Viral Videos

The ability for internet content to “go viral” is one of the most powerful marketing tools ever.  Indeed it is like a marketing atomic bomb.
While it is difficult to achieve a truly viral effect with a watch that appeals to such a small percentage of people, we do see network effects with our releases.  For example, we create our releases and time their distribution keeping in mind how they will go from one source to another in order to maximize their impact.  For example, HM4 made it onto sites like Engadget, CrunchGear, and The Coolist creating network effects well outside of the usual watch media.

For Tech Tuesday, I thought we’d look at a band that has become truly expert in creating viral videos: OK Go.  They have come out of nowhere and cemented themselves as one of the most popular groups in the world on the strength of their videos.

Everyone loves a Rube Goldberg machine!

And here is their latest, released yesterday:

What are the key elements that make these videos work?  They are both very creative, both extremely well done, and both done with a great sense of humor – all difficult to achieve and balance.  For a brand, it is a large investment and a big risk to create something like this, but imagine the fun when it gets traction and the views start growing exponentially!