Memes and Viral Marketing

Internet marketing is a very complex undertaking. With the sheer size of the Internet, there is really a wide range of methods that marketers can use in order to promote a product or a service and to create buzz for it. Among these methods is something called the Internet meme, one form of viral marketing.

What is a Meme? The term ‘internet meme’ derives its origin from memes, which are collections of ideas and cultural phenomena spread through written, oral or other forms of media. Internet memes, in essence, follows the original concept. However, the ones on the Internet are more like trends and fads and nothing quite so permanent as a culture or an idea.

Still, Internet marketers see Internet memes as useful marketing tools. Take a couple of films, for example, that rode on huge online viral marketing campaigns that involved memes and viral marketing to assure box office success. The Blair Witch Project, a 1999 horror film, and Snakes on a Plane, a 2006 horror feature film, both relied extensively on viral video and word of mouth marketing.

As a testament to the incredible buzz generated on the Web, one reviewer from the UK even called Snakes on a Plane “perhaps the most internet-hyped film of all time.” Snakes even had a lot of memes associated with it prior (and even after) its eventual theatrical release.

Of course, there are many memes that apparently seem to be borne out of people having too much free time. You’ve got your 4chan memes as prime examples of this. Still, that’s not to say that they don’t have exploitability in terms of marketing purposes.

Creating and capitalizing on memes depend heavily on a thorough knowledge of crowd psychology and awareness of the netizen group dynamic. Memes allow extremely fast proliferation of content, especially if you can drive it enough to become a hot trend.

The Internet is really the prime prospect for many marketers because of its immense potential to generate publicity. The only problem is that there are so many avenues, so many things that internet users do and see in on the web, that it seems so hard to pinpoint which one would be the most effective to focus on.

When it comes to rapidly spreading the news about a product, memes are the way to go. It will be a difficult task and requires a lot of hard work, research, and perseverance. But if you get it right, surely the buzz will be enough to guarantee a big payoff. This is why companies will continue to make campaigns that are aimed toward capitalizing on memes and viral marketing.

Become an Internet Star

The Internet and Stardom; The Redefinition

By now, it is obvious we regard many artists as class acts, even though they were of a different generation. We upload the hits of the Beatles and the Police into our IPods. Michael Jackson was remembered in a moving tribute that is sold as a CD or on DVD. Real or pirated, the great musical talents from our parent’s generation are available on any street corner bazaar or even a CD bar. But as we are the most well-connected generation, we have an extra advantage. What are they? Youtube, Newgrounds, MegaVideo and Veoh; sites where anyone with a digital camera and access to the internet can upload music or videos to share with the whole world. The general aim; to strut their stuff and let the world know it!

We are a generation connected by the world-wide web. And as people of many ages and nationalities are wont to do, we like to show off to our friends, families, even complete strangers. The recent boom of talent show on TV like American Idol and America’s Got Talent are evidence of that. But because of the heavy completion and strict judging processes, not everyone can get their shot at the limelight (or the multimillion music contract and makeovers from well-paid make-up artists and dressers and trainers to keep bodies nicely toned and fit).

People are also persistent, time and time again that has been proven. With the same drive that shot Neil Armstrong to the moon and split the atom, people take their video cameras and do just about anything to get attention. There are comedians, amateur documentary crews, film makers and, surprise surprise, musicians. Justin Beiber stands out as an example for the moment, whether he is talented or a flash in the pan debated very furiously (but not rationally, given the internet’s gift of anonymity has given some people unwarranted arrogance and aggression) in forums and chat rooms. Even the established stars acknowledge the power of the internet with a resurgent Neil Patrick Harris in a starring role in Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

Then, there are the less-savory characters with internet access. Amateur pornography is very much available for viewing. It stands to reason that the participants are aware that they’re taping themselves or have no idea that the video meant for private viewing has been uploaded onto any number of video-viewing sites. There are those that have vicious and hateful rants of any topic under the sun that are there just for the sake of being there. There are those that record themselves engaging g any manner of stupid activities, like immature pranks that could seriously hurt the participants. There are even those who post videos or blogs just to let the world know that they exist and, by reason of apparent talent and wit, must be worshipped and paid attention to. And those are only the penguins at the tip of the iceberg.

