The document discusses the significance of content creation and viral marketing, outlining six key lessons learned from viral brand activities in 2014. It emphasizes the importance of aligning content with clear business objectives, capturing leads rather than just attention, and leveraging social causes and partnerships to enhance content shareability. Additionally, it highlights the mechanics behind successful campaigns, advocating for a user-first design approach and inspiring sharing to drive engagement.

1. Content Creation +
Viral Marketing
–
Why it matters and
how to do it right

2. BRIANNA
VIEIRA
Strategy Coordinator
Jack Morton Worldwide
@BriannaVieira
617.425.7293
www.briannavieira.com
@JackMorton
www.jackmorton.com
blog.jackmorton.com

3. BEN
GROSSMAN
VP, Strategy Director
Jack Morton Worldwide
@BenGrossman
617.752.1171
www.ben-grossman.com
@JackMorton
www.jackmorton.com
blog.jackmorton.com

4. The Creative Process
Experience Principles
Let’s
Chat
#1:
#2:
#3:
#4:
#5:
Definitions
The Landscape + Importance
Six Lessons from Viral
Brand Activity in 2014

5. The Creative Process
Experience Principles
Let’s
Chat
#1:
#2:
#3:
#4:
#5:
Definitions
The Landscape + Importance
Six Lessons from Viral
Brand Activity in 2014

6. How do we
define viral?

7. Definition 1: of relating to, or
caused by a virus.
Example: Chicken pox
vi·ral

8. vi·ral
Definition 2: when content is viewed and shared
millions of times within a community to increase
brand awareness.
Example: Cat videos

10. CATS
SUCCESS

11. VIRAL
SUCCESS

12. =VIRAL
SUCCESS
C A N

13. The Creative Process
Experience Principles
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Six Lessons from Viral
Brand Activity in 2014

14. pieces of content are
shared each day.
27M
AOL

15. of global marketers plan
to increase or maintain
their digital marketing
spend in 2015.
84%
Salesforce

16. of marketers use social
media (the most common
content marketing tactic).
CMI
87%

17. Search +
social networks
are consumers’ preferred way
to discover new brands
and products.
Forrester

18. Forrester
of marketers take a
sophisticated approach to
measuring content performance
against customer segments.
12%

19. Virality.
Is: Isn’t:

20. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
Isn’t:

21. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
Isn’t:
• Targeted

22. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
Isn’t:
• Targeted

23. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded

24. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
• Risky
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded

25. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
• Risky
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded
• Managed

26. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
• Risky
• Popular
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded
• Managed

27. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
• Risky
• Popular
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded
• Managed
• Right Every Time

28. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
• Risky
• Popular
• Possible
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded
• Managed
• Right Every Time

29. Virality.
Is:
• Broad
• Memorable
• Risky
• Popular
• Possible
Isn’t:
• Targeted
• Always Branded
• Managed
• Right Every Time
• Easy

30. The Creative Process
Experience Principles
Let’s
Chat
#1:
#2:
#3:
#4:
#5:
Definitions
The Landscape + Importance
Six Lessons from Viral
Brand Activity in 2014

31. LESSON #1
BRAND VALUE
TRUMPS VIRALITY

33. Eaton My IT Empire
Infographics
To be successful, content does not have to “go
viral” in a traditional sense. Instead, brands should
start by defining their business objective, then
deciding how content, the way it’s created and
how it’s distributed meets that objective.
Instead of creating content that is absorbed by the
audience one-way, or simply commented on, Eaton
made the target audience content creators
themselves. An infographic wizard asked
professionals about their IT infrastructure, their
personality and their jobs, then visualized it in a
powerful, shareable infographic.
We increased familiarity with the brand by 34%
and sent them evergreen posters they will be proud
to hang in their offices – generating additional
impressions and top-of mind status.

