the right blogs, sites and tastemakers for it to take off. There was very little strategy of buying placements back then. It was more about uploading to as many blogs and video sites as you could and pitching editors who were looking for cool content to build up their audiences. It was more relaxed before sites were getting compensated for major video features, which is what you see more of these days. But as relaxed as it was, at Feed Company we were a pretty obsessive bunch. We spent a lot of time getting the tone right; making sure the title was just right which was to us was how a kid who uploaded a video to YouTube on his own would name it; and when and how we would introduce the Ray-Ban connection to viewers and bloggers. We left breadcrumbs so people who were paying attention could see it might be related to Ray-Ban, so we could make sure the brand entered into the conversation.

You said true virals, is there a fake viral?

Sure. You can spot them sometimes on the Ad Age Viral Video Chart. The creative is not very good, but the views counts on YouTube are high, which gets advertisers on the chart. But if you look closely at the ratings for the video on YouTube or the small number of comments, you know the video is being propped up by heavy promotion. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but don’t call it a viral video.

So the word viral is misused?

Definitely. When I started Feed Company, I made a conscious decision to call ourselves a video seeding company. It wasn’t a popular choice in terms of SEO and didn’t make it easy for the less educated to understand what we did, but I felt – and still do – that “viral” video creates a dangerous set of expectations by the agency and the brands. Just because you say you’re creating a viral video doesn’t make it so. It’s like a film studio saying we’re making a blockbuster. No, you’re making a film you hope is successful, and if it becomes that, then call it a blockbuster. The same with branded social video. Make a great piece of creative. Know who you audience is, who you’re really making it for, and have a great, simple concept. Guy Back Flips Into Jeans, Baby on Roller Blades – and then support the heck of it. Have a plan, have a budget that aligns with the size of your goals, and pick the best video seeding company that understands what you’re trying to do.

How should an agency or advertiser select the best video seeding company?

These days, many marketers select on price – who can deliver me the biggest view guarantee for the lowest price or Cost Per View (CPV). I shop the same way sometimes, but I’m also willing to pay more if I’m getting more. In my neighborhood there are two Italian restaurants on the same street. One delivers huge portions at a very attractive price. I might have to wait to get a table with a checkerboard tablecloth and sometimes I feel as though I could cook the same dish at home, but the value is there. The other restaurant is slightly more expensive, but there’s a tone and attentiveness to the service and food I feel is superior. Video seeding companies are the same. They have personalities and belief systems for the kind of culture they inhabit, the service they provide. Often it’s the intangibles beyond price, or technology or tactics that deliver the fit, and it’s incumbent on the video seeding vendor and the agency to explore that.

What does the future of video seeding look like?

It looks a lot more creative than it is right now, which is where it was when we first started. Back then it was brands and agencies that took the time to understand the social medium. They were experimenters. Then everyone jumped on the bandwagon – I call it the Give Me a Viral Video era. Then it was just Get Me the Views era. People didn’t care where the views came from as long as they saw a big number on YouTube. Now we’re in the Views and Engagement era, which means video seeding companies have to be even more creative to deliver on what they promise. For Feed Company, this means more creative earned marketing strategies and experimenting with new social platforms like Pinterest. Anything to reach and engage audiences on the social video web in new and different ways.

Originally posted on ReelSEO

Andy Murray Makes A Radical Job Switch

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:06:32 +0000

By: Samuel Luckhurst

Andy Murray tries his hand at a series of new jobs in a new short film. However The Huffington Post UK blogger, who played in reserve matches for Hibernian and was asked to train with Rangers Football Club at 15, dabbles in non-sporting occupations as he daydreams about what he would be if he wasn’t a professional tennis player.

The Scot imagines life as a barber, a chef and a rock star in the minute-long promotion of racquet manufacturer Head’s new IG Radical Pro. Although Murray admits: “If I’m honest, my singing isn’t great. The one thing I might be ok at is cooking. I say cooking…, it’s more like heating pasta sauce but I’m enthusiastic if that counts for anything!”

Head have launched a competition for one lucky winner to experience the life of a tennis professional in the company of the world number four. Check out the video to see how Britain’s number one fares in the barbershop, the kitchen and on stage.

Originally posted on Huffington Post UK

Caught On Camera Viral Videos How? What? Why?

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:28:19 +0000

Some of the most successful viral videos on the web keep us coming back for more, intent on unraveling the mystery of how they were made. From walking on water to death-defying stunts, “Caught on Camera: Viral Videos – How? What? Why?” on msnbc has it all including commentary from our own Josh Warner, president of Feed Company.

Originally posted on MSNBC.com

Top 10 Super Bowl XLVI commercials

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:20:20 +0000

by Todd Behrendt

HONDA, “Broderick? Broderick?”

In the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to be Ferris Bueller when I was 16. So while part of me was a bit put off by this beloved character being used to sell me a car that wasn’t a vintage Ferrari, I also was suitably impressed with the level of detail in Matthew Broderick’s homage to Ferris’ day off — the roller coaster rider sporting the Red Wings jersey, the license plate (SOCHOIC), the walrus. Definitely lived up to all the pre-game buzz.