The road to stardom has come a long way from agents waiting in the wings of talent shows and gigs. With the resource pool of the almost the whole world at their disposal, agents need not do much than log into Youtube and stumble upon the next big thing in music or skateboarding. But the question to ask is; how long will those stars shine?

Internet Marketing Through Social Media

Social media sites have undeniably become part of modern life. Almost all people who have access to the internet would have at least one account in one of the numerous social media sites or visit them once a day. With all of the traffic that these sites generate, it would be a logical choice to integrate them in any internet marketing campaign.

There are several reasons why you should include social media sites in a marketing campaign. One is already mentioned: traffic generation. You can use social media sites to get your product or service out there. Aside from that, increased traffic is good for any internet marketing strategy. When more people know and get to your site, you increase your chance of selling your product or service.

Another reason is that internet marketing through social media is cost-effective. You don’t need to hire someone else to do it since you can do it yourself. The only investment that you’ll make is the time that you spent building and managing your network. Additionally, the return for your investment in terms of traffic makes it worth the effort.

Using social media also works well with your current internet marketing campaign. You don’t have to do much to make it work with your current strategy. Using social media as a marketing tool is also low-maintenance. You don’t need to keep tabs on it every hour just to make sure it’s working.

You would also notice that as you build your network, you’re also getting supporters and people that share the same interest. It would be easier for you then to work on your niche market through other internet marketing strategies. Also, your network can also serve as promoters for your site or business.

You’d have to note that using social media is more for promotion and build up than anything. Conversion is not the goal in using these sites. Though that maybe the case, what you’re betting on in this strategy is increasing traffic and awareness of your product. Once you have those, conversions and revenue would not be lagging behind.

To make your social media campaign to work, you should tone down on the marketing and focus more on building interest and giving value. A helpful article, a linkbait, or any interesting fact will be more appreciated and followed by people in social media sites. Your goal is to build interest and a community about your product and its niche. The best way to do that is to build hype about your niche first before marketing your product. You shouldn’t worry much about it since once you get people interested in your niche to visit your site, sales should come in naturally.

All these reasons should compel one to look at social media as an avenue for internet marketing. When properly done, targeting social media sites can bring an increase in site traffic, more regular visitors, and an increased bottom line: added conversions and the monetization of your site.

Why Use Viral Videos

Just the two terms would make one want to use them. Viral means it acts like a virus and spreads by itself. Video means the top tier in media since it combines audio and visual communication, and is the nearest to the 3D or real experience. When you bring them home to your online marketing campaign, viral videos can help boost brand and site recognition, while also building up your supporter and customer base. When you have those, getting sales and conversions won’t be lagging far behind.

If you’ve seen an email or message with a link directing you to a video in YouTube or some other site, then you know how viral videos work. If you clicked on it and distributed it to other people that you know, then you should appreciate how it spreads almost automatically by making use of people’s social networks. Aside from sharing the fun, what you’re doing is also spreading the word about the site or product that started that viral video.

The neat thing about this is when your viral video is successful, a lot of people would be exposed to your site in a quick and cost-effective manner. Since the spreading of the video happens almost naturally, you don’t have to pay people to build links to your site. Aside from that, your viral video might get posted on high-ranking sites, which would also help your site’s rankings and traffic. In short, having a successful viral video is a winning situation.

What are the characteristics of a good viral video? First is the video should be interesting. You can’t have people spread them for you if they’d be just bored with it. Ways to make your video interesting is to include humor, give tips or advice, messages with “shock” value, and themes that ride on popular trends of the season. If you’re able to create a video with one or more of these characteristics, them more likely than not, people are going to spread your videos around.

