News Sharing: Online Video, A Promising Market (Part III)

Part III: What’s that buzz ? Some facts about online campaigns

If you look at the top ten of most watched videos on the web, music videos score very high, so do movie trailers, followed closely by user generated films – preferably kids making funny faces, and commercials ‘with an edge’.

So how does a video become viral ? Is there a secret formula ? Studies show that there is no fixed rule, it’s all quite unpredictable.

However, one thing is for sure, a video needs some vital (or rather viral) ingredients whether it is in its content or in the way it is brought to the audience’s attention. One such ingredient is its entertainment value. A viral video is by essence entertaining, it needs to catch the audience’s attention, make them laugh to tears, cry in sobs, astonish, question, want to watch further and ultimately share. Free distribution can be achieved only if the commercial is tailored to the viewer’s greed for entertainment. The reason is that unlike TVCs which ‘invade’ the viewer in the middle of a tv program and compel him to look, online commercials are watched by personal choice, very much consciously. More than just communicate, brands need to interact with the viewer. Furthermore, these are audiences that actively seek out the content, giving brands incredible engagement with consumers if the video hits the target.

The shorter, the better. However this is not always true, as some online campaigns are longer than traditional TVCs, ranging from 1 to 3min. Subject matters vary from old grannies nagging in an airport (our own Taanaeel’s “Teta Latifeh”) to teens doing stunts in the street (Levi’s), from babies on rollers (Evian) to colorful magic balls bouncing away in the streets of San Fransisco (Sony). Usually what works best are funny, silly or shocking subjects, unexpected endings, stunts, sex, spoofs, funny faces, a twist on current events, choreography, special effects… Whatever the subject might be, the brand needs to take the backseat and remain discrete so as not to invade the viewer but it should be visible enough so that the video accomplishes its role of advertising. The balance is very delicate and might determine whether the video goes viral or not.

Professionalism is another important factor in the equation. Though the amateur, do-it-yourself aesthetic works well on the net, for commercials this is only true if they are produced professionally with the intention of giving the video a home-made look. It doesn’t mean that the ad will need to be filmed in 35mm with state of the art lighting. One of the advantages of making an online commercial is precisely its cost as it is much more economical to produce than a traditional TVC. However, the production and direction of the video need to be in the hands of professionals, with the right equipment and a strong concept.

Once the commercial is shot and ready, it needs to reach the cyber viewer through the right channels. Posting your video on Youtube and waiting for the world to discover it – that is 1 in 20 videos posted every minute, is not going to work unless you give it the right push. It helps to have an online communication plan that takes into account referencing and tagging, paid placements (video banners on dedicated sites), organic seeding (on blogs, social media sites…). Then see how the buzz – in other words free distribution, starts to spread.