This is a presentation about viral media. It was prepared as a workshop and draws heavily on the writings of people like:FARIS YAKOB, BUD CADDELL, MIKE ARAUZ, HELGE TENNO, HENRY JENKINS & ANA DOMB, ...
This is a presentation about viral media. It was prepared as a workshop and draws heavily on the writings of people like:FARIS YAKOB, BUD CADDELL, MIKE ARAUZ, HELGE TENNO, HENRY JENKINS & ANA DOMB, NOUVE INTERPLAY and others. It essentially makes a case for the adoption of the term "spreadable media" when referring to viral. To know why, you will have to read on.
gwyneth jones at gwyneth jonesGreat preso, Eva! Love the graphics, too! The only thing that drives me wild is WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING ALL THE TEXT? IT'S VERY HARD TO READ & AN ESTABLISHED INTERNWEB FAUX PAS... ahem. sorry. Anyway...great nuggets there! thanks!1 year ago
A J Kimmel at A J KimmelInformative presentation - key themes here are consistent with several points in my new book, Connecting With Consumers, http://www.connectingwithconsumers.net2 years ago
Stop Saying Viral - A Case for Spreadable MediaPresentation Transcript
STOP
SAYING
VIRAL!
HOW MANY TIMES HAS A CLIENT APPROACHED YOU AND SAID “WE’D LIKE YOU TO MAKE
US A VIRAL OR A CREATIVE TEAM “I HAVE A REALLY GREAT IDEA FOR A VIRAL”
WELL WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY THAT? WHAT IS A VIRAL? …
I THINK WE’D ALL AGREE THIS IS A VIRAL.
BUT IS THIS A VIRAL? IT SURE GOT PASSED AROUND A LOT.
AND WHAT ABOUT THIS CHAIN LETTER?….
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THE DEFINITION OF VIRAL IS A LITTLE FUZZY.
AND IS USED TO CHARACTERIZE A WIDE RANGE OF BEHAVIORS: SENDING LINKS BY
EMAIL, MASHUPS, CLIPS, MOVIES, COMMERCIALS ETC.
SO WHAT MAKES SOMETHING VIRAL?
NO DOUBT WE’VE ALL HEARD SOMEONE SAY AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER:
“VIRAL MEDIA IS VIRAL BECAUSE IT SPREADS LIKE A VIRUS”.
WELL I’D LIKE TO QUESTION THAT PRESUMPTION
BY WILL LION ON FLICKR
THE VIRAL
METAPHOR
IS FLAWED
//Douglas Rushkoff
A VIRUS IS ESSENTIALLY A SET OF GENETIC INSTRUCTIONS WRAPPED IN A PROTEIN.
ONCE ATTACHED TO THE HOST CELL, THE VIRUS INJECTS ITS INSTRUCTION INTO THE
CELL, REPLICATES ITSELF, THEN DETACHES FROM THE HOST CELL IN ORDER TO FIND A
NEW CELL TO COMMANDEER.
THE ONLY PURPOSE OF A VIRUS IS TO PRODUCE MORE OF ITSELF.
HOW DID
THIS
HAPPEN?
@BUD_CADDELL
WE BEGAN APPLYING THE VIRAL TERM TO DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS WITH THE INVENTION
OF THE COMPUTER VIRUS. THIS MADE SENSE AS THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTION WAS TO
REPRODUCE THEMSELVES; SEIZE THE NORMAL FUNCTIONS OF THE SYSTEM AND
INFECT EVERY HOST FILE ACCESSED
@BUD_CADDELL
WHEN MARKETERS REALIZED WE WERE SPENDING MORE AND MORE TIME WITHIN
NETWORKED DIGITAL SYSTEMS, AND MORE EXAMPLES OF HIGHLY SHARED CONTENT
APPEARED THEY STARTED PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WE WERE WATCHING NOT
BOTHERING TO WONDER WHY WE WERE SHARING AND SPREADING CLIPS OF SILLY MEN
DANCING RATHER THAN THEIR AWARD WINNING ADS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WmMcqp670s&feature=player_embedded
@bud_caddell
@BUD_CADDELL
INNEVITABLY MARKETERS DECIDED THERE MUST BE SOME TRUTH TO THE VIRAL
METAPHOR IF WE WERE CONTAMINATING OTHER PEOPLE LIKE AS IF IT WAS THE FLU.
TO THEM IT MUST HAVE SEEMED THAT IF NUMA NUMA COULD HAVE MILLIONS OF VIEWS,
ALMOST ANYTHING COULD.
REGARDLESS, THE VIRAL TERM WAS APPLIED TO THESE VIDEOS AND TOOK HOLD.