Presentation is also a key factor. Flash format is ideal for compatibility with almost any browser. You would also consider the video length. The shorter the better. People are more likely to enjoy a three-minute video that gives them the message immediately rather than a video that’s seven minutes long. You also need to consider that not all people viewing your videos would have the time or bandwidth to spare to watch your videos.

It would also help if you have some widgets that entice people to share your video through social networking sites or email. Another strategy is to set gadget where people can copy a code and paste it on their own sites or blogs.

The key thing about viral videos is that when done properly, they spread like wildfire without you even lifting any additional finger. And once they do, you can expect higher recognition of your site, and increased site traffic. These would then place your site in a better position to get potential buyers and conversions.

Mistakes that viral marketers make

Mistakes in Viral Marketing

It has been proven that viral marketing is one of the most highly-effective means of advertising products for this generation of high information. But given the realism that viral marketing tries to accomplish, there are times when the world proves how it is not ready for a marketing campaign that uses such an interactive approach.

There are notable instances wherein the campaign was taken too seriously. In 2007, a Boston transit passenger saw a sign created for the movie adaption of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”, a popular midnight cartoon show, and pointed it out to a police officer. Unlike a poster, it was a box with wires and electronic paraphernalia on its back while its front had a person “showing you the bird” or flashing his middle finger. The natural assumption for such a strange-looking item was that it was some sort of improvised bomb.

The public reaction was fairly stupendous. A fleet of emergency vehicles and a bomb squad were called in, the intersection cordoned off and the placard detonated. Later on, two bridges were closed off for the removal of a second sign, with the Coast Guard closing off part of the Charles River. Quick-thinking bloggers spread the word out that the placards were part of a viral marketing campaign, but by then city officials took the whole incident out of context by arresting the two guys who put up those signs on the charge of “placing a hoax device with the intent to panic the public.”

Turner Broadcasting, the company that owns the show, had to pay one million dollars each to the Boston Police and the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, the incident made headlines around the world, earning the show and movie roughly 10 times that amount in free publicity.

Need I also forget that incident in New Zealand where a heavily-bandaged man waved a gun around in a bar? Part of a stunt to market the popular video game “Splinter Cell”. The second actor who was supposed to subdue the first actor could not make it due to the police being called in to apprehend him.

There was also that fake meteor crash by a Latvian phone company that was supposed to draw attention away from their failing economy and to presumably subscribe to a new phone line which instead drew representatives from the scientific community who immediately smelled a fake.

Now, one would think it was the fault of the marketers for not warning the populace about the method of advertisement. But that is not how viral marketing works. Viral marketing’s strength is to pull the consumer into the interactive side of the product, adding a level of interactivity the conventional methods cannot achieve. Therein is the risk. To those unaware of the method involved, it looks like you are being drawn into a confusing and dangerous incident. Naturally, given the easily alarmed nature of regular people, this would prompt unwanted attention to be drawn towards actors or the company itself who did not include a disclaimer towards their campaign. It just goes to show that in today’s day and age, one must be very very careful.

The Numa Numa: A Guy and A Good Time

Regardless of what it’s used for, the Internet has become a part of our everyday lives. We use it to augment research papers, connect with new friends and old through social networking sites and even play games. However, there is a great potential of abuse in contrast to all these uses. With the right amount of malice, people spread rumors through an international scale and upload videos that can hurt lives and reputations. Because of the internet’s open nature, anyone can access this content. On a smaller note, given the unwarranted self-importance of some individuals, we often see videos and blogs that showcase their startling arrogance and metaphoric exhibitionism.

Then, we have Gary Brolsma.

