Download Consumer Sharing of Viral Video Advertisements

Consumer Sharing of Viral Video Advertisements: A Look into Message and Creative
Strategy Typologies and Emotional Content
Blaise Jenkins
A Capstone Project
Presented to The Faculty of the School of Communication In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Public Communication
Supervisor: Prof. Lauren Feldman
April 21, 2011
Jenkins 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This Capstone would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of
Professor of Public Communication, Lauren Feldman, who contributed and extended her
valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this study and the Administrators
of the Faculty of American University School of Communication who have provided
effort in encouraging the teaching staff to pursue professional growth.
Jenkins 3
Abstract
This study seeks to examine and define a division of Online Word-of-Mouth
known as viral advertising. Online word-of-mouth advertising, or viral advertising,
allows messages to spread throughout a social circle organically, garnering earned
media for the brand and advertiser. This paper analyzes existing research and provides
new qualitative research on qualities and elements of advertisements that are likely to go
viral through consumer sharing. Findings suggest positive emotions and brand image
play an important role in video advertisements’ virality. Success for viral video
advertisements lies in branded content. This work highlights the value of considering
specific creative typologies, which, if used effectively in video advertisements, may shape
the outcomes of what becomes viral.
Jenkins 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………............. 5
LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………….......... 7
Defining Viral Marketing and Viral Advertising…………….......... 7
The Role of Social Media……………………………….... 10
Message and Creative Strategies for Advertisements…………..... 11
Informational vs. Transformational Advertising………..... 11
Creative Strategy Typologies ……………………………. 12
Consumer Sharing through Online Word-of Mouth……………... 14
A Theoretical Framework for Online WOM…………….. 15
Why Consumers Share Information Virally………………........... 16
The Role of Emotion…………………............................... 17
Table 1: Emotion Framework for Viral Advertisement...... 21
METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………….... 22
RESULTS…………………………………………………………........... 25
DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………..... 28
Limitations and Future Research………………………………… 32
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………... 33
APPENDIX A: About Visible Measures……………………………........ 38
APPENDIX B: Viral Video Advertisement Chart……………………….. 39
APPENDIX C: Informational Advertisement Analysis………………….. 46
APPENDIX D: Transformational Advertisement Analysis…………….... 48
APPENDIX E: Industry and Creative Advertisement Analysis………….. 50
APPENDIX F: Emotional Content Advertisement Analysis…………....... 52
Jenkins 5
INTRODUCTION
Thanks to the TV ad, which then became a YouTube hit, millions of people,
women especially, now feel something for Isaiah Mustafa, and are linking his manly abs
to the Old Spice brand. Created by Wieden & Kennedy Agency for Proctor and Gamble,
Old Spice in 2010, the Old Spice campaign became a viral sensation on YouTube. Old
Spice has created their own YouTube channel where viewers continue to watch and share
“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” advertisements. A series of videos has been
created for the campaign and have become some of the most popular videos on YouTube
(Parpis, 2010). The advertisement’s target audience is women and men. The ads appeal
to the consumer’s ideal picture of what every man wants to be and the man every woman
wants, through humor and irony. A real time social media campaign was launched by Old
Spice to share and engage in conversation with consumers. Isaiah Mustafa responded to
questions from Twitter and blog commentary with personalized response videos that
resembled the current advertisements. The response videos received more than 40
million total views. The brand's YouTube channel has received more than 94 million
views and boasts more than 120,000 subscribers (Parpis, 2010).
As the Internet has grown, so has web advertising. The diffusion of high speed
Internet has changed the nature of online advertising. Online advertising was once limited
to such formats as banners, interstitials, and pop-ups. Via the Web, advertisers are now
able to disseminate messages to audiences using high production video advertisements
that were once limited to the medium of television (Golan, & Zaidner, 2008). According
to Nielsen Wire (2010), “Whether watching a short clip on YouTube or an entire TV
program, almost three-quarters (72%) of Internet users view videos online
Jenkins 6
— amounting to 144 million people.” The door has been opened for new word-of-mouth
advertising platforms in which individuals communicate about a brand, product, or
service though a computer-mediated communication environment.
Viral advertising refers to an advertising technique in which video advertisements
are distributed from one user to another via e-mail and online social networking (Golan,
& Zaidner, 2008). Unlink previous online advertising formats, viral advertisements are
shared between friends and peers rather than controlled by an advertiser. Advertisements,
when viral, are seen as less intrusive and are perceived more positively by consumers.
The users’ willingness to share content with peers may be influenced by the content of
the advertisement. Brands can use viral video in their campaign to create a buzz online
and offer something exclusive to users and reach a larger audience.
Nonetheless, few studies have examined how the highly creative nature of viral
advertising video affects consumer behavior and drives online word-of-mouth
distribution of these advertisements. Although viral marketing has garnered a great deal
of attention in the trade press, little is known about the motivations, attitudes, and
behaviors of consumers’ sharing intent that signify the fundamental aspect of video
advertisements going viral (Phelps, Lewis, Mobilio, Perry, & Raman ,2004).
This case analysis provides one of the first investigations on the creative strategy
of video advertising content and its relation to consumer sharing. This paper provides an
emphasis on interactive word-of-mouth advertising that is emerging among marketing
practitioners. The study presented will provide knowledge for why consumers share
content through online word-of-mouth and then attempt to identify and highlight the main
advertising message strategy, creative strategy typologies, and emotional content in video
Jenkins 7
advertisements that have successfully gone viral. Such knowledge is beneficial to better
understand the very nature of this new and unique online advertising medium. This
papers overall goal is to provide a better understanding of the implications of video
advertisement creation for advertising practitioners interested in implementing viral
efforts. Suggestions for future research relating to computer-mediated consumer-toconsumer interactions with video advertisements are presented for academic researchers.
LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review examines and evaluates a number of studies, existing
literature, and campaigns that get at the elements of viral advertisements that are most
likely to motivate sharing. The literature contains content about the reasons why people
share content, the method by which the content spreads through different means of online
word of mouth communication, the content of the advertisement, reactions of the
consumer that motivate sharing, and reasons why an advertisement may spread virally.
Defining Viral Marketing and Viral Advertising
We are living in an age when changes in communications, business models, and
information technologies are reshaping almost every aspect of modern-day life. This
includes how we create, consume, learn, and interact with each other. Many new digital
technologies allow consumers to work in collaboration with others, connect with people
who share similar goals and interests, and create and circulate media content. Throughout
this process, these technologies have changed the ways that a consumer networks.
(Jenkins, 2010)
Jenkins (2010) studied new digital networking technologies. He suggests,
Jenkins 8
“Sites like YouTube, Flickr, Second Life, and Wikipedia have made evident a set
of cultural practices that have been taking root within social structures created by
the most passionately engaged consumers of mass media properties. These sites
and practices expand cultural influence by increasing and diversifying
participation. In many ways, these practices have been encoded into the business
models shaping companies of the Web 2.0, which have in turn made them far
more mainstream, have increased their visibility, and have incorporated them into
commercial production and marketing practices”(para. 6).
Marketing and advertising practitioners have speculated about the current state of
Internet advertising, how it compares to traditional media commercial advertising, and its
implications for traditional marketing models and practices. Word of mouth
communication has become the center of marketing campaigns. Consumers are more
likely to accept messages and solve buying problems through personal and social
networks, turning to word-of-mouth communication (Dichter, 1966). Consumers, more
often than not, reject messages when they believe that an advertisement is more of a sales
tool than information. According to Wells, Moriarty, and Burnett (2000), traditional
marketing and advertising is a “paid non-personal communication from an identified
sponsor using mass media to persuade or influence an audience” (p. 6). Companies are
taking advantage of the possibilities of information sharing through online word-ofmouth, and joining on the bandwagon of the viral phenomenon.