@FARIS
SO WHAT IF WE USE THE WORD VIRAL - IT’S JUST SEMANTICS RIGHT? WRONG.
WORDS MATTER. ARTISTIC LICENSE SHOULD BE USED TO ILLUMINATE,
NOT TO OBFUSCATE.
THE CONCEPT OF VIRAL
MEDIA IS FLAWED FOR
MANY MORE REASONS
THE IDEA OF VIRAL MEDIA BREAKS DOWN BECAUSE IT IS AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION THAT
STRIPS ASIDE THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH IDEAS CIRCULATE
AND THE CONSCIOUS HUMAN CHOICES WHICH DETERMINE WHICH IDEAS
ARE PASSED ALONG. @FARIS
“When we say something is viral
we focus entirely on the content itself
and not on the needs of the people
that we are asking to spread our ideas”
@Faris
VIRUSES DON’T SELF PROPAGATE AND WORDS DO MATTER.
VIRAL ASSUMES THE MECHANICS FOR DISTRIBUTION ARE BUILT RIGHT IN.
THEY ARE NOT.
IN FACT, WHEN WE FOCUS EXCLUSIVELY ON THE CONTENT, WE END UP
WITH A VIRAL METRICS SYSTEM THAT DEFINES VIRAL SUCCESS BY A VIRAL’S
“STICKYNESS” –HOW MANY VIEWS A VIRAL GOT AND HOW MANY PEOPLE
WATCHED
BY HELGE TENNO
WE NEED TO STOP COUNTING EYEBALLS AND OPT FOR THE “SPREADABILITY”
MODEL THAT FACTORS IN OTHER CONSIDERATIONS LIKE WOM, BUZZ, AND THE
FACT THAT IDEAS GET TRANSFORMED, REPURPOSED, REMIXED OR
DISTORTED AS THEY PASS FROM HAND TO HAND.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DvhqPnJzns
BECAUSE IT IS ONLY WHEN CONSUMERS MAKE THE BRAND MESSAGE
THEIR OWN, BY TRANSFORMING IT AND REPURPOSING IT THAT IT TAKES ON
SOCIAL WORTH AND ENTERS POP CULTURE OR WHAT HENRY JENKINS
CALLS THE GIFT ECONOMY (MORE ABOUT THAT A LITTLE LATER)
ANOTHER REASON THE STICKYNESS MODEL DOESN’T WORK:
IT FOCUSES ON THE INDIVIDUAL RATHER THAN THE SOCIAL NETWORK AND
DOESN’T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT CONSUMERS DO NOT LIVE ON ANY
PARTICULAR SITE BUT RATHER LIVE ON A VARIETY OF ONLINE PLATFORMS
– CONSTANTLY SWITCHING BETWEEN THEM.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF MINE…
WE’RE MISSING THE POINT. AND THE POINT IS PEOPLE.
“People don’t engage with each other
to exchange viruses. People exchange
viruses as an excuse to engage with
each other”
Douglas Rushkoff
WE CONVENIENTLY ASSUME THAT VIRALS ARE PUSHED WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE PULLED.
EXPERIENCES ARE SPREAD DELIBERATELY. BY PEOPLE.
THESE EXCHANGES HAVE A SOCIAL
FUNCTION, BOTH PHATIC AND
GENEROUS. PEOPLE DO NOT
SPREAD THINGS FOR THE SAKE OF
SPREADING THEM. THEY OPERATE
WITHIN A GIFT ECONOMY, WHERE
VALUE IS GENERATED IN
TRANSFERENCE, NOT PURCHASE.
@FARIS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/praisecheeses/3924338139/
Coca cola college
COCA COLA INVITED COLLEGE STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE THE HAPPINESS FACTORY VIA
"THE HAPPINESS MACHINE". GO BUY A COKE AND YOU MIGHT END UP
WITH TEN, OR A PIZZA, OR A TWENTY FOOT SUB.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9iCbjXHVG8
A GROUP OF ART LOVERS TRYING TO PROMOTE ART & YOUNG ARTISTS SET OUT
ON A PROJECT TO CHANGE THE FACE OF NEW YORK’S TIMES SQUARE
AND PLASTER IT WITH ART
@POLLEMAAGT
THE SUZUKI CAR BRAND TRYING TO MAKE RECESSION A LITTLE EASIER ON THEIR
DRIVERS TOOK OVER A PETROL STATION AND SUBSIDIZED FUEL PRICES WITH A
30% DISCOUNT FOR A DAY
@ANADK
SO HOW DO YOU MEASURE VIRAL?
