Mekanism is a digital marketing company that specializes in viral marketing campaigns. It has experienced 68% annual growth in billings. Mekanism focuses on storytelling through emerging media platforms and engineers virality by creating online content campaigns designed to go viral. While some clients want Mekanism to provide full-service advertising, becoming a traditional ad agency risks diluting Mekanism's niche expertise in viral marketing. Mekanism must decide whether to remain a creative shop focused on engineering virality or expand its services and become a full agency.

1. MEKANISM : ENGINEERING VIRAL
MARKETING

2. Case Facts
• Mekanism, a digital social media production company
– Development of viral marketing campaigns
Mekanism focuses its work on story-telling through
emerging media platforms
68% annual growth in billings.
Mostly engineered in virility , by creating an online
campaign and make it go viral

3. Becoming full service
• Closer relationship with advertisers and afford
more opportunities to leverage the content
into Television and other traditional media
Remain in Niche creative shop that specialized
in Viral Marketing
• Focus on what makes in successful and attempt
to fend off recent competition

4. Mekanism History
• In 2000, the time when media fragmentation and shrinking ad budgets
were begninning to highlight the long term limitations of the 30 second
TV ad
• Potential in emerging online media and to leverage the combination of
traditional and ‘emerging media’ to create new solution for production
and advertising
• Changes in traditional processes leads for clients began to see Mekanism
as an appealing and efficient option for broadcast-quality film
development, animate videos, websites, and interactive online
applications
• One-stop digital shop for creative, strategy, production, promotion ad
distribution of the campaigns involving digital content for social media.

5. Online Video Advertising
• Traditional Media:
– Huge and Captive audience
– Introduction of DVR
– Internet becoming alternative to TV for viewing the video
content
• Real-time sourcing of video content which is more
directed to target audience and less likely to avoid then
viewing
• Average proportion of media time consumers spent
online was rising
• Paid online media had become the prospect of ‘Viral’
video marketing

6. • Online Video advertising also offers the potential
for higher level of consumer engagement wit
brand rather than cost saving and fast reach
• Online video offered viewers more possibilities
for interactive than TV ads and amounted to
more brand related time spent by consumer
• “Engineering Virality”
3 main approaches:
1. A unique storytelling focus
2. Management of digital platforms
3. Building a network of high-profile digital influencers
to help spread a campaign

7. StoryTelling for Emerging Media
• Positive emotional associations with brand and
a desire to share the stories
• Research and understand the interest and
needs of the target group by conducting focus
groups and monitoring online buzz
Engaging the
consumer on a
deeper level
• ‘Gives something for the consumer to talk about
within their social media
• Finding and sharing the content
• Creating platforms for people to have voice to
build the relationship between consumers and
the brand
Involving the
consumer in the
process

8. Platform Management
• First step: Developing right story for a brand and target
audience
• Development of 3 pronged strategy:
– Reaching out popular blogger and high profile digital
influencers, online citizens with large followings to create
editorial buzz around campaigns and increased sharing
process
– Distribution strategy relied heavily on the use of owned
spaces on social media platforms
– Use of traditional paid and digital media
• ‘Building and fostering brand communication’ online
and ‘working at the speed of social media by creating a
constant dialogue with the consumers’ – Crucial pieces

9. Influencer Networks
• In 2006, Microsoft help in promoting launch of Microsoft
Vista
– Reaching out to a number of other popular online personalities
to promote the campaign and direct the followers to website
• Influencer network continues and become a central
components built into the majority of their campaigns -
‘seeding’ the campaign’s content on variety of blogs and
other sites that could post later
• 5 Steps characterized Mekanism’s digital influencers
strategy
Identity
Engage
Value
Exchange
Distribute
Message
Optimize

10. Measuring Success
• Mekanism focus on the goal stated in their mission-
“inspire measurable brand loyalty”
– Maximizing engagement time with brand
• 3rd Party tracking and analytics services, and monitor
campaigns progress from beginning to end by using
Goldengrant.com, Syndication: Videos views
through
– Reach: Total visits to site and number of unique visitors
– Engagement: Total completed views and % of repeat
views
– Buzz and mentions: Comments on content and number of
shares
– Brand Sentiment: % of Positive Vs Negative comments or
editorial reviews
• Measuring Client Satisfaction

11. To Be or Not To Be Agency??

12. • Major clients wanted Mekanism to provide a complete
service to cater to their needs
• Risk of diluting Mekanism’s core competency : Viral
marketing
• Conversion into an ad agency as part of expansion strategy
• Provide a closer relationship with advertisers with
increased usage of the internet
• It will be easier to attract bigger clients because as it is ad
agency
• Ad agency can provide over a standalone service provider,
it is advisable to Mekanism to become a ad agency and
thereby provide complete integrated service