Why "going" viral often doesn't work.

You won't become viral by proclamation. In a recent episode of Donald Trump's The Apprentice, the men were pitted against the women in a battle to see who could create the best viral video for Popcorn Indiana brand popcorn. The women bested the men by creating a video that featured a young man gorging himself with popcorn while he worked out at the gym. Finding the winning video on Youtube, I was a little surprised to see that there were only 1,775 views. Interestingly, the "losing" video has 2,849 views. Both numbers are far from what many would call "viral," half a million views and up you're getting there, but it's a prime example that simply proclaiming that your work is viral doesn't make it so.

I'm truly surprised by the number of savvy marketers who still think that they can control the medium as well as the message. Both videos do a good job of showcasing the brand. But anyone watching either of these two videos see's quickly that they are what they are; a brand ad. And while they are mildly entertaining, they're certainly not likely to explode on the internet. So what's a marketer who wants to go viral to do? Well, start by living viral, not proclaiming that you are. Create truly interesting, entertaining, thoughtful, and compelling ideas that go beyond a video. If it's truly a great idea (Old Spice) it will become viral worthy. Old Spice launched their "look at me guy" campaign not as a viral campaign, it was an ad campaign that became viral. To date, the 30 second TV spot has been viewed on Youtube an astounding 21,858,024.