ACURA, “The First One”

Jerry Seinfeld goes to great lengths to try to bribe a fellow car enthusiast for the right to buy the first Acura NSX (you can have the Soup Nazi) before ultimately losing out to Jay Leno. And I thought Leno was an awfully good sport, given that his performance in this one offered the Letterman aficionados among us to point out some typical Leno behavior (i.e., swooping in and stealing something from another comic). “Leno!”

AUDI, “Killing Time”

It took a little time for this one to get going … and if it had ended with the undead sucking down O-positive like it was Bud Light, it wouldn’t have made our “loved it” list. But just when you thought this ad was going to be an unbelievable waste of $3 million, the Audi’s headlights started sending vampires back to hell. Nice twist.

DORITOS, “You Didn’t See Nuthin”

Cat-killing dog bribes his owner to look the other way on his feline-icide with a bag of Doritos. One of the funnier ads of the night, even if cat lovers might not agree.

KIA, “Mr. Sandman”

The Sandman accidentally dumps a little too much sand on a sleeping man, resulting in the mother of all dreams, complete with sporty Kia, Motley Crue, MMA action and many, many attractive women. The conclusion, in which the dreamer busts out of his dream and reclaims his wife from the Fabio wannabe currently romping through her own subconscious, was classic.

VOLKSWAGEN, “Working Out Like A Dog”

Looks like you aren’t the only one whose New Year’s resolution was to lose a little weight. The motivation for the dog — must lose weight to chase VW bug — nicely tied the actual product to an amusing concept.

CHRYSLER, “Halftime in America”

Chrysler is making a cottage industry out of creating commercials that make us believe in America again, following up last year’s Eminem offering with another winner, this one featuring Clint Eastwood. Now, whether they make you want to buy a Chrysler … that’s another story. But there’s no denying the power of Dirty Harry informing us that it’s “halftime in America.”

CHEVY, “The End Of The World”

In this ad, the Mayans’ theories about 2012 prove frighteningly accurate and Chevy drivers are the only ones who survive the ensuing apocalypse. While some may not agree, I liked the bow tie taking a shot at their competition; Dave, the Ford driver, doesn’t survive.

TOYOTA, “Reinventing Ourselves”

It’s tough to remake a car that’s been among the best-selling in the United States for more than a decade seem new. OK, so this commercial won’t exactly do that, but its premise — in which everything from babies (they don’t poop!) to the DMV (soft serve ice cream!) gets a thorough reworking — was cute.

SKECHERS, ‘Dog Race”

The canines were the big winners of the night. When they weren’t killing cats or working out, they were wearing Skechers and running races. And is it just me, or was that little guy moon-walking across the finish line foreshadowing Ahmad Bradshaw’s game-winning touchdown?

Originally posted on FoxSports.com

Driving Video Views & Engagement With SEO & Social Media

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:44:24 +0000

Feed Company Founder and President, Josh Warner, joins a panel of video experts for a discussion on video seeding at the Streaming Media West show in Los Angeles.

Video Seeding With Feed Company’s Josh Warner

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:07:05 +0000

By: Mark R. Robertson

A few weeks ago I got a chance to sit down with the President and Founder of Feed Company, Josh Warner. We talk a bit about how Feed Company began and what they’re up to with regard to video seeding, social media, video marketing. Among the things Josh talks about is the importance of video seeding:

Video seeding is the practice of taking brand video content and seeding it across the social web. What Feed Company does is we take videos and we place them through syndication and earned outreach on targeted websites, on mobile on social games on Facebook and through digital PR outreach, and also other grass root tactics. Ambassador programs with celebrities, grass roots outreach. All sorts of different tactics both earned and promoted to drive views around video content.

You can click the “view the transcript” button below the player for the full text of the video.

Originally posted on ReelSEO

The 10 Most Innovative Viral Video Ads of 2011

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:35:36 +0000

By Josh Warner

Josh Warner is president and founder of Feed Company, which promotes and distributes brand videos, including campaigns such as Levi’s “Backflip,” Ray-Ban’s “Catch” and Activision’s “Bike Hero.” In five years, Feed Company has seeded more than 300 videos across the social web.

This year in viral video ads feels a lot like last year — many advertisers chose to evolve successful concepts and characters, such as Old Spice pairing Mustafa with Fabio for an old-fashioned Internet duel, and DC Shoes continuing Ken Block’s hugely popular Gymkhana series. I guess the adage is, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”

For some advertisers on this year’s Top 10 videos, the creative choices may be less obvious, but feel more innovative. Boldness trumping caution is certainly one theme for videos represented by K-Swiss’s foul-mouthed Kenny Powers and Ford Focus’s flirtatious sock puppet. But other advertisers have other audiences in mind, drawn to the poignancy and emotion of Volkswagen’s The Force and The Silent Indian National Anthem videos, which proves there is no single formula for success for viral video ads, other than knowing your audience and being very creative about engaging them.

Here are the top ten viral video ads for 2011. Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

1. Kenny Powers – K-Swiss MFCEO (Uncensored)

Advertiser: K-Swiss

Ad Agency: 72andSunny

Why It Works: We constantly hope advertisers take more chances, and when they do we’re slightly dumbstruck, which is a reasonable reaction to K-Swiss’s video for its new training shoe, K-Swiss Tubes.

Kenny Powers, the alter ego of Danny McBride from the HBO comedy Eastbound and Down, takes over the company as “Mother F**king CEO.” The result is the most profane, pitch-perfect brand video execution of the year.

2. The Force: Volkswagen Commercial

Advertiser: Volkswagen

Ad Agency: Deutsch

Why It Works: One of the most popular commercials from this year’s Super Bowl is a hit on the web for the same reason. The video tweaks the heartstrings of every parent and fan of Star Wars, which is just about everyone. And at 44 million views just about everyone did watch it.

3. The Silent Indian National Anthem

Advertiser: BIG Cinemas

Ad Agency: Mudra Group DDB

Why It Works: India is a country with many different languages and ethnic cultures which are often at odds. To promote unity during India’s 61st year as a Republic, the country’s largest theatre chain ran a heart-warming video of special needs children from Mumbai singing the national anthem in sign language before every film. It’s a brand video for an entire country at its most hopeful.

4. Life in a Day

Advertiser: Backed by YouTube/LG Electronics

Ad Agency: NA

Why It Works: Life In a Day is the first crowdsourced, user-generated video to premiere at Sundance, which might say something about the heft of its backers, or about the film’s sheer audacity.

On July 24, 2010, in one single day, 80,000 video submissions culled to 94 minutes of inspiring film with help from Hollywood directors Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald.

5. Doug, Ford’s Spokespuppet: Origins

Advertiser: Ford Motor Company

Ad Agency: WPP Team Detroit

Why It Works: If you’re buying a new car, would you trust a mouthy, narcissistic sock puppet named Doug to help you make the right choice? Ford obviously thinks so and with over 50 videos posted to YouTube we agree. The automaker gets huge props for boldness and, as brand spokespuppet, Doug shows a deft social touch, bantering with users on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

6. Go Beyond The Cover

Advertiser: Dermablend Pro

Ad Agency: Agence Tuxedo

Why It Works: Dermablend uses its make up to conceal the full body tattoos of seriously tatted Rico Genest (a.k.a. Zombie Boy) in this strange, can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it video.

The viewer decides for himself how beauty is judged, and what to conceal or reveal, which makes this imaginative entry a must for this year’s top 10.

7. Seagull Stole GoPro

Advertiser: GoPro

Ad Agency: NA

Why It Works: This video from GoPro, makers of wearable digital cameras, proves “faux” viral video still has legs or, in this case, wings. Uploaded on YouTube by user Opica1983, the video shows a seagull absconding with a GoPro camera, flying over rooftops in Cannes, and landing.

The conversation about this classic “real” or “fake” execution rages to this day, but seems too perfect to not be sponsored by the company, who continue to deny it.

8. World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)

Advertiser: Sour Patch Kids

Ad Agency: Mother NY

Why It Works: Hardcore rapper Method Man might not be the obvious choice to promote Sour Patch Kids, but that might be part of the genius of this full-length music video by the rapper, “World Gone Sour.”

The Kids, true to form, make Method Man’s life unbearable by appearing in all the wrong places.

9. Official Ojai Valley Taxidermy Commercial

Advertiser: Ojai Valley Taxidermy

Ad Agency: Rhett and Link

Why It Works: YouTube celebs Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are no strangers to viral video ad success, having produced popular brand videos for Microsoft, Taco Bell, and General Motors. But this video for regional advertiser Ojai Valley Taxidermy finds an improbable Internet star in Chuck Testa, owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy, which spawned one of our favorite Internet memes of the year “Nope! Chuck Testa.”

10. Party Rock Anthem – Kia Soul Hamster Commercial

Advertiser: Kia Soul

Ad Agency: David & Goliath

Why It Works: The three “gansta” hamsters have been on the hamster wheel for Kia Soul since 2009. This year, the automaker manages to keep it fresh by dropping the little guys in the middle of a post-apocalyptic video game with a soundtrack from LMFAO, one of YouTube’s most watched music videos of all time.

It’s a smart move and appealing to people with pint-sized budgets who still want to feel badass about their car selection.

Originally Posted on Mashable.com

Why All Video Views Are Not Created Equal – Tips For Seeding

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:30:30 +0000

By: Josh Warner, President & Founder of Feed Company

Major advertisers, including Nike, Ford, and Microsoft, are using the marketing practice of video seeding to reach online users with brand videos longer than the 15 or 30-seconds required by pre-roll video ads. Marketers like that video seeding reaches online audiences in environments that are inherently more social (YouTube, Facebook, blogs, mobile) than commercial. This helps the brand video and its message get passed along by more users than a traditional display video ad.

