Viral Fashion Branding Week 7

What does Viral mean? vi·ral adjective ˈvīrəl/ adjective 1. relating to or involving an image, video, piece of information, etc., that is circulated rapidly and widely from one Internet user to another OR 2. Of the nature of, caused by, or relating to a virus or viruses. SO, When circulated rapidly via the internet, it’s “caught on like a virus”, thus “gone viral”

What is Viral Branding? Still not well-defined Because it’s always evolving Especially in our “Age of Information”

Then, what’s the point of Viral Branding? To create interesting content and let others spread it (basically 0-low cost advertising for brands) So, dependent on 3rd parties In today’s world, via the Internet

Viral Branding Platform=Internet Consumer Culture changes Distrust in companies and cluttering of ad space The internet is full of sub-platforms where people can add, share, and modify content i.e. social media

What’s involved in Viral Branding? Word-of-mouth Guerilla Marketing Noun: innovative, unconventional, and low-cost marketing techniques aimed at obtaining maximum exposure for a product. Buzz Marketing “Marketing buzz or simply buzz—a term used in viral marketing—is the interaction of consumers and users of a product or service which amplifies or alters the original marketing message. This emotion, energy, excitement, or anticipation about a product or service can be positive or negative.” Stealth Marketing “Stealth marketing, also known as buzz marketing, is any marketing strategy that advertises a product to people without them knowing they are being marketed to (See also Buzz Marketing). There are many techniques in stealth marketing, the most common being product placement and undercover marketing.” Crowd Culture How people gravitate to authentic content created by everyday people rather than by brands (Holt, 2004, p 14)

Holt describes viral branding as finding the influencers to spread the word (i.e. bloggers), a method which is now somewhat outdated Now, “normal consumers” are perceived as being more influential in spreading messages (Crowdculture) “true” viral branding is: Honest Authentic Transparent

Crowdculture Coined by Douglas Holt, crowdculture is a “phenomenon in which digital crowds serve as very effective and prolific innovators of culture” Brands succeed when they break through in culture Branding is designed to generate cultural relevance

Holt says: People want to follow people, not brands (referring to social media) i.e. celebrities BUT, when a celebrity or “influencer” is linked to a brand, there is better payoff for the brand

People will talk about brands on social media if the brand idea “strikes an emotional chord or offers something useful or compelling” And to reach a more viral level, the brand idea must have broad potential reach or gets stuck in a sub-culture which is limited Sub-culture reach is better for niche brands, not mainstream brands

Traditional advertising helps with crowdculture because “People can’t share what they don’t know about, and they never share something they don’t find meaningful.” Branding in the Age of Social Media (read first to have better understanding of others) Crowdculture article (PDF via Canvas) & Branding is Dead: Long Live Crowdcultures

Stealth Marketing A strategy that involves advertising a product to people without them being aware they’re actually being marketed to Can be seen involved in viral branding Is also known as buzz marketing

Most common techniques are through product placement or undercover marketing The point is not to create immediate sales but interest and excitement that will then make customers more receptive to more traditional advertising later on

So why is it involved in Viral Branding? Helps to create word-of-mouth Did you know… That 2.4 billion brand-related conversations happen DAILY in the U.S. Of those, 90% are face-to-face conversations and 60% are positive. Read more about Stealth Marketing

Snapple Started as a small line of teas in Brooklyn NY and turned into a major national icon in less than a decade How? Through new and innovative products Advertising and Promotions Distribution The founders created an idealistic brand story that was so extravagant it was unrealistic (or was it?) It was that their company was off the wall different and run by amateurs who connected with their customers through a shared interest in cynicism toward large, corporate companies. customer

Though the brand image was out there, it worked for them. Because people connected. All of Snapple’s company decisions were in opposition to the marketing strategies of “Big brands” (i.e. Coke or Pepsi) They even listened to customers for product and packaging ideas Ralph Orofino loved melons, so Snapple made “Ralph’s Cantaloupe Cocktail” that had Ralph’s face on the drink label.

What made Snapple go Viral? They found their niche or culture The founders admitted they were amateurs in the realm of professional marketing, but didn’t care They operated their company based on their own logic and with a little whimsy & They were all about going against the norm All of which is why people connected And word spread

If you want to read more about Snapple, a PDF is included in the Module Agenda. The first couple pages are more about Cultural Branding (Week 2), and the rest goes on to describe the story of Snapple.

Yay! Articles Branding in the Age of Social Media Crowd Culture (PDF via Canvas) Branding is Dead: Long Live Crowdculture Stealth Marketing Snapple (PDF via Canvas) (These are the same as the articles throughout the Powerpoint)

Weekly Attendance Discussion Do you think other forms of viral branding perhaps existed before the internet age? What maybe some brands similar to Snapple that connected to a particular ‘culture’ and took off? Why do you think people are more receptive to the crowdculture phenomenon instead of traditional forms of branded content? Participate in by SUNDAY, FEB 26th at 11: 59pm!

Class Activity Due end of Week 8—SUNDAY MAR 5th by 11: 59 pm!! ACTIVITY: PG 57 of text Most retailers and brands have established an image for themselves by using lifestyle merchandising as a strategy for selling their products. Go out shopping somewhere and identify two stores that sell similar or identical products. How does each of these stores contextualize the products differently to give them a different lifestyle presence? For example, do they both sell jeans? Do they merchandise them similarly? Outfit them similarly? Priced the same? What about their fixtures, Are they different or the same? What is their in-store marketing strategy? How about the sales associates? Are they wearing similar products? Does the store have a distinct smell? Do they play a certain type of music? Does the music fit with their brand image? Write 1-2 pages on your findings. Due end of Week 8—SUNDAY MAR 5th by 11: 59 pm!!