Why do people share certain online videos?

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The question in this headline is an important one for marketing managers. Many companies like the “pass-along” strategy where customers share content with other customers. Recipients of the message are more likely to pay attention when it comes from a trusted source.

Here at Teach the 4 Ps we have posted about what makes for viral content. And the just-published 15th edition of Essentials of Marketing includes a new What’s Next? box that discusses Jonah Berger’s STEPPS framework. This NPR story, “What Compels People To Share Certain Videos?” (February 1, 2016) references Berger but offers some additional ideas from Shifman

As an in-class activity, you could discuss Berger’s STEPPS framework and Shifman’s thoughts and ask the students if any of these Super Bowl ads seem to have the potential for pass-along.

 

Caterpillar Uses Viral Video in “Built for It” Campaign

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Many of the most creative campaigns are for consumer brands — so I really enjoy seeing a B2B brand do something creative. Caterpillar (the high quality, premium priced tractor and heavy equipment maker) has been running a campaign for about a year now: “When you choose Cat®, you get what you pay for — durable and reliable equipment, and long-lasting relationships. Discover what we’re built for…” They have released a series of five (so far) clever videos that demonstrate their products in action. The videos are great two minute stories. Any one of the videos could be used to motivate topics as diverse as B2B, product quality, premium pricing, promotion — even international. One of my favorites is this play on the old game of Jenga but using 27 blocks that weight 600 pounds each:


We have also posted this at Learn the 4 Ps.

Adweek Picks the 10 Best Ads of 2014

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It is the time of year when many publications are picking their “Best of” lists. Adweek offers a range of different video ads — almost all of these are longer than the 15 to 30 second spots we see on television. This is a reflection of the fact that many ads are now watched on purpose and online. You can see a great range of different ads (many of them were new to me) in “The 10 Best Ads of 2014” (November 30, 2014). One of my favorites was for UK retailer John Lewis — see below. We also posted this at Learn the 4 Ps. 

These ads could obviously work when you cover a range of topics — from advertising to segmentation to non-profits and more. You might use them to kick off and motivate a topic or as an example of a concept.

Pantene #ShineStrong Campaign

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This came out back in November, but I missed it then. But it is a neat story and you might like to show it in class. Surprisingly, at least to me, this Pantene ad came out of the Philippines. There is some great advertising work going on in developing countries. The ad speaks to Pantene’s core target market, women with aspirations. Of course it also speaks to this father of three girls. Below the ad is a brief expert commentary on the ad. You could show both in a class dedicated to segmentation and targeting, advertising, or viral content.

Flash of Genius: Pantene #ShineStrong from L2 Think Tank on Vimeo.

What lessons can marketers take away from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?

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We have all enjoyed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge over the last few weeks — with their attention on social media, many of our students have seen more buckets dumped than us. But I have wondered what lessons we can take away from this viral smash hit.

It would be a great discussion starter to ask your students “What [they think] Marketers Can Learn From the Ice Bucket Challenge” (AdAge, August 20, 2014). I am sure that you and your students have a few ideas beyond those offered by AdAge but this article is a good start. Plus it gives the background and history of the Ice Bucket Challenge — which was news to me. One of the early videos that launched the phenomenon is shown below (see article for more details).

While the Ice Bucket Challenge has been wildly successful in helping ALS raise awareness and money — it may also be interesting to discuss how ALS might leverage this success going forward as well as what opportunities it might have missed. The article suggests an in-post donation button in Facebook might have generated even more money for ALS. What other ideas can your students think of?