The document analyzes trends in viral videos and their implications for advertising. It finds that the most viral content is usually corporate music or advertising videos over 1 minute long in genres like music, comedy, or animals. The most viewed daily YouTube videos are also often over 1 minute and related to music, funny/cool videos, or advertising. Many top viral ads take cues from user-generated content, are over 1 minute, and feature disconnected content that is inherently interesting without obvious branding. This validates a viral strategy of creating compelling long-form content without strict time or branding constraints.

1. GeniusRocket Social Intelligence Emerging Trends in Viral Video and the Implications for Advertising (2008)

3. Top 50 Viral Videos of the Year: 5 Lessons

4. #1: The most viral content is usually corporate content.

5. #2: The most viral content is posted on hundreds of blogs.

6. #3: The most viral content is usually OVER 1 minute in length.

8. #5: The thumbnails of the most viral videos nearly always depict humans (particularly faces), not objects.

13. Top 50 Most Viewed Videos on Youtube On A Typical Day: 5 Lessons Revisited

14. #1: Unlike the most viral content, the most viewed daily YouTube videos are just as likely to be UGC as corporate content.

15. #2: The median number of comments on the most viewed daily YouTube videos is about 1000 (ranging from 0 to over 20,000 comments).

16. #3: Like the most viral content, the most viewed daily YouTube videos are usually OVER 1 minute in length.

18. #5: Like the most viral content, the most viewed daily YouTube videos usually use thumbnails of humans.

19. Top 50 Viral Ads of the Year: 5 Final Lessons

20. #1: While corporate content dominates advertising, it often takes its cues from UGC.

21. #2: More than half of the top viral ads were one minute or more in duration, representing a shift away from the 30-second spot for online advertising.

23. #4: Unlike other viral content, the most viral ads feature thumbnails of objects (rather than people) about 30% of the time.

24. #5: The most viral ads feature disconnected content almost as often as heavily-branded content.