Video Seeding – Give Your Video A Head Start

Yet as a marketer, how do you know if video seeding is the right tactic for your ad campaign? If you envision people wanting to talk about and share your brand video on YouTube and blogs then it may be the way to go. Do you have a hook? Is there a celebrity involved? Or is your creative just plain awesome and buzz-worthy? If the answer is yes to any of these, video seeding is a strong option to get brand related video in front of audiences where it can be shared and commented on.

User choice and share-ability are why video seeding is well considered by users and advertisers. Both help audiences connect more deeply with video that seems more fun than commercial. This is the Holy Grail for marketers trying to engage audiences bombarded at every turn by ad messages. Once you recognize user choice and share-ability, you’ll be able to distinguish that not every video view is equal. This is important because all major video seeding companies including Feed Company, Sharethrough, and Viewable Media charge on a Cost Per View (CPV) basis for views they generate from video seeding.

Why Video Seeding Works

Consider Company A, who engages a website or video ad network to host their brand video. The views are delivered using a proprietary video player and tracked by the provider’s own reporting system. The videos can be auto-play, with or without sound, and below the fold where a real view is less likely. The video can also be shown multiple times to the same viewer yet all count toward a view, and there’s less opportunity for sharing.

Consider Company B, who engages a video seeding provider to place their video on websites, social networks, mobile devices, and gaming environments. The views are delivered using a shareable YouTube embed and tracked on YouTube’s reporting system. Every play must be initiated by the user and verified by YouTube, which has stringent qualifications for counting views. There’s also a sharing opportunity to help turn the right creative into a viral video for the brand.

Company A and B are both paying for video views but the audience, delivery, and engagement are different, as are the costs. Decide which approach best achieves the goals of your particular brand video campaign – reach vs. engagement – type of creative – commercial vs. social, and aspiration – display vs. viral – and plan accordingly.

Originally posted on ReelSEO

Ad of the Day: Hotels.com

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:27:02 +0000

If you ever need to book a room during a skydiving free fall, these guys have you covered

By: Emma Bazilian

You might have heard of extreme coupling, extreme ironing, or even extreme cello playing (yeah, it exists). Now, courtesy of Hotels.com and Young & Rubicam in Chicago, there’s another crazy activity to add to that list: extreme hotel-room booking.
Y&R is behind the ubiquitous Claymation ads for Hotels.com, the latest of which features a skydiving couple who take a minute out of their free fall to book a hotel room. Seems like false advertising, right? Apparently not. The client enlisted skydiver and all-around extreme-sports aficionado J.T. Holmes to prove that its mobile site is so fast and easy to use that you can book a hotel room in less time than it takes to fall from an airplane. After announcing that he’s making a last-minute stop in Lake Tahoe and needs a room, Holmes jumps from a plane and attempts to book a room (and squeeze in a flip) in the 30-or-so seconds between the jump and the parachute deploying, aided by an enormous watch and “extreme” soundtrack.

The moment of truth comes when Holmes lands on the beach at Lake Tahoe. A jovial Hotels.com employee uses his walkie-talkie (this is supposed to be high-tech?) to confirm the reservation, and gee whiz, it looks like Holmes has a place to stay! Cue the cheering crowd, who seem to find hotel booking peculiarly thrilling.

The skydiving concept isn’t exactly new—McKinney already used it in Lenovo’s “Boot or Bust” spot, in which a laptop speedily booted up while plummeting toward earth. (Do I smell a new trend in extreme advertising?) But for those who scoffed at Hotels.com’s skydiving Claymation, it’s kind of satisfying to see it put to the test—even if it’s doubtful that anyone will so desperately need to book a hotel room in 30 seconds or less.

CREDITS:
Client: Hotels.com
Spot: “Extreme Booking”
Agency: Young & Rubicam, Chicago
Chief Creative Officer: Bob Winter
Creative Director: Sonya Grewal
Associate Creative Director/Copywriter: Evan Thompson
Associate Creative Director/Art Director: Richard Fischer
Director of Digital: Matt Witt
Head of Integrated Production: Brian Smego
Agency Producer: Peter Hullinger
Production Company: Humble TV
Director/Director of Photography: Jerry Dugan
Aerial Cinematographer: Joe Jennings
Executive Producers: Eric Berkowitz and Persis Koch
Sr. Producer/Post Producer: Andrea Papazoglou

Yes, Video Is a Distinct Medium and TV Ad Dollars Will Feed It

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:45:19 +0000

By: Bill Lederer

In March, eMarketer released a report declaring that, contrary to the pro-digital pundits, TV ad spending will not be shifting dramatically to digital display. They are partially right. TV spending will not be shifting to the nebulous “digital display” realm (comprised primarily of search, banner ads and rich media). Instead, what is already in the active planning stages and will become evident soon after a record TV upfront in the U.S. TV spend is steadily shifting to the new distinct medium: “video,” which includes online, mobile and connected TVs.

