A Recipe for Virality

THE RECIPE FOR VIRALITY
A WELLNESS REPORT

THE RECIPE FOR VIRALITY
In an era led by celebrity culture, everyone is vying for their five minutes of fame. Digital is
forever becoming a more and more saturated market, meaning that the more unique you can
be - the more likely you are to ‘go viral’. But what even is viral? And how do brands get there?
Combining this topic with our Q1 theme of ‘Wellness’, we take a
look at how virility cannot be achieved simply with the press of a button or high ad spend, but
with a dedicated social media strategy to encourage reach and engagement.
Taking insight from key case studies of viral campaigns by wellness brands, we explore the
expanding tech market, the impact of Instagram and the importance of building communities
for mental, emotional and nutritional wellness brands, as the new definition of ‘healthy’.
Overview

POPULARITY VS. SHAREABILITY
POPULAR VS. SHAREABLE
Whilst many modes of media exist - earned, owned and paid - they all share one similarity: their success is either defined by popularity or shareability.
In a study by Pulsar, ‘How Stuff Spreads’, the research investigated digital content travelling the web and discovered that just because content may be popular, it doesn't
necessarily mean the content is shareable, or vice versa. Viral content is therefore a phenomenon, generating ‘thousands of spin-off versions and billions of views’ that is
defined by either a spike or line respectively:
Spike: Where a video explodes into social with a big bang, getting attention immediately but then burning out quickly  
Line: The slower-growing version of virality, for example when a video gets picked up by inﬂuencers and introduced into new communities over many days
How to ‘Go Viral’
POPULAR VS SHAREABLE
- Pulsar, ’How Stuff Spreads’

6 STEPPS TO SUCCESS
POPULAR VS. SHAREABLE
As you will see in this report, we have outlined some examples of how this can be achieved. However, each and every example is conceived through a combination of
several ‘stepps': Social currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical value and Stories, as established by Jonah Berger, author of “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”.
Each of these ‘stepps’ can be defined in terms of content diffusion and content discovery - the ways in which videos are shared, recommended and found until they become
viral phenomena. In the case of Protein World as you will see on the next page, this involved social currency around wellness and beauty, emotional triggers associated
with ‘BBG’ (Bikini Body Guide) culture and public interest in boycotting the campaign.

BRAND CASE STUDY - PROTEIN WORLD (SHAREABLE)
In April 2015, a UK ad campaign from Protein World asked the question “Are you beach
body ready?”. The infamous weight-loss supplement brand angered consumers who felt
‘fat-shamed’ and subsequently, incited a social-media storm, a protest in Hyde Park, an
online survey and plenty of angst-driven UGC.
How did Protein World ‘Go Viral’?
- Social currency: wellness is a highly relevant topic of conversation, as is feminism, which
in this case combined to allow consumers to ride the wave of the online news agenda.
- Emotion: anger is a larger motivator than positive emotion, thus inciting more outrage, the
more this story was shared. Platforms such as @EverydaySexism allowed for further sharing.
- Public: Built to show, built to grow. The more public something is, the more likely it is to
take off as an idea.
Despite the large volume of negative coverage, Protein World reported over £2m+ in sales
as a result of the controversy.

BRAND CASE STUDY - DOVE (POPULAR)
Dove employed an FBI-trained sketch artist to illustrate women based on their own self-
perception and then based on that of a stranger. Strangers tended to see the other woman
in a more attractive light, whilst women’s own perceptions were naturally harsher -
highlighting Dove's philosophy that women don't often see their own true beauty.
How did Dove ‘Go Viral’?
- Social currency: shared far and wide, this story became a talking point which bypassed
cultural boundaries.
- Emotion: social motivation was highly prevalent for Dove in this campaign, which
resonated with intense emotional responses of warmth and happiness.
- Practical value: News you can use - spreading positive messages amongst women
always gains traction amongst feminists and online news platforms alike.
- Stories: this campaign focused around shock & awe, pivoted around a story which was
easily relatable and shareable.
Just one month after its release, Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" garnered more than 114m
total views.