Viral marketing has emerged as the electronic form of word of mouth creating
instantaneous buzz and involves the principle of passing on or referring news,
information, or entertainment to another person. (Cruz & Fill, 2008). Viral marketing,
Jenkins 9
also known as buzz marketing, has been defined as “the process of getting customers to
pass along a company’s marketing message to friends, family, and colleagues” (Laudon,
& Traver, 2001, p. 381). Viral marketing can also be described as “a communication and
distribution concept that relies on customers to transmit digital products via electronic
mail to other potential customers in their social sphere and to animate these contacts to
also transmit the products” (Helm, 2000). According to Helm (2002), viral marketing is
a type of advertising that is like an online version of word-of-mouth advertising.
As noted by Porter and Golan (2006), there is much confusion about the definition
of viral marketing as both professionals and scholars use the terms viral marketing,
stealth marketing, buzz marketing and viral advertising interchangeably.
Viral advertising is different than viral marketing. “While the latter refers to a
comprehensive marketing strategy that may include several (viral) components, viral
advertising refers to a specific online advertising practice (Golan & Zaidner, 2008 p.
961). “Essentially, viral advertising refers to an online advertising sharing method that
relies on word of mouth distribution via email or social network platforms as the means
of reaching target audiences” (Golan & Zaidner, 2008, p. 962).
Viral Advertising comes across as natural rather than forceful. Rogers (1994)
indicates that innovations diffuse better in an exchange of information than they do via
direct persuasion. Therefore, viral advertising dissemination should be more effective
than persuasion by an institution or organization. According to Porter and Golan (2006),
viral advertising can be defined as “unpaid peer-to-peer communication of proactive
content originating from an identified sponsor using the Internet to persuade or influence
an audience to pass along content to others” (p. 29).
Jenkins 10
The Role of Social Media
Online advertisements are usually distributed through independent third party
sites such as YouTube, which is known to compile viral videos. “YouTube has become
the most successful Internet website providing a new generation of short video sharing
service since its establishment in early 2005” (Cheng, Dale, &, Liu, 2008, p.1). While
traditional advertising is non-personal, viral advertising is personal. The intent is for the
advertisements to go viral organically and be distributed by online word-of-mouth
communication (Porter, & Golan, 2006).
According to the International Association of Business Communicators, “more
than half of all Internet users have joined a social network; social networks have become
the number one platform for creating and sharing content” (Young, 2009). All this has
placed production of media such as images, words, video and audio in the hands of a
significant fraction of consumers. It's a fundamental shift in human communication
behavior toward participating and sharing. Essentially this means there is a switch from
push to pull marketing.
The information age has enhanced and accelerated the ability for everyday
Internet users to communicate and spread the word about brands, products, experiences,
and events. While digital media make sharing information and content more accessible,
the motivation to share is essential for the virality of a message to take place. Thus viral
success is dependent on a consumer’s willingness to share a message to others within his
or her social circle (Tang, 2006).
Jenkins 11
Message and Creative Strategies of Advertising
Informational vs. Transformational Advertising
For any form of advertisement the goal is to create a message to reach a target
audience to create brand awareness and generate sales. No matter what form of
advertising is being used, traditional media or Internet, having a message strategy and
creative strategy is important for practitioners. Although in some previous research the
two strategies have been used interchangeably; Laskey, Day, and Crask (1989); and
Taylor (1999), have made distinctions between the two terms and their appeals. They
suggest that the concept of "what to say" refers to the message strategy, while the creative
strategy is about the method of presentation or "how to say it." Both message strategy and
creative strategy can be used in an advertisement; however, it depends on whether the
appeal is to focus on product attributes and benefits, or the brand image.
There have been different names given to these two types of strategies. Aaker and
Norris (1982) labeled the two basic advertisement types as "informational/
rational/cognitive" and "image/emotional/feeling." Similarly, Puto and Wells (1984) use
the terms "informational" and "transformational." Puto and Wells (1984) suggested that
“Informational advertising: provides consumers with factual (i.e., presumably
verifiable), relevant brand data in a clear and logical manner such that they have
greater confidence in their ability to assess the merits of buying the brand after
having seen the advertisement. Transformational advertising: associates the
experience of using (consuming) the advertised brand with a unique set of
psychological characteristics which would not typically be associated with the
brand experience to the same degree without exposure to the [advertising]
Jenkins 12
However, informational and transformational categories are exhaustive, but not
mutually exclusive, categories of advertisements " (p. 638).
According to Kim, McMillan, Hwang (2005) “message strategy provides a broad
umbrella under which many creative strategies can be executed, it would seem reasonable
that informational message strategies should lead to informational-oriented creative
strategies and vice versa for transformational strategies” (p.50).
Creative Strategy Typologies
Based off Pluto and Wells (1984) definition of informational and transformational
advertising types, Laskey, Day, and Crask (1989), developed nine message typology
categories. Informational strategies include: Comparative, Unique Selling Proposition,
Preemptive, Hyperbole, and Generic Information. A comparative strategy compares a
brand to others through images, words, or using a competing brand in the advertisement..
A unique selling proposition strategy uses a claim of a unique product attribute, a benefit
is presented, or through the advertisement the brand becomes unique. In a preemptive
strategy, an attribute or benefit of a product or brand is demonstrated. A hyperbole
strategy will present exaggerations about a product or brand in the advertisement.
Generic information is when a message can not be identified and does not focus on a
specific brand (Kim, McMillan, Hwang, 2005)
According Laskey et al. (1989) the four segments within the transformational
strategies include: User Image, Brand Image, Use Occasion, and Generic Transformation.
A user image strategy is very target and focuses on the consumers of the brand and their
lifestyles. A brand image strategy focuses primarily on creating an image and personality
for the brand itself. Usually, brand image conveys a brand personality. A use occasion
Jenkins 13
strategy focuses on the situations when one would use the product and creates an
experience between using the product in specific situations and the brand. Generic
transformation like generic information is when a message can not be identified and does
not focus on a specific brand (Kim & McMillan, 2005).
Message strategy and creative strategy typologies are important when crafting an
advertisement. Laskey et al. (1989) used these typologies to study traditional commercial
advertisements. Their research found that the frequency of use of a specific strategies
depended on the product category. The effectiveness of the use of these typologies has
not been studied.
To generate online word-of-mouth, message and creative strategies used in
advertisements should allow the viewer to develop an emotional connection with brand or
product. Viral advertisers are displaying creative strategies through emotional content,
such as humor and surprise, making the advertisement funny enough to pass along to
other online users. Often video based “advertainment,” the entertainment element of the
video advertisement, provides entertaining content by using a “wow” factor making
consumers want to interact with it (Porter, & Golan, 2006). Since it is difficult for
consumers to avoid exposure to advertising, many people have turned to accepting it for
its independent attraction and entertainment value. Thus entertainment value and
originality of ads have become topics of talk (Dichter, 1966).
If the ultimate goal of advertising is to form positive attitudes toward the
advertisement and the brand or product, thus increasing sharing intent and the
opportunity for the advertisement to become viral, according to existing research a
message’s creative strategy and a positive emotional response to an ad may be the best
Jenkins 14
indicator of advertising effectiveness (Goldsmith & Lafferty, 2002). “According to the
Online Publishers Association, overall online video advertising represents a 67% boost
for improving brand favorability. But context and relevance are critical to the success of
an online video advertising campaign” (Grosso, 2008). Despite the fact that viral
marketing and advertising can be a successful means of marketing communication, there
is still a limited understanding to how it works and why consumers share (Dobele,
Lindgreen, Beverland, Vanhamme, &Wijk, 2007).