Is video really a medium?
It is neither TV shrunk down nor display with moving pictures and sound. It is a strange amalgamation that, at its best, combines the narrative-driven engagement value of TV, the relevant targeting capabilities of display, and the interactivity of social media and gaming. As an inherently social medium with very few limitations, video allows marketers and their audience to tell an extended story with nearly limitless creativity and distribution possibilities aided by listening to and responding to, if desired, the specific audience of the marketer’s choosing. Marketers and their partners can reward awareness, behavior and loyalty. Virtually no other medium allows literally anyone to create, produce, distribute, view, share or comment in real-time and as transparently as desired.

Video encompasses all connected devices from the computer screen to the mobile screen, from the TV screen to the tablet screen. With these connected devices, the very nature of TV, as we know it, is merging with video to form the most powerful, accountable marketing medium. The introduction of dynamically inserted, highly addressable, brand safe, relevantly targeted, interactive advertisements at scale will reshape our ideas about TV advertising forever. More importantly, this will all happen in just the next few years.

Is video big enough?
At Kantar Video, we believe annual U.S. online and mobile video advertising investment alone will reach $5 billion by 2015, beating out the directory industry and challenging the aggregate size of annual outdoor ad spend. In other words, in 10 years time, the medium of video will have gone from near zero to one of the top six ad mediums. In five more years, video advertising will likely enter the top five, if not top four.

So, if video will be so large, why does it tend to get lumped into “display” or “digital” so often? One reason may be that video currently lacks high-profile, sustained, medium-defining brand and agency role models acting as standard bearers and magnets for talent. Imagine what outsized share of voice might be possible in any category were a brand (family) to commit to even $50mm per year of video ad spend. Similarly, what if there became available to support such an effort an end-to-end video agency? Moreover, video is the largest growing advertising medium without a separate advocacy organization. Mobile has one. Social has one. The IAB is leading the charge, but keeping up with the pace, the demands, and the disparate stakeholders of this medium is no easy feat.

All of this is why we in the video-advertising community really need to step up and put a stake in the ground. We should no longer let display and TV claim rights over video. If the “medium is the message,” then video has one heck of a good future. It’s time we start respecting it and make sure all marketing and communications strategies account for it … explicitly.

Feed Company Adds Video Ad Industry Experts To Management Team

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:43:55 +0000

New Hires to Fuel Growth for Leading Video Seeding Company for Creative Brands and Agencies

Feed Company, the leading video seeding company for creative brands and agencies, today announced that Jonathan Quello has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Most recently Director of Digital Ad Sales at Alloy Media + Marketing, Quello will be responsible for fueling sales and client service growth at Feed Company.

Quello joins Feed Company from Alloy Media + Marketing, where he led the digital division in sales servicing Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Sears, Disney, T-Mobile, and Warner Brothers. Prior to Alloy, Quello was a media planner at MediaCom Los Angeles.

Quello is the second video ad industry expert to join Feed Company this month. Jeff Sue, formerly of Traffic Marketplace, a top 10 ad and video display network, joins Feed Company as Director of Publisher Development responsible for overseeing the company’s growing video syndication network. Sue joins Feed Company from Traffic Marketplace where he was Manager of Publisher Development responsible for top properties in the company’s network, including AOL, MSN, and Huffington Post.

Both join Feed Company during a period of rapid sales growth at the company, spurred by increased demand by major advertisers for video ad solutions that feature a social engagement component. “Feed Company is expanding because marketers and agencies recognize and want a video advertising solution that’s able to reach and engage audiences socially on the web,” said Josh Warner, President and founder of Feed Company. “Both Jonathan and Jeff bring a track record of experience and new thinking to Feed Company so our clients can have meaningful conversations with audiences with video they create.”

“I joined Feed Company because we have a custom and scalable solution for advertisers that delivers engaged video views wherever the audience is – on Facebook, YouTube, mobile, blogs,” said Quello. “Having options is incredibly attractive to advertisers.”

About Feed Company

Feed Company is the video seeding company creative brands and agencies rely on to get video exposed to users on top blogs, video sites, mobile and social networks. Our ability to guarantee millions of user-initiated views and social engagements make us the first choice for Fortune 500 companies and their agencies. Our selected clients include Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, BBDO, DraftFCB, Universal McCann, Levi Strauss & Co. Founded in 2007, Feed Company is a privately held company based in Los Angeles, Calif. For more information about Feed Company, please visit http://feedcompany.com/

YouTube Now Draws Nearly 40% of All Online Video Visits

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:44:29 +0000

By: Douglas McIntyre

YouTube has been a powerhouse in the online video arena since well before search giant Google (GOOG) bought it for $1.65 billion in 2006. What’s still a question is how much the video-sharing site will add to Google profits. One thing is certain: YouTube dominates the sector, accounting for nearly four out of 10 online video viewing sessions in the U.S. in May.

Google also dominates market share among people who come online to watch video. Comscore reports that “Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property in May with 147.2 million unique viewers.” The research firm say that in May total unique viewers of video in the U.S. were 176.3 million.