34. LESSON #1
BRAND VALUE
TRUMPS VIRALITY
• Don’t assume you have to reach millions of people to be
successful – sometimes highly targeted content trumps
millions of views.
• Consider how to make your content an experience, instead
of just a consumable.
• Define clear business value-driven objectives at the start of
your initiative. “Going viral” doesn’t count as a business
objective.

35. LESSON #2
CONTENT THAT CAPTURES
MORE THAN ATTENTION

38. MINI USA Lost &
Found
While ‘viral’ content of the past has been focused
on capturing the attention of users and their
friends, today, content is capable of much more.
Brands are getting ahead by creating content that
captures more than a like, comment or share:
they’re capturing leads.
As a way to activate partnerships with other like-
minded brands, MINI USA has created a fantasy
“Lost & Found” where items supposedly left behind
after test drives go to be claimed.
The brand posts “lost” items to its social channels
and partners post them to their unique social
audiences as well. Users then not only are exposed
to interesting content, but actually encouraged to
claim the items for a chance to win them.
In order to claim items, MINI USA captures the
individual’s contact information and thus also
captures them as a prospective car buyer.

39. LESSON #2
CONTENT THAT CAPTURES
MORE THAN ATTENTION
• Consider how content can help you capture more than
soft social metrics.
• Identify like-minded partners that can help expose your
brand to new, strategic audiences.
• Content is most powerful for brands when it is attached to
a clear call-to-action (CTA) that gives consumers an
obvious next step.

40. LESSON #3
VALUE PROPOSITION
PROMPTS PASS-ALONG

42. T-Mobile – Big 7th
Consumers pass along content to help it go viral
when brands strike a chord with the value
proposition of taking that action. In other words,
“What’s in it for me?” For some content, simply
sharing a funny or poignant piece of content that
friends will want to talk about is enough. However,
to grease the wheels, some brands find new ways
to add value to consumers in exchange for their
willingness to share content.
When T-Mobile wanted to own a moment during
the World Series, Jack created an initiative to
appeal to a tradition fans already know and love:
the seventh inning stretch.
Consumers and major digital influencers were
invited to be part of the biggest seventh inning
stretch ever (valuable in and of itself), but then
increased value further by giving them a chance to
appear in a T-Mobile commercial during the World
Series, singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”
Consumers cared and shared, because of the
organic fit of the idea and the high value
proposition that participating, then sharing the
final user-generated commercial represented.

43. VALUE PROPOSITION
PROMPTS PASS-ALONG
LESSON #3
• Think about efficient ways to recognized large audiences.
• Engineer content where the audience becomes invested in
propelling content forward.
• Don’t just post and hope – use relationships with
influencers with established audiences to ensure that
content has advocates from the beginning.

44. LESSON #4
SOCIAL REACH THROUGH
SOCIAL CAUSES

45. LESSON #4
SOCIAL REACH THROUGH
SOCIAL CAUSES

46. LESSON #4
SOCIAL REACH THROUGH
SOCIAL CAUSES
Always #LikeAGirl
There are several ways to encourage pass-along
and, thus, virality ranging from humor to shock
value. One of the best ways to ensure share-ability
to align with a social cause that an audience cares
about.
When Always wanted to win the hearts women
everywhere, it created an emotive TV spot makes a
provocative, yet easy to support statement about
how society raises girls and how they see
themselves.
By accompanying the commercial with a simple
hashtag and launching it widely during the Super
Bowl, when a lot of buzz is about commercials
themselves, Always increased its chances at
virality.
The combination between a highly social period of
time and a socially relevant topic struck gold for
the brand, though some consumers misconstrued
the commercial as an initiative from Dove.

47. LESSON #4
SOCIAL REACH THROUGH
SOCIAL CAUSES
• Social causes can be powerful sharing motivators,
especially combined with the right audience and right
timeframe.
• Because brand association can be weak in viral videos,
differentiation and strong brand ties are important.
• Consider how your content touches people in a way that
motivates them to share your content as a reflection of
who they are as a person.