Consumer Sharing through Online Word of Mouth
Emanuel Rosen, author of “The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited,” defines “buzz
broadly to include word of mouth (or consumer-to-consumer communication regarding
brands), plus worde of Web (online word of mouth), as well as all other interpersonal
communication, including second-hand buzz and consumers visually displaying brands”
(Wojnicki, 2009).
Today’s online customers can exchange opinions and experiences related to
companies, products and services with individuals outside of their personal
communication networks. This ability to exchange opinions and experiences online is
known as online word-of-mouth and has become increasingly popular in recent years
(Mitchell, 2010). The electronic age has made it easier to pass along information and
knowledge. The Internet enhances and accelerates the ability to stay in touch with and
contact peers. The Internet creates an environment where opinions and experiences can
be shared and viewed by the public. With online word-of-mouth anyone can receive and
share information. It is not uncommon for information that becomes viral to be seen on
Jenkins 15
other forms of media. YouTube videos that have had millions of views and have been
shared between viewers will garner media attention.
We participate in conversation and share experiences without any incentive.
Thus, our conversations could be promoting, or marketing, a specific brand we like,
service we experienced, or new product we used. These actions are to deepen social
connection (Berger & Milkman, 2005, p.6). Messages, when shared with others in one’s
personal social networks, are considered more credible. A theoretical understanding of
how and why people share content online would greatly benefit advertisers and
marketers.
A Theoretical Framework for Online Word-of-Mouth
The growth of online word-of-mouth opportunities can be understood through the
lens of diffusion of innovation theory. The theory suggests that diffusion occurs when an
innovation is communicated through certain channels among members of a social system.
An innovation is an idea, practice, or object that an individual or unit of adoption
perceives as new (Rogers, 1994). According to Rogers (1995), mass media channels are
relatively more important for learning about an innovation, whereas interpersonal
communication is especially important for persuasion. Thus, consumers communicating
via e-mail and/or social networking sites may persuade more willingly than mass media
advertising.
Collective action theory, in particular, demonstrates the power that lies in shared
group interests and the subsequent communal pursuit of a public good (Marwell &
Oliver, 1993). With a medium like the Internet, the success of sharing a viral video
advertisement does not take a conscious effort. Instead, viral success can be reached by
Jenkins 16
the simple, unsystematic and collective act of forwarding and linking the advertisement
video.
Katz (1987) explanation of the two-step flow of communication can provide
understanding for the active and passive roles that people take part in and explain how
collective action occurs in an online environment. The framework of this theory will help
to better explain how buzz is created, and how people share information online.
Influences stemming from mass media first reach opinion leaders who, then, pass on
what they read or hear to those of their everyday associates for whom they are influential.
Opinion leaders are typically those who pick up information, are socially well connected,
and are trusted and looked at by their social circles to pass on knowledge or opinions.
This interpersonal influence is an important aspect of information sharing because rather
than the mass media the opinion leader sharing the information is usually a trusted source
(Katz, 1957).
Why Consumer Share Information Virally
There is an emotional side to consumer behavior that can and should not be
ignored. The role of emotion in advertising also needs to be brought to attention as a
motivation for consumer sharing (Hobrook & O’Shaughnessy, 1984). Emotional content
has the ability to form or change a consumer’s attitude towards an advertisement.
Previous research finds that people are more likely to share positive content that elicits
emotion (Dobele et al., 2006). Berger and Milkman’s (2005) findings suggest that not
only do people share content that contains useful information, but sharing occurs for the
emotional experience. Their research shows that people share messages with emotional
content to allow others to understand how they feel, obtain sensation, reduce feelings of
Jenkins 17
dissonance, strengthen social connections, and enhance identity. Therefore the following
sections discuss these causes in detail.
The Role of Emotion
Phelps, Lewis, Mobilio, Perry, and Raman (2004) conducted an important early
study on online word-of-mouth, examining consumer responses and motivations to pass
along e-mail. They studied the intentions for sharing e-mail and the impact attitude
towards pass-along e-mails has on participation in sharing a message. Their research
findings suggested that there is a correlation between attitudes towards pass-along emails
and the message’s dissemination. Positive emotional content was found to be the most
likely to be passes along, and is capable of changing pre existing moods. They also
found that personalization of a message motivates sharing intent. Through extensive
qualitative research, recommendations were made that advertisers should focus on
“desires for fun, entertainment and social connections"(p. 345).
In Dobele, Lindgreen, Beverland, Vanhamme, and van Wijk’s (2006) experiments
of online video messages, the single most important factor of the ten viral campaigns
studied was the ability of the message to capture the imaginations of the recipients.
Something about the message must intrigue the recipient enough for her to believe that it
would be of equal interest to others. Some people share messages as an extension or
reflection of their own self-image (Welker, 2002). People like to share information so
that they can seem knowledgeable. Sharing specific messages such as a kind-hearted
message can indicate the type of person an individual is (Lynch, 2002).
If there is going to be a sense of gratification from sharing a message or if it will
Jenkins 18
be useful to the receiver, sharing is more likely to occur. Most people believe that
passing along messages will help others that they send it to by generating a good feeling,
making them smile, giving them information, or inspiring them. Also a message is more
likely to spread if it is personalized and relevant to the receiver. The emotion of the
message must associate with the brand or product, and target the right audience (Dobele
et al., 2006).
A message is most likely to be shared when the emotion being used is the same
emotion that the subject is already experiencing. A positive message will resonate more
with someone who is already in a good mood. Research shows that message with humor
and surprise can change pre-existing moods.
Conclusive research has shown that if the receiver feels a strong emotional
attachment to the message it is likely to go viral (Lindgreen, Beverland, Vanhamme, &
van Wijk, 2007). According to Phelps, Lewis, Mobilio, Perry, and Raman (2005),
Messages that spark strong emotion – either humor, fear, sadness, or inspiration –
seem to be those messages that are most likely to be forwarded. Very humorous
jokes, frightening virus alerts or product warnings, touchingly sad stories, and
particularly apt inspirational messages are those e-mails that meet even the most
Infrequent Senders’ threshold for passing (p.85).
Research has also suggested that humor and surprise are the two most important
qualities for viral messages. Humor includes an element of surprise; and humor is the
main reason users open attachments, click on a link or forward things to friends (Rugby,
2004). Surprise is when “the result of an unexpected action or occurrence, for example a
product, service or attribute, is unexpected, and the result is amazement or astonishment”
Jenkins 19
(Dobele et al., 2006, p.2). Since humor includes an element of surprise, if another
emotion is also used with humor there is a better chance that the message will be shared.
Humor also creates an escape from reality for an individual and allows one to experience
and emotional response to the message, such as joy and surprise (Young, 2008). It can
then be suggested that humor and surprise work well together in the sharing of messages.
Previous research by Berger and Milkman (2009) on the virality and social
transmission of online content provides a framework for other researchers to follow.
Their research uses elements and characteristics that can be expected in current online
video advertisements that have successfully gone viral. By looking at real transmission
of diverse content in a naturalistic setting (the New York Times website), Berger and
Milkman (2009), provide the first exploration to demonstrate characteristics of online
content that are linked to virality.
