Digital video marketing is increasingly becoming one of the most successful media for promotions available to businesses. It is relatively accessible, even for small operations, and can have a huge impact. Being a multi-media channel, video tends to engage viewers better and result in more positive outcomes such as purchases and sharing of content.
One of the most powerful facets of video content is that it is extremely easy to share. With the click of a button, viewers can show the latest and greatest video to all their friends via a number of social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. This means that exciting new content can spread overnight, becoming a global sensation. Never before in history has this level of virality been possible.
Successful Viral Videos
Let us share with you a few case studies of some of the most successful digital video marketing campaigns conducted in recent years.
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- Dove Sketches: In 2013, Dove created a series of real beauty sketches that featured a police sketch artist drawing women based on their responses to questions about their appearance. He then draws the same individuals based on another person’s description. This illuminated the idea that many people are the greatest critics of their own appearance, tying neatly in with the company’s message that everyone should feel more comfortable in their own skin.
- K-Mart – Ship My Pants:K-Mart got a bit cheeky with an amusing campaign featuring the phrase ‘ship my pants.’ Shoppers in a K-Mart store repeatedly exclaimed that they are going to ship their pants, promoting the company’s new delivery service. Through humor, this video made a relatively unexciting service offering a fun and shareable experience. It also was an extremely memorable campaign for viewers.
- Ice Bucket Challenge: In the summer of 2014, the ALS Association along with millions of average people went online to raise awareness and money to help fight ALS. Participants were challenged to pour ice water over their heads on video, share it on social networks, and then challenge several other friends to do the same. It was a brilliant campaign that allowed almost anyone to participate in fun an individual ways. The initiative was a huge success, raised over $100 million in a few months to fight ALS.
- Cardstore – World’s Toughest Job: In order to celebrate Mother’s Day, Cardstore created an interest video campaign that featured a company interviewing candidates for the job of director of operations. The requirements for the position were extreme, leading many candidates with quizzical looks on their faces. Ultimately, they revealed that the position was actually for the job of being a mom. It was a fun and meaningful message about the importance of mom’s and the challenges they face.
These digital videos are all great examples of how powerful content that goes viral can be. They illuminate that simple ideas paired with great storytelling, humor, and sincerity can be a potent combination online. All of them also share the common trait of not being overt advertisements. They don’t list the features and benefits of their related product or cause. Instead they focus on telling stories about people that engage their audience in an idea. As such, they encourage viewers to share the content with their friends, vastly increasing reach. Creating a viral video is no trivial matter – it involves luck as well as skill – nonetheless, striving to create impactful and engaging video content is definitely worthwhile.