Total viewing sessions across Google’s sites reached 2.1 billion. (Viewing sessions are defined by unique visitors multiplied by the the number of times those visitors come to the site to watch a video.) The total viewing time per unique visitor to Google sites was an extraordinary 311 minutes in May. No other site comes close. The No. 2 spot is held by premium-content site Hulu, which held its viewers’ attention for a fairly impressive 218 minutes. But Hulu only had 28.5 million unique viewers in May. Hulu visitors also tend to watch long-form content provided by media companies. YouTube is still dominated by shorter, user-created videos.

The sites directly behind Google in traffic in May were VEVO, a premium video site, Yahoo! (YHOO), and Facebook.

The data on YouTube suggests that, if the site can get more premium content, it could rule the business of distribution of the products of major media companies on the Web. Early in YouTube’s history, content companies were concerned that their video was being pirated by the site. Viacom (VIA) even filed a $1 billion copyright suit against YouTube in 2007.

But the online world has come a long way since then, and YouTube has begun a campaign to create partnerships with major media companies to bring premium content to the site, in some cases including rental and pay-per-view video. The first set of deals, with companies including Sony Pictures (SNE), Warner Brothers (TWX), Universal and Lionsgate (LGF), was announced last month. YouTube has also become an important destination for music videos, which labels use to promote album sales.

Google has claimed YouTube will be profitable, but that remains to be seen. The bandwidth and storage costs for its video content are huge, perhaps in the tens of billions of dollars.

The big hurdle YouTube must leap on its path to becoming a major provider of premium video is its current content. It’s still viewed by many as a video-sharing site dominated by amateur content, and with good reason. The most popular video on YouTube this month is a 61-second clip called “Cat mom hugs baby kitten” with 27.8 million views. Some Hollywood studios don’t want their movies mixed in with that.

Originally posted on DailyFinance

Ford Hands Social-Media Strategy to Puppet Named ‘Doug’

admin — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:39:34 +0000

Plus: The Top 10 Spokes-puppets of All Time
By: Matthew Yeomans

Last year Ford put its Fiesta brand in the hands of America’s drivers to help tell the real story behind the car. This year the company has placed its social-media faith in an orange puppet called Doug.

Doug isn’t your normal benign company spokesperson. He’s full of attitude and kinda funny or kinda obnoxious depending on your point of view. In the official launch “episode” of what Ford hopes will become a must-watch-and-share set of video snacks, Doug was unveiled to the media and he revealed himself to be a bit of a lady’s man — as he might put it — or just downright misogynistic as anxious Ford “execs” described his performance. Subsequent YouTube skits have shown Doug getting to grips with the features of the Focus while also trying to get to grips with the female Ford employee demonstrating them.

What’s going on here? Cynics might say that Ford has run out of crowdsourced, tap-into-real-people social-media ideas and so an irascible puppet is the next logical step away from those old-school sweeping Canyonlands “real American” TV adverts.

But in the annals of adland Ford is following a well-rehearsed script of using puppet power to help add spice to a brand. Puppets, after all, allow brands to get away with stuff no actual human brand representative could try. Imagine a real actor trying to be as louche as Doug — it just wouldn’t work for the brand. Ford also understands that social media affords brands multiple opportunities for experimentation/edgy engagement with customers. Doug’s behavior could be alienating on TV but in the back-and-forth banter of social-media conversation it is likely to be embraced and shared just as much as it is criticized or ignored.

So can Doug achieve media greatness in the fickle world of social-media marketing or will he end up on the scrap heap of failed puppet props? Here are 10 puppet brand ambassadors that could teach him a few tricks:

1. Wilkins Coffee
Some say Jim Henson’s Wikins puppet character, created in 1958 to hawk an eponymous coffee brand, was the inspiration for Kermit. We think Doug might also be taken inspiration from this granddaddy of brand puppets.

2. Basil Brush and Haze Pomander
A generation of Brit kids grew up watching Basil Brush, his rapid-fire patter (he could have been scripted by Aaron Sorkin) and his famous “Boom Boom” punchline. Appearing for an air freshener was not his finest moment.

3. Muppets do Polaroid
In the early 1980s, the Muppets were at the height of their powers and Polaroid film and instant cameras were still cutting edge. A rare case where a puppet dynasty has outlasted the product it was promoting.

4. Flat Eric and Levi’s
Flat Eric was adapted (or adopted) in 1999 from a French music video and refitted to help sell Levi’s Sta-Prest jeans. He became an instant cult classic and even starred in the U.K. version of “The Office.”

5. Pets.com
For one year, the Pets.com sock puppet shone more brightly than any branded puppet had shone before. The first puppet to have its own Super Bowl ad (complete with the instantly recognizable punchline “Because pets can’t drive!”), the puppet also scored interviews with “Good Morning America” and had its own Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float. Pets.com flamed and died in the dot-com crash but the sock puppet lived on, as the brand advocate for auto loan firm Bar None.