"Using a unique dataset of all the New York Times articles published over a three
month period, the authors examine how emotion shapes virality. More positive
content is more viral than negative content, but the relationship between emotion
and social transmission is more complex than valence alone, and is driven in part
by arousal. Content that evokes either positive (awe) or negative (anger or
anxiety) emotions characterized by high arousal is more viral. Content that
evokes low arousal emotion (sadness) is less viral. These results hold controlling
for how surprising, interesting, or practically useful content is (all of which are
positively linked to virality), as well as external drivers of attention (e.g., how
prominently content was featured)" (Berger & Milkman, 2009, pg.2).
Jenkins 20
The positive and negative emotional content used in this study will be applied to
the current research of online video advertisements that have gone viral. The elements
used in this study will be a factor in determining if these characteristics are essential for
designing a successful viral advertisement. Table 1, from a study conducted by Dobele et
al. (2007), provides an in-depth look at the emotions that will be used to analyze the
content of the current research for online video advertisements. Because humor is a
recurring element in previous research findings, it will also be included in the emotions
analyzed.
Overall, if viral advertisements employ the characteristics that motivate
consumers to share, messages will diffuse virally though online word-of-mouth. The
following section will discuss the research method to study the characteristics of video
advertisements that successfully went viral. The emotion of humor and surprise are two
appeals that are expected to be a common element of the video advertisements being
studied. The research presented below analyzes the emotion, creative strategies, and
typologies based on existing literature and research presented. Through this analysis a
thread of common elements of video advertisements will be depicted to gain more
knowledge on virality and consumer sharing.
Table 1: Emotion Framework for Viral Advertisements
Jenkins 21
Source: Dobele et al. (2007)
METHODOLOGY
Jenkins 22
The current study is of an exploratory nature. It represents one of the first
empirical investigations of the viral advertising phenomenon. Through an analysis of
online video advertisements, the study will determine which elements of online video
advertisements cause people to share content. These elements will determine the
commonality between advertisements that have successfully gone viral either organically
or though seeded placement by the company. This study will provide a framework for
advertisers to use as a guide to create advertisements that will go viral based on the nature
of sharing.
Important attributes of 30 social video advertisements will be examined to find
out why they became viral. These social video advertisements were taken from Visible
Measures, a company that “provides major brand advertisers and their agencies with an
integrated view across all campaign components, including syndicated, social, and paid
video placements. Our technologies reveal both how online viewers interact with video
content and how that content spreads across 150+ of the top video-sharing destinations,
from AOL Video, to YouTube, and virtually everywhere in between” (Visible Measures,
2011).
Theses social video advertisements represent the top 30 video advertisements
from March 21 through the 27 of 2011 (See Appendix B: Viral Video Advertising Chart).
These video advertisements are based on True Reach data and have had the greatest
cumulative reach for the specific time period. For definition and explanation of Visible
Measures True Reach and Cumulative Reach methodology, see Appendix A: About
Visible Measures.
Jenkins 23
Based on existing literature it is expected that advertisements that have gone viral
will include emotional elements of humor and/or surprise. The viral video advertisements
will be examined to see what type of emotional content they contain based in the methods
in Berger and Milkman (2005) and Dobele et al. (2007) studies. The positive and
negative emotional content used in Berger and Milkman (2009) study are applied to the
current research on online video advertising. To determine whether certain emotion is
present in the video advertisements or not, the analysis will be based off of the
explanation and behavior of emotions from Dobele et al. (2007) study shown in Table 1:
Emotion Framework for Viral Advertisements. The elements used in these studies will be
a factor in determining if these characteristics are essential for designing a successful
viral advertisement.
Following from the research of Aker and Norris (1982) and Lasky et al. (1982),
the social video advertisements are then analyzed to determine whether they use,
informational and/or transformational advertising strategies, as well as, the typologies of
each that were used. For an advertisement to be categorized as informational in
accordance with the definition explained in the literature, it must reflect the following
characteristics: “1. Present factual, relevant information about the brand. 2. Present
information which is immediately and obviously important to the potential consumer. 3.
Present data which the consumer accepts as being verifiable” (Puto & Wells, 1984). The
informational advertisement will be associated with the five informational creative
strategies identified by Laskey, Day, and Crask (1982).
For an advertisement to be categorized as transformational, it must contain the
following characteristics: “1. It must make the experience of using the product richer,
Jenkins 24
warmer, more exciting, and/or more enjoyable, than that obtained solely from an
objective description of the advertised brand. 2. It must connect the experience of the
advertisement so tightly with the experience of using the brand that consumers cannot
remember the brand without recalling the experience generated by the advertisement”
(Puto & Wells, 1984). The transformational advertisement will be associated with the
four transformational creative strategies identified by Laskey, Day, and Crask (1982).
The analysis of viral video advertisements focuses on these studies because the
goal of an advertisement is to create a message that will reach the consumer. The
message must first reach and engage the consumer before it can be shared. The message
and creative typologies from these studies are the foundation of the advertisement.
Analyzing the typologies that have been successful in the sharing of viral video
advertisements will provide advertisers with an idea of what should be showcased in an
advertisement (user image, brand image, comparative, etc.). Once the message and
creative strategy is identified, creative elements, such as emotion are used to enhance the
typologies.
The analysis will also consider the fundamental elements of an individual ad such
as, how the creative strategy is displayed (music, spokesperson, stunts), its industry, and
any other features, such as links to social networking sites, that make an advertisement go
viral. “Another point would be that the internet has the ability to engage an individual for
a long period of time and can go into greater depth than other forms of advertising
media. These engaging features like voting, chatting, etc., are essential for consumer
engagement and thus, increasing the advertisement effectiveness” (Taylor, 2009).
Jenkins 25
The ways in which marketers and advertisers take advantage of the interactive,
online environment to create and/or respond to a viral ad will be considered in the
analysis, such as a contest. For example advertisements from the brands, Doritos and
General Electric have implemented a contest. Advertisements for Old Spice use a fullscale social media effort called crowd sourcing. “Crowdsourcing is a method that
involves and uses “crowds” (i.e., large, undefined, randomly distributed, undirected,
unsupervised groups of people) to performs tasks and accomplish goals” (DasGupta,
2009).
For this analysis social interactive engagement used within the 30 advertisements
is taken into consideration and should not be discounted. “Social-interactive engagement,
involves the experiences unique to the internet, like discussion boards and socialnetworking sites. The authors concluded that online media involves a distinct form of
engagement which impacts online effectiveness” (Calder, Malthouse, & Schaedel, 2009).
RESULTS
The current study was designed to examine the message and creative strategies of
online video advertisements that have successfully gone viral. The tables shown in
Appendix C through F were designed for this specific study to help organize the analysis.
The tables in Appendix C and D were labeled for each message strategy informational
and transformational and each creative typology with the category. The table in
Appendix E was used to compare the advertisement that were both informational and
transformational and the industry vs. the creative appeals used. Lastly, the table in
Appendix F was used to analyze the emotional content present in each advertisement.
Jenkins 26
All tables indicate simple responses, such as yes or no, to indicate the creative strategy
typologies and emotional content that appeared in the advertisements. As stated
previously the typologies and emotional content was determined by definitions from the
existing literature.
As indicated by the table in Appendix D: Transformational Advertisements, only
four advertisements were not transformational; this indicates that without the
advertisement what is viewed would not typically be associated with the brand. This
could affect the incremental reach the advertisement would have. This means that
without that specific advertisement the reach of the campaign could decrease. Almost
half, 14 out of 30, of the video advertisements analyzed were both informational and
transformational, (as seen in Appendix E: Industry and Creative Advertisements). There
was no correlation between industry and ads that were both informational and
transformational.
