Viral Video Questions

1. I think a successful viral video is one which is both entertaining and informative at the same time. There are many ways to create entertaining videos using humor, special effects, and other sophisticated means. However, if the purpose of a viral video is to inform people of a particular message or idea, then that must also be incorporated into the video. The trick to making a successful production is evenly balancing the humor and the informative aspects. I think viral videos which do this are the most effective. In measuring the success of viral videos I think it is hard to come up with a universal scale. Different videos will find different forms of success, and not necessarily based on how many people view the video. I think success should be measured on what occurs after the video(s) are launched. For instance, do sales increase, does money get raised, do more people call with questions and/or wanting to volunteer? Each viral campaign has different goals and objectives, therefore success of a certain campaign will be measured against these initial objectives. I also think that a main goal in all viral campaigns is to raise awareness, so if this is achieved, then a campaign has found success.

2. The first viral video I looked at was the Bill Cosby eightbucks.org viral campaign. One aspect of this video which was a positive addition was having Bill Cosby as the spokesperson in the video. Cosby is a well-known and well-liked comedian, so if he is speaking in a video, it is very likely that people will listen. The video also incorporates levels of humor in which to broadcast its message. Dr. Cosby uses his comedic talents, along with background pictures, to create an entertaining video highlighting an important cause. Another extremely important part of this campaign is the fact that anyone can create a video with Dr. Cosby speaking his set script. This gives interested viewers a chance to work hands-on with the campaign and pass along their videos (and the message of the campaign) to their friends, families and coworkers. The hands-on aspect will make people feel as if they are actively taking part in the campaign, which they are, and it will also increase the chances of people viewing several different versions of the same message.
The second viral video I analyzed was the GM "Flying Cars" Campaign. I did not find this campaign to be as successful as the previous one mentioned for a couple reasons. First of all, the overall message of this campaign is not apparently clear from watching the video. If anything, it leaves the viewer asking "So what?" However, this does not mean the videos in the campaign are failures. Confusion will often lead viewers to do further investigation into the campaign, and in the process learn even more about the campaign and the ideas behind it than if they had simply watched one video. But the company also runs the risk of viewers simply giving up on the videos and not seeking more information. After analyzing the video I came to the conclusion that the flying cars are meant to represent GM's ability to see into the future, or to say to viewers that they are somehow ahead of the times. I thought the flying cars was an interesting way to make that point, but I am wondering if all viewers will get that impression. I thought the idea of making the video look authentic with the shaking and out of focus shots was a nice touch. If someone didn't know better, they might think this was a real video and not created for a viral campaign.

3. I think I would actually pass both of these videos onto my friends and family. I would send the Eightbucks.org video simply because I think it is a good cause, the video is nicely done, and the overall message is pointedly clear. I would send on the GM "Flying Cars" video because I am interested to hear what other people think of the campaign. I would like to get other peoples' opinions and see what conclusions they came to that I might not have thought of. I find it interesting that I am choosing to pass on a video I didn't think was quite successful simply because I want more input on it. I think this notion is what makes "unsuccessful" viral videos successful in a small way. Confusion can lead to popularity in the essence of wanting to figure things out.

4. The brand placement in the Bill Cosby video is fairly obvious. Actually, it isn't so much a brand placement as it is cause placement. Dr. Cosby is promoting a cause and it is the overall focus of the video. In the flying cars video the brand placement is there, but it isn't quite clear what company is behind it or what type of car is being promoted. The ambiguity of this video could have mixed effects. In one sense people may investigate to discover which company is behind it, on the other hand people may not even care, therefore GM won't be credited with the video. Therefore, I think I would try and make the brand placement (or at least the company placement) a bit more prominent in the video. For the Eightbucks.org video, I don't think I would change anything about it as far as brand placement. Dr. Cosby relays the message quite clearly and the picture backdrops illustrate very clearly what the video is trying to accomplish. One thing I might add into the video is why the group is asking for $8 donations. It seems like an odd number and it might be interesting to come up with a section of script highlighting this issue and why it is important for the museum.