6. Kermit does Ford Escape
The greenest of all Muppets probably struck ad execs as a smart puppet choice to front this 2006 Ford Escape hybrid advert. Alas, Kermit’s fronting for an SUV was dismissed as greenwashing. He was on safer ground with Jessica Simpson talking green pepper toppings for Pizza Hut.

7. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Most Valuable Puppets
The puppet re-creation of the Kobe-LeBron basketball rivalry was an instant online and offline hit for Nike. It spawned a whole series of videos as well as a merchandise range.

8. Zappos employee puppets
Social-media darling Zappos chose a novel approach for its first TV ad — it recreated its customer-service employees as “Avenue Q”-style puppets, or “zappets,” as the brand called them. The scripts were actual customer-service conversations to show how politely Zappos handles even the zaniest of requests.

9. Thunderbirds and SpecSavers
Those of us in our 40s normally reach a point when we need glasses, so what better way to appeal to this nostalgic demographic than through cult TV characters from our youth. Hence, the return of Gerry Anderson creations The Thunderbirds and Joe 90 in this British SpecSavers ad.

10. Lipton Brisk Ice-Tea
Another Super Bowl, another puppet, but this time the Pets.com mantle is stolen by Eminem. The dog was funnier.

Originally posted on Ad Age

Air NZ’s Rico teams up with Snoop Dogg

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:28:13 +0000

By Paul Harper

Air New Zealand has teamed up controversial puppet Rico with superstar rapper Snoop Dogg in its latest video – although it is hard to tell how the clip promotes the national carrier. In the music video, entitled Hello Sunshine, Rico is “down in New Zealand – lost in a bush” when rapper Snoop Dogg – real name Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr – calls him from California and asks him to join him in his studio.”I’ll be there in a hearts beats,” Rico says, before flying Air New Zealand to the United States. To a rap backing track, Rico, a small, fanged animal with a faux South American accent, joins Snoop Dogg in the studio.”Ladies, Rico’s here just off the plane, ready to take away all your pain,” Rico sings. “We’re gonna cook a dish, made to savour. Come add your spice, don’t matter the flavour.” Snoop Dogg, sporting an All Blacks jersey, chimes in with lines such as “from Cali to Kiwi – we do it big in the new zee” and “Air New Zealand, yeah – got the feeling, yeah”.

Previous Rico ads have attracted criticism from both the public and staff – with some labelling the puppet as sexist and staff complaining in-flight videos starring Rico were trivialising safety messages.In one ad, Rico talks about his time in New Zealand, saying: “I love her bush – it’s amazing” and “I spent my time beating off the track in many place”. The Snoop Dogg video is of a similar vein; when being escorted through Snoop Dogg’s home by an attractive woman, Rico exclaims the home has a “nice backyard”. Then, looking at the backside of one of the many beautiful women, he adds: “really nice backyard”. In a statement, Air New Zealand general manager marketing Mike Tod said Snoop Dogg and Rico combined have millions of followers in social media and performing a song together came naturally.”Both have courted controversy in their careers and both love to sing – arguably one better than the other, but still, it makes for some light entertainment,” he said. The statement also said: “Rico has also ruffled some fur amongst mainstream media, who have had fun talking up the controversial aspects of his personality”.

When the Herald requested an interview with Mr Tod, a spokeswoman instead offered an interview with Rico and said a request would be put in with Mr Tod. In the statement, Snoop Dogg also said: “Meet this guy and you’ll understand why I wanted to work with him. He’s funny. He’s a little bit edgy and a little bit naughty, which is a nice change for an industry that is known for having some of the dullest marketing known to mankind.” Snoop Dogg’s latest album, Doggumentary, is due to be released on March 28 – although does not include Hello Sunshine, according to the track listing.

Originally posted on the New Zealand Herald

Make Your Branded Video Go Truly Viral

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:13:33 +0000

by Andrew Hampp

Is Old Spice the brand your viral video could look like?

Ever since Wieden & Kennedy’s body-wash campaign for Procter & Gamble became a viral sensation with millions of views, hundreds of response videos and a bump in product sales, brands have been clamoring to find their own Isaiah Mustafa success story. But to do that in 2011, it requires a lot more than just a sexy spokesman and a catchy tagline. Here are 10 tips for making your branded video truly go viral.

1. Start with a goal for your brand. Too often, marketers or agencies come up with cool ideas or concepts that have little to no connection to their brand or product offering. Dan Greenberg, CEO of video-distribution company Sharethrough, said he asks clients to write themselves a “postcard from the future” before releasing each viral video, detailing what they hope consumers will say about their video once it’s been shared, e.g. “That was really funny” or “I had no idea that product actually did that.”

“You’d be surprised by how often the creative director doesn’t have an immediate answer to that question,” he said. “It makes them think really hard about content that’s truly shareable.”