As illustrated in Appendix C: Informational Advertisements and Appendix D:
Transformational Advertisement, when looking at the creative typologies of creative
strategies, it is interesting to note that three of the nine strategies were unused:
comparative, generic information, and generic transformational. Of the remaining six
strategies, two were consistent across all advertisements categorized as information,
transformational, or both; brand image and unique selling proposition. Four creative
strategies were used fairly often throughout the advertisements; preemptive, hyperbole,
and user image, use occasion.
The popularity of hyperbole in the video advertisements that can be seen in
Appendix C: Informational Advertisement can be characterized by limited time to engage
Jenkins 27
consumers and the high execution capability that the Internet now allows. To attract
consumers' attention in a short period of time using hyperbole to create humor or surprise
seemed to be a common thread throughout the video advertisements. Only the
advertisements that were identified as humorous and informational used a hyperbole
strategy.
It should be noted that for most of the advertisements it was fairly consistent that
if preemptive strategy was used a user image strategy was not and vice versa. Those
advertisements that used a preemptive strategy were in the industry of appliance,
electronics, and health and beauty. User image strategy was used in the advertisements
that featured celebrity or icons, which focused primarily on the users of a brand and their
lifestyles. User image strategy was also employed with advertisements that used reality
such as T-Mobile, or addressed a specific audience such as Old Spice.
A key finding was that none of the advertisements used a comparative strategy,
comparing to other brands, however every advertisement used unique selling proposition
and brand image strategy, (as seen in Appendix C and Appendix D). Advertisements that
used a unique selling proposition typology presented creative ad appeals such as contest
(Doritos, General Electric), or personalization (Old Spice). The main finding that
transforms online video advertising is the use of brand image strategy: focusing primarily
on the brand (image) itself, not the users. Usually, brand image conveys a brand
personality. All of the 30 advertisements used unique creative to focus on the specific
brand not just generic information or generic transformation. The importance of using a
brand image strategy for consumer sharing of video advertisements will be discussed
further in the next section.
Jenkins 28
As previous research had indicated, online word of mouth is greater if messages
have an emotional element. Scholars have suggested that humor and surprise are the two
most important qualities for viral messages. Both humor and surprise are frequently
named as the most positively correlated to sharing of all emotions. As illustrated in
Appendix F: Emotional Content Advertisement, of the seven emotions the video
advertisements were analyzed for, only three emotions were used throughout all 30 ads;
surprise, joy, and humor. Findings were consistent with previous research. Fear, anger,
sadness, and disgust were not used in any of the advertisements. Appendix B: Viral
Video Advertisement Chart shows the creative that was used commonly in the
advertisements, such as stunts, celebrity and icon, sexual content, contest, music, reality,
and some use of animation. Overall all of these creative elements induce to positive
emotion. The findings shed light on how to design a successful vial video advertisement
and create contagious content.
DISCUSSION
For advertising and marketing practitioners, being found online is the ultimate
goal and now with the success of things like the Old Spice commercial, the demand for
viral marketing campaigns has increased. The future of advertising is no longer limited to
traditional media. Video advertising is no longer limited to a 15 or 30 second television
ad spot. The future of advertising is the Internet and consumers. As companies begin to
take advantage of the online word of mouth phenomenon, advertising on the internet is
now becoming a part of marketing campaigns.
Jenkins 29
This paper defined information and transformation as two message types and their
creative strategies for classifying video advertisements according to the way in which
their content affects consumer sharing. The most important finding is the advertisement's
ability to transform the actual experience of using the brand through a brand image and
unique selling proposition strategy, which leads to virality. For viral advertisements it is
no longer about the consumers decision making process, it is about building a
relationship and experience with the brand as indicated by the results of this analysis. It
can also be assumed that positive emotion can help support the brand image and unique
selling proposition of an advertisement.
After finding that brand image has been the most dominant creative strategy used
in the advertisement analyzed, video advertising should focus on branding, using
marketing to influence peoples’ attitudes towards, and behavior with, the brand for
possible viral success. Because the Internet allows for the opportunity to reach a larger
more segmented audience then ever before, putting more emphasis on the brand image
itself rather then its users and their lifestyles will be more beneficial engaging any person
who may come across the advertisement. With the brand image becoming the focus of
video advertisements and the Internets interactive environment, advertisers and marketers
can create an entire campaign around the brand itself, engaging consumers through
interactivity and building relationships.
Digital video advertising is one of the fastest growing segments of interactive
advertising according to the October 2008 IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report.
However, marketers are still learning how to use the medium most effectively. Virality
Jenkins 30
and consumer engagement with video advertisements is an effective way to spread
marketing messages.
A key question for practitioners might be whether an ad can go viral without a
form of interactivity in the way that these three campaigns have. However, this study
provides evidence that virality is possible without capitalizing on such elements of
interactivity and crowd sourcing as Doritos, General Electric, and Old Spice have.
Campaigns that are not using these features in viral advertisements are still seeing
success in there cumulative reach. That isn’t to suggest that these elements are not
beneficial in keeping a campaign growing and successful. This is an area for further
research which may conclude that these elements do provide higher elaboration and
brand engagement with the intended audience.
Both the existing literature and in this study provide key characteristics of viral
video advertisements for practitioners to keep in mind when developing a creative
strategy. The ad must get beyond informational messages. Video advertisements as
shown in this study should be transformational, involving consumers with the brand and
enabling them to share the message. Most importantly because the Internet allows for a
participatory culture, giving the consumer an interactive element, such as a contest, can
be used to enhance a unique selling proposition. As previous research has found “desires
for fun, entertainment and social connections"(Phelps, et al., p. 345) increase consumer
sharing. Provide content that evokes the emotional aspects of joy, surprise, or humor, as
such content is likely to be shared. Though the use of opinion leaders and social media,
people can engage and easily share content.
Jenkins 31
The underlying social marketing principles and tactics are not only limited to
“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” The use of celebrities or icons, in video
advertisements can draw in the consumer’s attention and create a personality for the
brand. As shown in Appendix E: Industry and Creative Advertisements, a celebrity or
icon can inspire people to become engaged with the advertisement. This finding is
supported by Reiss (2010), “There are other character options that may be far more
appropriate and just as engaging as humor, such as providing service, knowledge,
empathy, honesty, sincerity, advocacy and the ever-utilized fanatical price-slashing or
stain-removing screaming crazy. Only you can pick what's right, but the goal is to create
the viral phenomenon that will make people compete for your attention”
All of the viral video advertisements analyzed, featured links for sharing. Adding
links on the video advertisement for social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, will
allow the ad to be shared easily and gain more exposure within those social networks.
Once shared in a social network, the advertisement becomes more widely available to
other consumers and increases the opportunity to be viewed and passed along. A social
networking link featured in a video advertisement capitalizes on consumers’ ability to
deepen their social connections. As stated in the previous literature, people share content
to deepen social connections (Berger & Milkman, 2005).
Personalizing the advertisement will create competition for consumers to become
engaged and get involved. The use of interactivity, through contests (Doritos, General
Electric) and response advertisements addressing the consumer (Old Spice) allows for
personalization, as seen in the viral video advertisements studied. Consumers become
more involved with the brand because they are forming a relationship and investing more
Jenkins 32
time with the brand. All of theses elements if used appropriately in the video
advertisement will help lead to virality. “The agency’s job is to create content so valuable
and useful that consumers wouldn't want to live without it.” (Hicks, 2006)
Limitations and Future Research
The convenience sample of viral video advertisements analyzed in this study
limits the generalization of the results. Future studies should make use of a more random
sample and compare viral video advertisements that have been successful and those that
have failed. The small sample size and this study’s exploratory nature suggest that further
research is necessary to confirm these findings and explore the topic of viral video
advertisements in greater detail.