WE NEED TO FORGET ABOUT TRYING TO MAKE THINGS VIRAL AND BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SPREAD AND WHY.
WELL WE HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT THE GIFT ECONOMY…
AND ALTHOUGH THERE DEFINITELY IS AN ALTRUISTIC ASPECT IN PASSING ON
AND SPREADING GIFTS, IT ALSO HAS EGOTISTIC AND SELFISH MOTIVES.
THE GIFTS I SHARE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ME AND MY PERCEPTION OF THE
PERSON I AM PASSING THEM ON TO, AS MUCH AS THEY EXPRESS MY OWN
TASTE AND INTERESTS. THEY ARE A WAY FOR ME TO NOT ONLY CEMENT MY
BOND WITH OTHERS BUT DETERMINE WHETHER WE BELONG TO THE SAME
COMMUNITY..
WHERE
DO WE GO
FROM HERE?
HOW DO YOU DESIGN
EXPERIENCES THAT
SPREAD?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22091386@N03/4177218994/
WELL FIRST YOU’VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE’S LIVES DON’T
REVOLVE AROUND YOUR BRAND, THEY REVOLVE AROUND LIFE.
“PEOPLE READ
WHAT INTERESTS THEM
AND SOMETIMES IT'S YOUR AD.”
BILL BERNBACH
IN A DIGITAL WORLD, PEOPLE
SPEND THEIR TIME EXPLORING THE THINGS
THEY ARE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT
1
TO EARN A PLACE ON THE CONSUMER’S RADAR AND IN THE CONSUMER’S LIFE,
YOUR BRAND HAS TO START CARING ABOUT SOMETHING MORE
IMPORTANT THAN ITS PRODUCT
2
SPREADABLE MEDIA IS CREATED WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE
COMMUNITIES OF THE PEOPLE TO BE COURTED. IT IS CREATED SO THAT
MEMBERS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES CAN FIND THE CONTENT EASILY AND
SHARE IT
BY HELGE TENNO
WHAT COMMUNITY
WILL SPREAD
THIS EXPERIENCE?
http://www.wereallfans.com/
THIS IMAGE, POSTED TO BUZZFEED, WAS THE 7TH "MOST VIRAL" POST OF THE
WEEK, AND 4TH "MOST SHARED”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwoM5fLITfk
WHY DID THIS PARTICULAR IMAGE SPREAD SO MUCH FURTHER AND FASTER
THAN THE AVERAGE IMAGE POSTED TO THE WEB?
LUCK HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT, AS DID HUMOR, TIMELINESS AND AN
OPENNESS TO INFOGRAPHICS-BASED JOKES BUT MOST OF ALL IT HAD TO DO
WITH THE FACT IT APPEALED TO MANY DIFFERENT SOCIAL GROUPS AND WAS
ABLE TO BRIDGE BARELY OVERLAPPING SOCIAL NETWORKS – THUS
ACHIEVING SOCIAL CURRENCY AND EXPONENTIAL REACH
3
BELIEVE IT OR NOT PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HELP THOSE
LESS FORTUNATE THAN THEM – EQUALITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ARE
STILL IDEAS THAT MOTIVATE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rphhfy4qCfc
4
ENOUGH SAID ABOUT THIS– WE ALL HAVE COME TO ADMIRE THE SKILLS PUT
IN MOTION DURING THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Ol8YlfWig
MAKE SURE EVERY EXPERIENCE YOU CREATE IS DESIGNED TO SPREAD
THROUGH A DIGITAL SOCIAL NETWORK
@NOUVE INTERPLAY
Linkage economy the matthew effect
@NOUVE INTERPLAY
BECAUSE THE WAY PEOPLE SPREAD AND SHARE INFORMATION
IS BY EXCHANGING LINKS
@NOUVE INTERPLAY
@NOUVE INTERPLAY
5
CATER FOR
THE REMIX
CULTURE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wild_images/1402152097/
…AND LIGHT LOTS OF FIRES …. HERD LIKE COPYING IS HOW THINGS
SPREAD…
http://thru-you.com/
REMIX IS USED TO MAKE MEANING SO IF YOU LET PEOPLE MESS WITH YOUR
CONTENT, IT GETS MORE SPREADABLE BECAUSE SUDDENLY CONSUMERS
HAVE A PERSONAL STAKE IN ITS PROPAGATION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
6
WHAT DO PEOPLE
REALLY SPREAD?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11186622@N00/143311736/
THIS IS THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: IF I WANTED TO MAKE A
“SPREADABLE” CAMPAIGN – WHAT SHOULD BE IN IT? WHAT ARE THE
LEADING THEMES?