2. Pick a creative concept that’s going to grab attention. Jonathan Small, senior VP-editorial at Break Media, said the four types of videos that tend to strike a chord with Break’s audience of young males can broadly be categorized as “funny,” “sexy,” “wow” and “ow.” Of course, only the Funny and the Wow tend to be the most ad-friendly. Being topical helps, too. “If it’s timed to a recent event and it’s relevant to the audience you’re trying to target, you’re more likely to get views pretty quickly,” Mr. Small said.

3. Encourage engagement. The most successful viral campaigns are those where fans create their own brand-inspired videos. Old Spice’s “Responses” campaign has amassed 80 million views from aggregate consumer-generated parodies and clips. Revlon’s Mitchum deodorant learned this over the past summer when it teamed up with Creative Artists Agency and Brett Ratner Brands for a contest to find the hardest-working person in America, a theme tied to the brand’s positioning as the hardest-working deodorant. A YouTube contest caught the unsolicited attention of “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe, who submitted a nominee and helped the campaign attract more than 150 submissions and more than 3 million views. Mitchum saw sales reach a two-year high as a result. “We wanted to create a natural environment, but there were some things that were deliberate in terms of creating certain tools so consumers could create their own videos and help get the content in front of the right people,” CAA Marketing Co-President David Messinger said.

4. Go easy on the branding. Josh Warner, CEO of video-seeding firm Feed Company, said a new kind of “engagement capital” has emerged with viral marketing in which different levels of branding tend to work better than others. Lightly branded videos that function as standalone content were found to be four times more effective than heavily branded videos and 10 times more effective than clips with a call to action. “The minute you put a brand upfront in the video with a lot of brand mentions, it turns from being an entertaining piece of content to ‘I’m giving you a product,’” Mr. Warner said.

5. If you do use heavy branding, use it wisely. Ford Motor Co. wanted to communicate the unique features of its 2011 Ford Fiesta, such as ambient lighting and push-button-start ignition. Rather than film the standard product-demo videos for its micro-site, Ford tapped social-media influencers on Twitter and YouTube to do the product demos for it. “People in general can be distrustful of viral videos from large companies; they see it just as marketing. If it comes from somebody socially vibrant, then it becomes something relevant to their own life,” said Jonathan Beebe, Ford’s digital marketing manager.

6. The more the merrier. When it comes to branded videos, one is not enough. In some instances, brands will sponsor entire web series and enlist scripted talent such as actress Illeana Douglas (Ikea’s “Easy to Assemble”) or reality stars like chef Paula Deen (Kraft’s “Real Women of Philadelphia” contest for Philadelphia Cream Cheese) for their online content. Other brands such as Evian will create alternate viral clips featuring popular characters (in a recent case, the Evian babies) and use alternate footage and cast interviews to boost impressions for the campaign at large. “You don’t get a ton of views anymore by just letting the original asset work on its own. Related assets and behind-the-scenes clips will drive crucial additional viewership,” said Matt Fiorentino, a senior marketing analyst at web-analytics firm Visible Measures.

7. Celebrities don’t guarantee views. While having a household name can certainly boost awareness and even search results, it’s not the end-game to securing viral success. However, an Ashton Kutcher or a Seth Green might be more likely to find an audience than, say, a Jennifer Aniston. “Celebrities who have an audience that’s active online and have made a commitment to online see a lot more activity than those celebrities that exist more offline than online,” Feed Company’s Mr. Warner said.

8. Network, network, network. Using every social-media platform available from Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and MetaCafe is a given. But leveraging relationships with key bloggers, press and online personalities is the secret sauce to a hit campaign with lots of earned media. Ford and Team Detroit, for example, hired YouTube star Brittany Taylor to help compare the Ford Fiesta to a Lamborghini, and gained more than 800,000 views on YouTube alone by tapping into her subscribers and Twitter followers. Although Ford bought a little bit of paid search around the videos, Mr. Beebe said the organic traffic ended up outperforming some of the company’s own recent paid campaigns.

9. Use paid media strategically. Although “organic” and “earned” views are still the ultimate gauges of viral success, most brands need to have some proof of audience. Some companies and ad networks are working with marketers to buy video banner ads on key sites that are likely to encourage sharing after the fact. Rates vary, but $100,000 can often buy 1 million paid views on cherry-picked key sites such as Metacafe, Daily Motion and CollegeHumor, while ad networks can often guarantee 1 million paid views in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. “If your strategy is just editorial outreach and it doesn’t work out for whatever reason, it’s tough to be the vendor in that position if you didn’t get views,” Sharethrough’s Mr. Greenberg said. “But if you buy 1 million views, sometimes the content is so compelling you maximize the sharing and it turns into 4 million or 5 million views.”

10. Don’t underestimate Facebook. Many publishers are finding Facebook is becoming the dominant place for off-channel views, as sharing and embedding clips achieves critical mass. “Six months ago it was still a lot about sites like Digg and Huffington Post. But now a lot of our traffic is coming from Facebook directly. It’s almost like its own separate internet,” Break’s Mr. Small said. “We’re working with our team to write headlines that work better on Facebook, because the way a video might be played on our homepage is different than something people would want to share on Facebook.”

~ ~ ~
Originally posted on AdAge