A next step in the research of viral video advertisements would be to perform
quantitative research and ethnographic examinations to see how consumers interact with
the viral advertisements and generate data to provide greater depth about the creative
elements that cause consumer sharing leading to virality. Further research should focus
on aspects of targeting, personality types, gender differences, and age related to video
advertisements being shared among consumers. The findings indicate that there is a need
for research not just limited to a single advertisement but a whole viral marketing
campaign. Although analyzing entire viral campaigns issues were beyond the scope of
this study, the development of viral marketing campaigns using tools such as social
networks, calls for research in these areas.
The definition of viral advertising and its effectiveness should continue to be
explored, because of the constant change and advancement in technology and digital
Jenkins 33
media. With the rapid technological and cultural change into a digital era, viral
advertising will need to be constantly monitored and is increasingly important for the
advertising and marketing industry in the near future.
CONCLUSION
This paper provides knowledge and research significant for advertising and
marketing practitioners to produce, and more importantly, optimize their videos for the
greatest chance of viral success. The criteria of viral video advertisements that were
analyzed in this study were important because it was a framework of previous academic
research and perspectives, and creative typologies for creating online word-of-mouth not
previously explored.
For consumer sharing of video advertisements companies must keep in mind that
consumer sharing is now happening through social media. Without social media, viarlity
would not be possible on such a large scale and in such a small amount of time. Positive
emotions and brand image play an important role in video’s that are shared. Success for
viral video advertisements lies in branded content. This work highlights the value of
considering specific creative typologies if used effectively in video advertisements may
shape the outcomes of what becomes viral.
Jenkins 34
References
Aaker, D. and Norris, D. (1982), Characteristics of television commercials
perceived as informative, Journal of Advertising Research, 22 (2), 61-70.
Berger, J. A. and Milkman, K. L.,(2009) Social transmission, emotion, and the virality of
online content http://ssrn.com/abstract=152807
Bruin, Stefan. The Influence of Position Effects, Involvement and Congruence of video
Advertising on Brand Recall and Recognition, 02-17-2010
"http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:8KTVF0wo9lYJ:scholar.google.com/+ef
fects+of+hulu+on+advertising&hl=en&as_sdt=0,9"
Calder, B., Malthouse, E., & Schaedel, U. (2009). An experimental study of the
relationship between online engagement and advertising effectiveness. Journal of
Interactive Marketing, 23(4), 321-331. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from
Business Source Premier database.
Cheng, X, Dale, C. & Liu,L. (2008). Statistics and social network of youtube videos.
Quality of Service, IWQoS 2008. 16th International Workshop. 2-4 June 2008,
pp.229-238, doi: 10.1109/IWQOS.2008.32
"http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4539688&isnumber=
4539656"
DasGupta, P., A new internet gold rush called crowdsourcing. Examiner.com. 6-19-09
http://www.examiner.com/business-strategies-in-newark/a-new-internet-goldrush-called-crowdsourcing
Ditcher, Ernest. (1966). How work-of-mouth advertising works. Harvard Business
Review, 44(6), 147-166.
Dobele, A., A. Lindgreen, M. Beverland, J. Vanhamme, and R. van Wijk. (2006).
Forwarding viral messages: What role does emotion play? Central Queensland
University. Retrieved on October 11, 2009
"http://conferences.anzmac.org/ANZMAC2006/documents/Dobele_Angela.pdf"
Dobele, A., A. Lindgreen, M. Beverland, J. Vanhamme, and R. van Wijk. (2007). Why
pass on viral messages? Because they connect emotionally. Business Horizons,
50 (4) 291-304.
Dodd, S. C. (1997). Message Diffusion from Person to Person. Public Opinion
Quarterly, 16(2), 247-262.
Golan, G.J., & Zaidner, L. (2008). Creative strategies in viral advertising: An application
of taylor’s six-segment message strategy wheel. Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication, 13, 959-972.
Jenkins 35
Goldsmith, R.E., & Lafferty, B.A. (2002). Consumer response to web sites and their
influence on advertising effectivness. Internet Research, 12(4), 318-329.
Grosso, F. (2008, September 8). Online tv: Harness power of viral video. Brand Startegy,
50.
Helm, S. (2000). Viral marketing-establishing customer relationships by “word-ofmouse.” Electronic Markets, 10 (July), 158-161
Hicks, J., CEO (2006), Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Paul Isakson, Senior Strategic Planner
Uwe Gutschow & Don Longfellow -Saatchi & Saatchi LA Microsoft Digital
Advertising Solutions, Museum video
Holbrook, M. B. and O'Shaughnessy, J. (1984), The role of emotion in advertising.
Psychology and Marketing, 1: 45–64. doi: 10.1002/mar.4220010206
Jenkins, H. (2010). Fandom, Participatory Culture, and Web 2.0.
http://www.convergenceculture.org/weblog/2010/01/fandom_participatory_cultur
e_a.php
Katz, E. (1957). The two-step flow of communication: An up-to-date report on an
hypothesis. The Public Communication Quarterly, 21(1), 61-78
Http://www.jstor.org/stable/2746790
Kim, J., McMillian, S., and Hwang, J. (2005).Strategies for the super bowl of advertising:
An analysis of how the web is integrated into campaigns. Journal of Interactive
Advertising, 6(1), 46-60 http://jiad.org/article69
Laskey, H A., Day, E,, and Crask, M. R., (1989), Typology of main message
strategies for television commercials, Journal of Advertising, 18(1), 36-41.
Laudon, K.C.,& Traver, C.G. (2001). E-commerce: Business, technology, society.
Boston: Addiosn-Wesley.
Lewis, R., L. Mobilio, J. E. Phelps and N. Raman. (2005). Understanding pass-along e-\
mails: Motivations and behaviors of viral consumers. In C.P. Haugtveldt, K.A.
Machleit, and R. Yalch (Eds.), Online Consumer Psychology: Understanding and
influencing consumer behavior , 63-99. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lynch, O.H. (2002). Humorous communication: Finding a place for humor in
communication research. Communication Theory. 4(12), 423-445.
Marwell, G., & Oliver, P. (1993). The critical mass in collective action: A micro-social
theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jenkins 36
Mitchell. (2010). The importance of buzz. Marketing Research, 22(2), 20-25.
Nabi, R. L. (2002). Discrete emotions and persuasion. In J. P. Dillard & M. Pfau (Eds.),
The persuasion handbook: Developments in theory and practice, 289-308.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Nielsen Wire. Looking at lift: Inside online video advertising, 04-19-2010
"http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/looking-at-lift-inside-onlinevideo-advertising/"
Pardee, T., Doritos gets jump on pre-super bowl web video buzz; “Paid
placements and hint of controversy drive big week for the big game advertiser,
Advertising Age, Visible Measures, 02-03-11
http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=148618
Parpis, E., Spice it up: The old spice campaign has certainly garnered attention
but did it work? AdWeek, 07-26-10
"http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/creative/features/e3i3639278d2189
e4efb741cf130fdfc31f?pn=1"
Phelps, J.E., Lewis, R., Mobilio, L., Perry, D., & Raman, N. (2004). Viral marketing or
electronic word-of-mouth advertising: Examining consumer responses and
motivations to pass along email. Journal of Advertising Research, 44, 333-348.
Porter, L, & Golan, G.J. (2006). From subservient chickens to brawny men: a comparison
of viral advertising to television advertising. Journal of Interactive Marketing,
6(2), 26-33.