48. LESSON #5
PARTNERSHIPS
ENERGIZE CAUSES

50. GoPro’s Video
Content
Sometimes, content partners can speak to the value
of brands in a way that is better or fresher than the
way brands can represent themselves. In addition,
sometimes these partners bring new audiences to
brands which they never would have had access to
before.
GoPro could focus its content on the many
technical features of the camera, but instead the
company engages content partners to do what
they’re good at: using the device in amazing
ways.
Through GoPro’s video content, the brand
essentially uses content production experts to
demonstrate the plethora of uses for the device,
bringing unique audiences and perspectives to the
brand’s communications.
GoPro’s content creator strategy, combined with
likable, Internet-friendly topics, including dogs with
sticks, firefighters saving kittens and most recently
dub stepping owls maintains a high level of
ongoing virality.

51. LESSON #5
PARTNERSHIPS
ENERGIZE CAUSES
• Consider what partners have desirable audiences and
something to offer your brand.
• Create sustainable content strategies that engage
audiences in the long-term in a serialized manner, instead
of as a one-off.
• Be open to partners bringing their expertise and personal
style to the table – they often already know what their
audiences respond to.

52. LESSON #6
KNOW MECHANIC
NIRVANA

54. ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge
Sometimes, the technical mechanics of how an
initiative works is as or more important than the
creative idea itself. In an extraordinarily
complicated media landscape filled with
technicalities, it can pay off to have perfectly
balanced initiative inner-workings.
Heralded as one of the most successful viral
movements in 2014, it is important to remember
that the Ice Bucket Challenge was an organic
movement – not one engineered to be as big as it
became.
In a happy accident, ALS nailed perfect mechanics
for the promotion through four things. First, heavy
reliance on video at a time when Facebook is
favoring video and video creation through
smartphones is at an all-time high. Second, an
unusual act that has a low-barrier to entry and high
entertainment value. Third, public pass along and
shaming of friends to get involved. Fourth,
widespread support from influencers with a very
specific request.
The results were astounding – even though many
didn’t donate money, the reach was so great that
many did.

55. LESSON #6
KNOW MECHANIC
NIRVANA
• Think
carefully
about
how
something
will
actually
work,
aligning
closely
with
consumer
technographics
and
behavior.
• Understand
that
viral
is
hard
to
create
–
the
ALS
ini@a@ve
was
an
organic
happening,
not
a
marke@ng
campaign
with
a
master
plan.
• Grab
a
first
mover
advantage
when
you
can.
Be
willing
to
take
risks
–
ALS
was
first
to
market
with
an
ini@a@ve
like
this.
Other
brands
will
try
to
replicate
this
success
and
there
will
be
diminishing
turns.

56. The Creative Process
Experience Principles
Let’s
Chat
#1:
#2:
#3:
#4:
#5:
Definitions
The Landscape + Importance
Six Lessons from Viral
Brand Activity in 2014

57. Creative Process / PIE2
_

58. Creative Process / PIE2
_
PROBLEM à POINT OF VIEWP =

59. Creative Process / PIE2
_
P =
I = INSIGHTS IMPLICATIONS à IDEA
PROBLEM à POINT OF VIEW

60. Creative Process / PIE2
_
P =
I =
E = EXPERIENCE à EXECUTION
INSIGHTS IMPLICATIONS à IDEA
PROBLEM à POINT OF VIEW

61. The Creative Process
Experience Principles
Let’s
Chat
#1:
#2:
#3:
#4:
#5:
Definitions
The Landscape + Importance
Six Lessons from Viral
Brand Activity in 2014

62. BRAND EXPERIENCE
PRINCIPLES
• INSPIRE SHARING
• ADD VALUE
• ON (NOT IN) THE WAY
• ENGAGE ALL
• USER-FIRST DESIGN

63. Thanks
–
x1,000,000
Interested in interning?
www.jackmorton.com