THE POWER OF INSTAGRAM
SOCIAL SUCCESS THROUGH UGC
It’s no secret that Instagram has become an invaluable source for both brands and consumers within the wellness sector. In 2015, the platform became the preferred and
powerful tool for cheap and effective marketing - giving brands access to communicate quickly across a range of demographics whilst gaining insight into consumer
behaviours and competitor analysis.
With popular hashtags such as #cleaneating (20.4 million posts) #healthyliving (8.4 million) and #fitfam (40 million) remain fashionable, consumers yearn for visual proof that
they can transform their lives like the influencers they follow, and health and fitness brands are capitalising on this unique opportunity more than ever before – to give
individuals the emotional pick-me-up, confidence boost and #Fitspo.
The Power Of Instagram

BRAND CASE STUDY - KAYLA ITSINES: THE #BBG
Fitness guru and serial entrepreneur Kayla Itsines has changed the way in which
consumers interact and communicate with the fitness industry.
In just over a year, the personal trainer has gained a cult following of 4 million users
on Instagram following the launch of her Bikini Body Guide (#BBG).
Kayla uses Instagram as her main marketing tool, posting an average of 7 times a
day, including a link to her guides in 70% of those posts. When followers began to
see the success of her #BBG, they began to post their own success stories.
The #BBG community is global with empowered women following the guide, sharing
their progress across Instagram under various hashtags such as: #BBGsisters,
#TheKaylaMovement, or #KaylasArmy, with the hashtags #TheKaylaMovement and
#KaylasArmy both having over 1 million posts each from women all over the globe.

BRAND CASE STUDY - FRANK BODY: #LETSBEFRANK
Perhaps one of the most successful Instagram UGC case studies from a health and
wellness brand is from Frank Body. The Australian based brand - which produces
skincare products from coffee beans - saw its success sky rocket through the social
platform with the help of their unpaid brand ambassadors: their consumers.
With the majority of social content being produced by their consumers and fans,
Frank Body encourage their community to share their love of the brand across the
visually-led platform under the hashtags #LetsBeFrank and #TheFrankEffect.
Subsequently since launching in late 2014, their following has increased from zero
to 350k in a year and now the brand now boasts over 600k followers on Instagram.
An impressive $20m in one year alone is attributed to Frank Body’s loyal fan base
on Instagram, which is growing steadily across the US, Europe and Canada.

WELLNESS TECH CREATING POPULAR & SHAREABLE CONTENT
WELLNESS TECH ENABLING VIRAL CONTENT
The rise of fitness and health content being shared across social platforms has increased significantly in recent years: a study conducted by Fluency Media found that 30%
of adults share information about their health on social media.
The popularity of the concept behind going on a fitness ‘journey’ - with the help of a social - may seem grandiose, but social motivation has become a core component in
many fitness apps. Fitness and health apps aren’t jumping onto social sharing because it’s trendy, but because it works. Users who take advantage of these features are
more likely to stick with fitness programs and meet their goals when they have the ability to share their progress with their friends and peers. Popular features of these apps
are also proven to be shareable as repurposed UGC, with sentiment towards these apps and their UX-focused design remaining overwhelmingly positive.
The Future of Wellness

BRAND CASE STUDY - NIKE+
Social integration is central to the design of the updated Nike+ fitness app, allowing
users an ‘all-access pass’ to reach their potential. Sharing success milestones on
social channels is key to users’ perceived fitness improvements, as studies show
that doing so can impact directly on confidence of ability and physical competence
(Source: The Amsterdam School of Communications Research).
The new and improved Nike+ offers users a personalised in-app shop and on-
demand coaching. Personal feeds recommend tailored products and adaptive
training levels based on your performance. Not to mention that all of these features
align to be shared on social, reflecting Nike’s personable brand promise and
communities associated with them.
A “new era of personalised fitness”, NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker cites
that the app’s 25 million users can now benefit from a more personal relationship
that offers the jump from fitness tracking to actionable recommendations. Alongside
this, new products have been developed to complement the updated app’s
features.