Premium Collections; Social Video Campaigns; Visible Measures, 02-06-11
http://www.visiblemeasures.com/collections/5?data=increach&order=desc&page
=1&perpage=10&show=all&sort=true_reach
Puto, C. P., Wells (1984), "Informational and transformational advertising: The
differential effects of time. Advances in Consumer Research, 11, 638-643
Association for Consumer Research
Reiss, C., (2010) Now look here, now learn from this …Businesses can learn from the
old spice man viral marketing campaign Entrepeneuer.com, msnbc.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38282026/ns/business-small_business/
Rigby, E. (2004, July). The revolution masterclass on viral marketing. Revolution,
66-69. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document
ID: 670266951).
Jenkins 37
Robinson, H., Wysocka, A., and Hand, C.(2007) Internet advertising effectiveness:
The effect of design on click-through rates for banner ads, Kingston University,
International Journal of Advertising, 26 (4), 527–541, Advertising
Association."http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:Iu1PuWTYcbsJ:scholar.goo
gle.com/+online+advertising+campaigns&hl=en&as_sdt=0,9"
Rogers, E.M. (1994). Elements of diffusion. Diffusion of Innovations, 1-37. New
York: Free Press
Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations, 4th ed. New York: The Free Press
Schonfeld, E., Malik, O, & Copeland, M.V. (2006). Social media. Business 2.0, 7(2), 90.
Tang, Yu-Chieh. (2006). The effects of commercial intention, humor, and media
richness on receivers' forward intention in internet viral marketing campaigns.
Jhongli City: National Central University Library Press.
Taylor, C. (2009). The six principles of digital advertising. International Journal of
Advertising, 28(3), 411-418. Retrieved October 21, 2009, from Business Source
Premier database.
Wallsten, Scott. An Economic Overview of the Implications for Online Video
of the Proposed Comcast-NBCU Transaction, 07-13-2010
"http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:whY-"
Wells, W, Burnett, J, & Moriarty, S. (2000). Advertising: principles and practice. Upper
Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Welker, Carl B. (2002). The paradigm of viral communication. Information Services and
Use, 22(1), 3-8.
Wojnicki, A.C. (2009, March 21). What's the buzz about the buzz. National Post, p.
FW6.
Young, D. G. (2008). The privileged role of the late-night joke: Exploring humor’s role
in disrupting argument scrutiny. Media Psychology, 11, 119-142.
Young, R. (2009). Social media: How new forms of communications are changing job
search and career management.: Be Heard. Newsletter of the Toronto Chapter of
the International Association of Business Communicators. January-February.
Jenkins 38
APPENDIX A
About Visible Measures
“Visible Measures provides major brand advertisers and their agencies with an integrated
view across all campaign components, including syndicated, social, and paid video
placements. Our technologies reveal both how online viewers interact with video content
and how that content spreads across 150+ of the top video-sharing destinations, from
AOL Video, to YouTube, and virtually everywhere in between” (Visible Measures,
2011).
“True Reach℠ measurement quantifies the total audience that has been exposed to a viral
video campaign, no matter where the campaign videos travel online. True Reach
measurement combines data from brand-driven seeded video placements with results
from community-driven viral video placements - spoofs, parodies, mashups, and more.
This metric is powered by our Viral Reach Database, a constantly growing analytic data
repository covering more than 200 million unique videos from across over 150 different
online video sharing destinations” (Visible Measures, 2011).
“Sentiment analysis investigates how the audience posts comments on the campaign
placements and can reveal attitudinal trends that are difficult to discern otherwise. As part
of our True Reach measurement, Visible Measures collects and analyzes every comment
and rating associated with the campaign. One output of this analysis is a concise snapshot
of the 50 most frequently used comment terms, which can be helpful in gauging the
overall emotional response for the campaign” (Visible Measures, 2011).
Cumulative reach is the combined number of unique viewers that have seen at least one
minute of a media program across its total playing duration. It is the actual coverage that
is accumulated by an advertisement or a series of advertisements over a specified period
of time” (Visible Measures, 2011).
“The Social Video Campaigns Collection is a growing set of hundreds of brand-driven
social video ads that appear on online video sharing destinations. Each campaign is
measured on a True Reach™ basis, which includes viewership of both brand-syndicated
video clips and viewer-driven social video placements. The data are compiled using the
Visible Measures Viral Reach Database, a constantly growing repository of analytic data
on more than 200 million internet videos across more than 150 video-sharing
destinations” (Visible Measures, 2011).
“Note: This analysis does not include Visible Measures’ paid-placement (i.e., overlays, pre-/mid/post-roll) performance data or video views on private sites. This collection does not include
movie trailers, video-game campaigns, and TV show or media network promotions” (Visible
Measures, 2011). “New placements are added to campaigns from the Viral Reach Database on a
weekly basis; all campaign clips in the Database are then tracked daily. The collected data is then
summarized and reported on a weekly incremental basis” (Visible Measures, 2011).
Source: Visible Measures (2011) Social video campaigns, Accessed April 1, 2011
Jenkins 39
APPENDIX B
Viral Video Advertising Chart
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
Household
Products
In-House
blendtec
Events &
158,485,668
Stunts / Humor
/ Product Demo
273,464
534,266
409
Beverages
BETC Euro
RSCG
Evian
Animation
51,250
126,673
1,594
Health &
Beauty
Wieden +
Kennedy
Old Spice
Celebrities &
76,165,035
Icons / Humor /
Sex Appeal
81,653
290,880
248
Electronics
World Famous Microsoft
Product Demo 51,736,195
190,826
116,181
1,791
Apparel &
Accessories
In-House
Events &
Stunts
29,835
103,388
248
Will it Blend? View Details
133,450,333
Live Young View Details
Responses View Details
Xbox Project Natal View Details
Gymkhana Two View Details
DC Shoes
49,844,477
Jenkins 40
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
Humor
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
Health &
Beauty
Wieden +
Kennedy
Old Spice
47,983,029
44,933
83,400
89
Automotive
Deutsch
Volkswagen Celebrities &
47,889,528
Passat
Icons / Humor /
Super Bowl
2011
30,963
158,181
549
Health &
Beauty
Wieden +
Kennedy
Old Spice
Humor
45,247,523
55,040
152,878
93
Food
Goodby
Silverstein &
Partners
Doritos
Contest /
Humor
44,527,097
39,675
75,288
916
T-Mobile
Events &
42,385,669
Stunts / Reality
31,479
50,873
459
Odor Blocker View Details
The Force View Details
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like View Details
Crash The Super Bowl 2010 View Details
T-Mobile Dance View Details
Telecommunic Saatchi &
ations
Saatchi /
Mediacom
Jenkins 41
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
Apparel &
Accessories
Wieden +
Kennedy
Nike
Celebrities &
36,849,402
Icons / Humor /
Musical
50,143
20,783
416
Apparel &
Accessories
In-House
DC Shoes
Celebrities &
35,707,404
Icons / Musical
28,964
34,768
183
Food
Goodby
Silverstein &
Partners
Doritos
Contest /
Humor /
Seasonal /
Super Bowl
2011
31,068,786
15,549
39,569
388
Health &
Beauty
Wieden +
Kennedy
Old Spice
Humor
26,220,641
23,161
17,791
65
Write the Future View Details
Gymkhana Three View Details
Crash the Super Bowl 2011 View Details
The Return of The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
View Details
Jenkins 42
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
Automotive
DDB
Volkswagen Events &
26,124,436
Stunts / Reality
9,850
43,484
279
Food
Fallon
Cadbury
Health &
Beauty
The Fun Theory View Details