BABIES & KIDS ALWAYS WORK – BABIES GIGGLING ARE ONE OF
THE 10 MOST ADDICTIVE SOUNDS IN THE WORLD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs
ANIMALS ARE A SURE HIT: THERE ARE AN OBSCENE NUMBER OF
LOLCATS OUT THERE – THIS ONE RANKS #6 ON THIS YEARS MOST
VIRAL CHART
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bmhjf0rKe8
HUMOR– WE INTUITIVELY UNDERSTAND THAT SHARING
FUNNY ANECDOTES IS AN EASY WAY TO STRENGTHEN BONDS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0
EXTREME SKILL IS BOUND TO CAPTURE ATTENTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxNl 9WMyC70
SEX - ALTHOUGH SEX SELLS, SURPRISINGLY IT DOES NOT
FEATURE ON THE VIRAL CHARTS TOP 20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd27L4RDD94
DESTRUCTION – WE’VE ALWAYS LIKED TAKING THINGS APART TO
SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l 69Vi5IDc0g
MAGIC– IT’S ALWAYS AN ENCHANTING EXPERIENCE THAT GETS YOU
WONDERING AND LEAVES YOU FEELING…WELL BEWITCHED
http://www.harrypottertweet.com/
SAMSUNG CAMERA TRICK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX8iVo5vc8o&feature=player_embedded
UNIVERSAL CONCERNS – WILL ALWAYS FIND A CROWD TO
MOVE, MOBILIZE AND RESONATE WITH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei 6JvK0W 60I
http://www.flickr.com/photos/limpopostudio/3186806743/
BUT THE TRUTH IS THERE IS NO MAGIC FORMULA TO CREATING
MEDIA THAT SPREADS, ONLY A FEW RULES OF THUMB
THE HUMAN BRAIN RESPONDS TO EMOTIONS GENERATED BY
SPECIFIC CUES: PARODY, HUMOR, ABSURDITY, SHOCK, INTRIGUE
AND SURPRISE ARE JUST SOME OF THEM
CONTENT SHOULD NOT BE PERFECT, AMBIGUITY IS GOOD
AND PREFERABLY THERE SHOULD BE ROOM LEFT FOR DOUBT &
SPECULATION: “IS THIS FOR REAL”?...”HOW DID THEY DO IT”
…BECAUSE IT LEADS TO CONVERSATIONS AND EARNED MEDIA
WHY IS
SO IMPORTANT?
EVERY CLICK YOU MAKE ON THE INTERNET IS A VOTE FOR A BRAND.
BRANDS HAVE TO EARN THEIR PLACE ON THE INTERNET.
BY HELGE TENNO, BUD CADDELL & MIKE ARAUZ
AMBIGUITY AND SPECULATION LEAD TO ENGAGEMENT:
WOM, CHATTER BUZZ AND SPREAD…A STRENGTHENED BOND WITH YOUR
AUDIENCE (WHICH WAS KIND OF THE POINT FROM THE START)
Ford Mondeo Desire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va9luw8pjDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVq0u1BTGgE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W -JRJsxvq0
SO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE, GIVE THEM A ROLE TO PLAY
http://oneframeoffame.com/
MAKE THEM PART OF THE EXPERIENCE...ONLY THEN WILL THEY SPREAD
YOUR EXPERIENCE.… AND PLEASE, STOP SAYING VIRAL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1uwexYeKAg&feature=player_embedded
CREDITS:
THIS IS THE PLACE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MANY BRILLIANT MINDS I HAVE
RUTHLESSLY STOLEN FROM. THE PEOPLE WHOSE WRITINGS I HAVE BEEN
READING RELIGIOUSLY OVER THE COUPLE OF MONTHS. FORWARD THINKERS
IN THE PLANNING INDUSTRY WHOSE GENEROSITY IN SHARING THEIR
THOUGHTS MAKES US ALL BETTER AT WHAT WE DO, PUSHING US TO THINK
HARDER AND REVISIT SO MANY NOTIONS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED:
FARIS YAKOB
BUD CADDELL
MIKE ARAUZ
HELGE TENNO
HENRY JENKINS
ANA DOMB
NOUVE INTERPLAY
POLLEMAAGT
I TRULY HOPE I HAVE NOT OFFENDED YOU,
(THIS WAS PREPARED AS A WORKSHOP)
BUT IF I DID, PLEASE DROP ME A LINE ON TWITTER @HASSONTWINS
Ievgen Myroliubenko
Anyway...great nuggets there! thanks! 1 year ago
Connecting With Consumers, http://www.connectingwithconsumers.net 2 years ago