BRAND CASE STUDY - HEADSPACE
The leader in mental wellness, Headspace is the best known app in the
‘mindfulness' category. With over 6 million users and counting, its user experience
features are being touted as the best in-app experiences within the wellness sector.
Headspace functions on the proof that after just 11 hours of meditation,
practitioners of mindfulness witness structural changes in the part of the brain
involved in monitoring focus and self control.
Headspace has since found that users share their positive experiences of these
changes to their mental state on social as a celebration of their personal progress
and that of the app, as they too develop alongside Headspace’s technological
advancements.
And with CEO and founder, Andy Puddicombe citing the importance of ‘meeting
people where they are - on their phones’, it’s little wonder that Headspace is
currently valued at over £25 million, with users growing daily.

PROLIFERATION OF ON-DEMAND SERVICES
In 2015, app usage specifically for lifestyle and shopping increased by a staggering 174% (Source: Fiscal Times). As the world continues to move towards the ‘uberisation’
of professional services within the wellbeing sector, apps are beginning to introduce on-demand services to meet this need.
Booking manicures, ordering juice cleanses and hosting therapy and massage sessions on-demand is already becoming the norm for tech savvy consumers looking to
maximise their time whilst satisfying their wellness needs. It’s estimated that there are over 100 on-demand spa, fitness, beauty, and medicine apps already available and this
is a market poised for huge growth in 2016 as consumer needs increase.
Wellness On-Demand

BRAND CASE STUDY - ZEEL
In 2012, Zeel was launched in the US as an on-demand platform for consumers to
book massage appointments on the go that are same-day and from the comfort of
their home. Soon to be available globally, the app is already being replicated
through similar models in the UK.
Through the app, users can specify the time of the massage, if they’d prefer a male
or female therapist, whether they’d like Swedish or deep-tissue and indicate their
time-frame and location.
Much like the format of Uber, the request is then sent to local therapists, who are
able to respond to the booking and confirm the appointment.
Zeel removes the hassle of back and forth texts to therapists, awkward payment
exchanges, the travel to and from a spa/therapist and ensures that all therapists
(and users) follow the security and safety credentials.
Wellness On-Demand

BRAND CASE STUDY - STYLEBEE
Dubbed the Uber of the beauty world, start-up StyleBee is an on-demand beauty
app that allows users to book ‘beauty experts’ direct from their phone.
Providing a variety of services for both men and women, StyleBee provides
everything from haircuts to make-up to face painting. Aimed at working
professionals who are unable to allocate time to visit salons with traditional working
hours and similarly to Uber, users can rate their stylists and service, and vice versa.
Founder, Anna Santaramo said of the rise of wellness apps, “the trend that’s
happening in the past few years is that companies want to make it easier for women
to get things done easier in one place.”
Wellness On-Demand

TAKEAWAYS
There is no one secret to achieving to virality or a step-by-step guide to follow, however by harnessing the emotional
needs of the consumer, brands can begin to communicate sentiment that triggers a social response.
In the study 'Social Transmission, Emotion, and the Virality of Online Content' carried out by the Wharton Business
School, research found that positive content was more viral than negative content and that leveraging the arousal of a
consumers emotions is imperative to creating something shareable.
Following this, the study found that their most shareable content fell into one of four categories: awe-inspiring,
emotional, positive or surprising - needless to say that these four categories arise often within the wellness industry,
making it a prevalent industry for viral and shareable content.
Ultimately, virality isn't often achieved on a global scale but rather through industry focused content that is defined by
audience - dependant on a large demographic of consumers finding an emotional reaction. It is through enhancing the
consumer needs for content and services that aligns with them personally and meeting demand that will lead to sales,
long-term consumer loyalty and social success.

contact@cultldn.com 020 3427 3641 @cultldn

A Recipe for Virality

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (15)

Similar to A Recipe for Virality

Similar to A Recipe for Virality (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

A Recipe for Virality