Humor /
Musical
26,070,326
66,262
67,537
2,712
Fitzgerald+CO Durex
/ SuperFad
Animation /
Humor
25,878,058
14,556
34,771
1,307
Apparel &
Accessories
Wieden +
Kennedy
Nike
Celebrities &
24,441,645
Icons / Humor
66,316
72,007
268
Financial
Services
Grey
E*TRADE
Humor
4,458
23,496
267
Eyebrow Dance View Details
Get It On View Details
LeBron Rise View Details
22,259,395
Jenkins 43
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
E*TRADE Super Bowl 2010 View Details
Apparel &
Accessories
Wieden +
Kennedy
Nike
Celebrities &
22,138,695
Icons / Humor
36,828
44,569
1,164
Pepsi
Celebrities &
22,084,479
Icons / Musical
12,883
19,541
224
8,224
31,970
379
Most Valuable Puppets View Details
Beverages
Oh Africa View Details
Financial
Services
Grey
E*TRADE
Animation /
Humor
21,855,113
Insurance
The Martin
Agency
Geico
Celebrities &
21,139,825
Icons / Humor
31,599
59,457
85
Health &
Beauty
BBH /
Mindshare /
Razorfish
Axe
Humor /
21,138,573
Product Demo
28,516
40,773
487
E*TRADE Baby View Details
Really Save View Details
Clean Your Balls View Details
Jenkins 44
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
Other
MRM
Worldwide
Microsoft
Events &
Stunts
19,972,128
18,532
23,092
265
Automotive
Saatchi &
Saatchi
Toyota
Sienna
Humor /
Musical
19,038,812
13,676
28,272
115
Health &
Beauty
Jack Morton
Gillette
Humor
18,590,362
4,419
916
81
Electronics
The Viral
Factory
Samsung
Events &
Stunts
18,358,272
16,351
51,839
234
General
Electric /
Howcast /
YouTube
Celebrities &
Icons /
Community &
Activism /
Contest
17,556,764
295,129
344,169
100
Megawoosh (Make It Possible) View Details
The Sienna Family View Details
Perfect Length View Details
Extreme Sheep LED Art View Details
Energy
Jenkins 45
CAMPAIGN
INDUSTRY
AGENCY
BRAND
CREATIVE
Carl's Jr
Celebrities &
Icons
REACH
Cumulative
COMMENTS
Cumulative
RATINGS
Cumulative
Tag Your Green View Details
Dining
Initiative /
Mendelsohn
Zien
16,844,013
111,985
How To Eat A Burger View Details
Source: Top 30 Social video campaign’s Visible Measures, Premium Collections,
Cumulative reach, March 21-27, 2011
135,678
DISTRIBUTION
Cumulative
Jenkins 46
APPENDIX C
Informational Advertisements
Viral Video
Ad
Informational
Comparative
Unique Selling
Proposition
Preemptive
Hyperbole
Generic
Information
BlendTec
NO
YES
YES
YES
NO
Microsoft X
box
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
Old Spice
Body Oder
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Volkswagen
Passat
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
Old Spice-The
Man Your
Man Could
Smell Like
Doritos
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Doritos Pug
Attack
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Old Spice
Return
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Durex
NO
YES
YES
YES
NO
Nike
Basketball
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
E*Trade
Girlfriend
NO
YES
YES
YES
NO
E*Trade
Singing Baby
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Gieco
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
Jenkins 47
Axe
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
Toyota Sienna
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Samsung
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
General
Electric /
Howcast /
YouTube
Carl's Jr
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
Jenkins 48
APPENDIX D
Transformational Advertisements
Viral Video Ad
Transformational
User Image
Brand Image
Use Occasion
Generic Transformation
BlendTec
NO
YES
YES
NO
Evian
NO
YES
NO
NO
Old Spice Response
YES
YES
NO
NO
Microsoft X box
YES
YES
YES
YES
DC Shoes
YES
YES
YES
NO
Old Spice Body
Oder
YES
YES
YES
NO
Volkswagen Passat
YES
YES
NO
NO
Old Spice-The Man
Your Man Could
Smell Like
Doritos
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
NO
T-Mobile
YES
YES
YES
NO
Nike Football
YES
YES
YES
NO
DC Shoes
YES
YES
NO
NO
Doritos Pug Attack
NO
YES
YES
NO
Jenkins 49
Old Spice Return
YES
YES
YES
NO
Volkswagen-The
Fun Theory
NO
YES
NO
NO
Cadbury
YES
YES
NO
NO
Durex
NO
YES
YES
NO
Nike Basketball
YES
YES
YES
NO
Nike MVP
NO
YES
NO
NO
Pepsi Africa
YES
YES
YES
NO
Microsoft Mega
Woosh
NO
YES
NO
NO
Toyota Sienna
YES
YES
YES
NO
Gillette
NO
YES
YES
NO
Samsung
NO
YES
YES
NO
General Electric /
Howcast / YouTube
NO
YES
YES
NO
Carl's Jr
YES
YES
YES
NO
Jenkins 50
APPENDIX E
Industry and Creative Advertisements
Viral Video Ad
Informational
and
Transformaional
Industry
Creative
Unique
Selling
Proposition
Preemptive
Hyperbole
User
Image
Brand
Image
Use
Occasion
BlendTec
Appliance
Events/stunts/humor/
Product demo
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
Microsoft X box
Electronic
Product demo
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Old Spice Body
Oder
Health/Beauty
Humor/icon
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
Volkswagen
Passat
Automotive
Celebrity/icon/
Humor/super bowl
2011
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
Old Spice-The
Man Your Man
Could Smell Like
Health/Beauty
Celebrity/icon/
Humor/sex appeal
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
Doritos
Food
Contest / Humor /
Seasonal / Super
Bowl 2011
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Doritos Pug
Attack
Food
Contest / Humor /
Seasonal / Super
Bowl 2011
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
Jenkins 51
Old Spice Return
Health/Beauty
Humor
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
Durex
Health/Beauty
Animation / Humor
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
Nike Basketball
Apparel/Accessories
Celebrities & Icons / Humor
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Toyota Sienna
Automotive
Humor / Musical
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
Samsung
Electronics
Events & Stunts
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
General Electric / Howcast
/ YouTube
Energy
Celebrities & Icons / Community &
Activism / Contest
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
Carl's Jr
Food
Celebrities & Icons
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Jenkins 52
APPENDIX F
Emotional Content Advertisements
Viral
+
+
+
Video Ad
Surprise
Humor
Joy
Brand
Carl's Jr
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
General
Electric /
Howcast /
YouTube
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Old Spice
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Blentec
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Evian
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use of babies
Samsung
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Unaware of
brand or
product
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use of animals
Gillette
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use sexual
content
Volts-wagon
Element and
Behavior of
Humor use of
children
Toyota Sienna
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Microsoft
X-box
E*TRADE
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
and Awe
Element and
Behavior of Joy
Element and
Behavior of Joy
Element and
Behavior of
Joy
Element and
Behavior of
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Disgust
Jenkins 53
Volkswagen
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
T-mobile
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Element and
Behavior of Joy
and Fun
Microsoft
Mega Woosh
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Element and
Behavior of Joy
and Fun
Doritos
Pug Attack
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use of Animal
Old Spice
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Durex
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use of Sexual
Content
Nike Football
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
E*TRADE
Element and
Behavior of Joy
and Inspiration
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use of babies
Nike
Basketball
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Nike
Most Valuable
Puppets
Element and
Behavior of
Surprise
Geico
Element and
Behavior of
Joy
Element and
Behavior of Joy
and Inspiration
Use of celebrity
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Use of celebrity
Element and
Behavior of
Humor
Jenkins 54