This presentation provides an overview of the WATERisLIFE "Hashtag Killer" campaign and its tactics; a review of the literature on viral marketing and nonprofit video marketing; and an analysis of the effectiveness of the campaign, informed by the literature. The analysis argues that “Hashtag Killer” was an effective campaign because it achieved virality, which led to measurable action in its viewers.

1. Hashtag Killer: How
WATERisLIFE used
viral marketing to hijack
#firstworldproblems
By: Alanna Mager
April 7, 2014

2. Agenda
● Context
● Literature Review
○ Viral Marketing
○ Nonprofit video marketing
● Campaign Analysis
● Conclusions

3. Context
● Organization: WATERisLIFE
● Campaign: Hashtag Killer
● Media used: video & still image
advertising

4. Campaign pieces:
● First World Problems Anthem
● Personalized responses to Tweets
● Print ad 1
● Print ad 2

5. Campaign results
● The campaign led to very clear and measurable
action
○ enough funds raised for 1 million days of clean
water
○ #firstworldproblems was hijacked to promote
WATERisLIFE’s programs
○ nearly 5 million views on YouTube

6. Literature review
● Two areas of interest:
○ literature on viral marketing
○ literature on nonprofit video marketing

7. Viral marketing - Dobele et. al,
2005 & 2007
● When messages spread quickly or
exponentially online
● Aided by functionality of online channels
like social networking sites (SNSs)
○ increased connections
○ ease of sharing
○ referrals by trusted individuals/networks

8. Successful Viral Marketing
● Establishes emotional connection between
campaign messages and recipient
○ captures imagination
○ element of surprise, combined with other
emotions
○ strong match between audience & messages

9. Nonprofit video marketing
● Viral marketing advantageous because it
costs very little & referrals feel genuine
○ individuals voluntarily advocate for you
○ good for nonprofits with limited funds

10. Study of nonprofit videos on
YouTube #1
● Waters and Jones (2011)
● Content analysis of most viewed videos on top 100
official nonprofit YouTube channels
● nonprofits mostly use YouTube to spread organizational
messages
○ informative & educational
○ awareness-building
● But “not living up to potential in terms of engagement”
○ could be more creative
○ could use more calls-to-action/involvement requests

11. Study of nonprofit videos on
YouTube #2
● Almarez, Baños González & Van-Wyck (2013)
● Study of 370 campaign videos found:
○ low levels of creativity
○ videos were homogenous, used similar proposals,
transmitted meanings, were predictable, described
activities
○ limited resources constrain videos
○ nonprofits must maximize video creation efforts because
platforms like YouTube provide good, inexpensive
exposure

12. Campaign Analysis
● “Hashtag Killer” was a nonprofit viral
marketing success
● Provocative messaging, coupled with a
tailored approach allowed it to go viral

13. Tailored approach:
● Campaign worked to influence people who
use a particular platform by hijacking and
subverting their activities on that very platform

14. Messages:
1. #firstworldproblems is unproductive and
insensitive
2. first world problems insignificant in
comparison to third world problems
3. people are in need of clean water around
the world, and donating to WATERisLIFE
can help

15. Campaign analysis cont’d
● Campaign exemplified what both Waters & Jones
and Almarez et. al. say nonprofit videos should be
○ surprise → juxtaposition of #firstworldproblems
on poor, rural settings
○ shame → “first world problems are not real
problems”
○ humour → absurdity of apologies for first world
problems

16. Conclusions
● Nonprofits should take advantage of
potential provided by SNS like YouTube
● Videos must employ the principles of
virality (emotional appeals & targeting)
● Videos must include calls to action

17. References
Almaraz, A., Baños González, M., Van-Wyck, C. (2013). Analysis of the campaign videos posted by the
third sector on YouTube. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 68, 328-354. doi: 10.4185/RLCS-2013-
980en.
Dobele, A., Lindgreen, A., Beverland, M., Vanhamme, J., & van Wijk, R. (2007). Why pass on viral
messages? Because they connect emotionally. Business Horizons, 50, 291-304. doi: 10.1016/j.bushor.
2007.01.004.
Dobele, A., Toleman, D., Beverland, M., (2005). Controlled infection! Spreading the brand message
through viral marketing. Business Horizons, 48, 143-149. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2004.10.011
Waters, R. D., & Jones, P. M. (2011). Using video to build an organization’s identity and brand: A
content analysis of nonprofit organizations’ YouTube videos. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing,