Why some ideas spread; Viral marketing
Hello everyone, I'm back with a brand new post! :)
I'm not sure if the following images will ring a bell but this particular social media marketing campaign went viral on the net when the public's response exceeded the company's expectations...
The campaign, which initially was slated to go on for one month, was stopped just days after launch. You can read more about it over here.
So here's the big question: why did it go viral?! Well, firstly - the contest mechanics were really simple. All you had to do was to snap a photo whilst in the shop and simply upload the image on to Instagram thereafter. When one has garnered enough likes, he/she can just drop by at any of the OWNDAYS outlets and walk away with a free pair of edgy spectacles from a reputable brand.
Unfortunately, netizens ended up abusing the 'system', resorting to illegitimate/unethical methods to gain likes and followers. This resulted in OWNDAYS giving away more than 1,500 pairs of glasses over the span of less than a week.
Let's be frank, the contest mechanics were flawed. They should have been more stringent with the terms and conditions (e.g. limit a maximum discount of $50 or only allowing customers to redeem the glasses on the same day which they've uploaded the photos).
However, looking on the bright side, I completely agree with Venkky, the director of KRDS Asia that "the promotion was likely utilised to the fullest,". The awareness KPI for this campaign has definitely surpassed expectations, as there were over 6,000 posts with the hashtag #owndaysfollowersgiveaway.
Now, imagine, how many eyeballs these posts have garnered if every user had a following of at least a hundred? That's a whopping 600,000 audience reached!
This campaign by OWNDAYS falls well within the principles of contagiousness, and especially so on these 2 principles 'Social Currency' and 'Emotions'. The game mechanics make it more fun and compelling - in this case, a free pair of glasses without having even to spend a single cent on their products.
WOM follows quickly thereafter. After all, people tend to share the good news with others around them especially if it is beneficial and this becomes a snowball effect. Moreover, this campaign evokes strong positive feelings (i.e. excitement) as it's not something which is commonly seen. The giveaway mechanics are easy and if you're lucky you get to redeem a free pair of glasses. These high arousal emotions drive people to share this piece of information with their friends and family.
What do you think? Was the OWNDAYS campaign was a success or a failure? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below!
And before we get to that, I'd like to share a couple of viral marketing campaigns which have certainly caught my attention:
Another brilliant marketing stunt by Circle Lifes - a huge billboard ad right smack in the middle of our CBD
What are some of the viral campaigns which you guys have come across? Is there a particular one which you remember till this very day? And why did it leave such a lasting impression on you? Do share them with me in the comments section down below!
Alright, that's all I've got for this week's post. Have a great one! :)
Another great read! I do feel that to a certain extent, the campaign by OWNDAYS was a success. Afterall, it's as the saying goes, "There's no such thing as bad publicity." They'll definitely receive more attention now. In any case, like you mentioned, things/posts/views that go viral do usually fit within the "Principles of Contagiousness," but I do feel that luck plays a part as well. I mean, I believe that there are other ideas out which are definitely noteworthy but they're just missing that extra push. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteHmm…in my opinion, I think luck might play a part to a minimal extent. Afterall, if a company has done enough research on their target audience, the products/services which they have advertised should be well received by consumers. There could also be other reasons contributing to the flop of a campaign like the inability of the results to be measured, over promising but yet underdelivering.
DeleteAll in all, there is no harm in spending a bit more time and resources on understanding your consumer’s needs to gain valuable insights for your business. Well, here’s an article which I think is a great ready that stresses on the importance of MR https://business.tutsplus.com/articles/why-is-marketing-research-important--cms-31593
Thank you for your comment nonetheless! :)
Wow! Great insight from this post and the use of the OWNDAYS to explain the 6 STEPPS by Bergers. I personally do feel that in a certain extent, this marketing campaign is a success as well. Like what you have mentioned, it has indeed fulfill one of the company main purpose, and that is to garner awareness, and I do believe as well that they too, had not expected the tremendous response from the campaign itself. I also wish to add on that practical value also plays a important part to the message characteristics. The campaign must be done in a realistic manner as well in order to convince the consumer to spread via positive WOM. Had they impose a sudden halt due to limited stock quantity, it may result in consumer distrust and this campaign would have backfired upon them instead. It is definitely worth respecting them for keeping to their promise and continuing the promotion for at least a few days despite the overwhelming response. Overall great read! Looking forward to the next post:)
ReplyDeleteHello Wei Li, thank you for your comment! Yes, many of us were aware of the campaign despite not making a trip down to the shop at all! This shows how crazy powerful social media marketing is, and the speed at which it travels. I love that you brought out the point on ‘practical value’, would this giveaway be as successful if they were giving away discount vouchers instead of a pair glasses? I strongly doubt it. What do you think?
DeleteIn conclusion, I’m sure that everyone can learn a thing or two from this campaign – from managing customer’s expectations to having stricter contest metrics. We should always focus on the bright side and make the best of any situation! :)
In my opinion, the OWNDAYS social media marketing campaign was a great hit, within days after the launch due to the overwhelming response from online users they had to end the campaign. The positive impact of OWNDAYS’s marketing campaign reached out the to mass public within days. And I would say it was money well spent, because it definitely caught the attention of users online and each picture posted helped to spread awareness of the campaign. The campaign itself was a success and contains principles of contagiousness, however does that mean any campaigns that contain similar concept will be a successful one?
ReplyDeleteFor myself I came across #shareacokeSG campaign, an initiative by Coke SG to celebrate SG50 which allows consumers to customize their coke cans to their favorite phrases/ names of their loved ones. This left an impression on me because I am a fan of Coke myself and having able to customize the words/phrase on the can makes it unique to me. Not sure if you have came across this campaign. https://www.marketing-interactive.com/shareacokesg-hits-local-shores-nation-celebrates-sg50/
Looking forward to your next post!
Hi Gabriel! Hmm, that’s an interesting point which you brought up! Whether or not campaigns that have a similar concept will be a successful one – I feel it boils down to who the company is marketing to, if your target audience for the campaign are people who are baby boomers or Gen X, they might not be as tech savvy. Hence they won’t be as receptive towards the campaign as compared to millennials. Once again, I can’t emphasise enough on how crucial it is for companies to do market research before deciding to launch a new product/service. Your campaign can be a complete flop/receive backlash if it is not well thought out before the execution of the marketing campaign.
DeleteMoving on, yes! I’ve come across the #shareacokeSG campaign as well! If I remember correctly I have seen many of my fellow coke fanatic friends sharing this onto social media. Needless to say, it was another campaign that went viral. Despite being loved by many across the globe, Coca Cola continues to promote its product relentlessly. And I feel this is something that businesses out there should take away – never stop advertising even though so many people have already heard of you and your brand. You want to continuously strive to be the no. 1 brand that comes to your consumer’s mind without even being probed. Don't you agree?
Thanks for your comment! Cheers! :)
Love your post, great analysis. But I tend to think this kind of "Viral" marketing is not organic, it is basically paying to get more followers. Once the incentive is gone, people will just forget about it. Yes, you do get the exposure, but if it doesn't convert into sales, it does not mean anything.
ReplyDeleteDo check out my post, as I wrote about similar thing about viral marketing too. Love to hear your thoughts.
DeleteHello Zhang, thank you for your comment! I’m sure most companies generally have a realistic conversion rate target that they are working towards to whenever a marketing campaign is being executed. Offering free trials/content downloads is a subtle way of pushing customers onboard the brand without having them to fork out any additional costs. Holding monthly meetings where all the departments can look holistically at the business – what’s working, what’s not, and make the necessary adjustments in approach and conversion strategy can resolve any issues with regards converting exposure into sales.
I’ll be checking out your blog post shortly, would love to read about viral marketing from another perspective! :)