To the unfamiliar, Mr. Brolsma looks like the stereotypical internet geek; bespectactled, fat and probably a loser. He was also the creator of the “Numa Numa” video, released in 2004. The video’s contents showed him lip-synching to a Romanian Eurodance song, “Dragostea din tei”, complete with animated gestures of his hands, head and shoulders and the song pumping through his headphones. Not the best model of conventional success, but it has been proven that unconventionality wins the hearts of the so-called “net-izens”.

Three months later, the video had been viewed more than 2 million times at Newgrounds.com, the site where Mr. Brolsma originally uploaded it. By November 2006, impression figures had calculated that “Numa Numa” was the most second-watched video of all time at 700 million views, being beaten only by “Star Wars Kid”, the video of a teen waving around a golf club like the Jedi from “Star Wars”.

At first, Gary Brolsma was described by the New York Times as an “unwilling and embarrassed Web celebrity”, cancelling any media appearances. But by then, he had been covered by mainstream media, shows like Tonight with Jay Leno and Good Morning America.

His reluctance did not last. Since his video became popular he had been uploading new versions of the video, adding puns based on the lyrics and pictures. By September 2006, he, along with a band, reappeared with a professionally produced video “New Numa” which was hosted by Youtube. There was even a contest to see who could make a video just as good as Brolsma’s new video, with cash prizes up to $25000 going to the winner.

The video was reaching phenomenal heights. The controversial hit TV show “South Park” even featured a cameo by him and several other Web celebrities in one of their episodes. Granted, they were killed a few moments later but both fans and pundits loved their appearances. The video was also featured in the sixth season of the TV show “NCIS” and was even used for a popular variety show in Japan.

So where is this all going? It is true that the internet can seem to be a playground for those with no self-esteem to trash and badmouth one another. It is also the target of satire and alarmist journalism. But every now and again, there will be the one pure innocent person who will submit a funny video, just for the fun of it and then in an instant we’ll have the next Numa Numa phenomenon.

Viral Marketing and Mass Media

The scene opens with a gathering, a party. We have a close-up on Rob, the person whose honor the celebration is held for. There are various close-ups on his friends and co-workers, who ask where he’s off to or simply to wish him luck on his new job in Japan before we focus on Rob saying that this night “will be the best night ever”. Suddenly, the power cuts out and the scene shifts to a shot of the darkened New York skyline with a massive explosion. Scene shifts again, something big bouncing against buildings and crashes into the pavement right next to the camera; it’s the Statue of Liberty’s head…

All that more is what awaits viewers watching ‘Cloverfield’. Now, before you write off the experience as just another monster movie, one has to remember all that went to spreading word of this movie around, to say nothing of how it was shot.

Viral marketing.

Now, the definition of the above word states that this is advertising using pre-existing social networks. The process used to achieve this is akin to the self-replication of computer viruses. Not just websites are used to spread word or brand awareness around. Video clips are used as well like Youtube. Flash games add a level of interactivity to the advertisement. Then there are text messages and images.

Around 2008, viral marketing has been used to spread word or support of movies around. JJ Abrams’ movie “Cloverfield” used the popular social networking site MySpace, creating accounts for the characters in the movie. They even went out of their way to create websites for the companies alluded to, like the company Rob was going to work for, “Slusho!”. The movie itself was shot in this authentic home video style that looked like any amateur video uploaded to Youtube. It was so effective that in the darkness of the cinema, people got sick.

For the popular Batman film adaption, “The Dark Knight”, the marketing campaign combined real-life and online elements, resembling an alternate reality game. Techniques included mass gatherings of Joker fans, scavenger hunts on an international scale and even intricately-made websites telling fans and visitors how to vote for political offices in Gotham City. They used the queue lines for the Dark Knight roller coaster rides in the Six Flags amusement parks to hide phone numbers and websites. The final touch to the whole campaign was simulating Gotham News Network, the news website of Batman’s hometown. This site had everything, from information about the city’s railway transport system, a travel agency and the web pages of political candidates. Then there was the word of mouth from the Batman fans the world over.

Viral marketing shows how far multimedia has infiltrated the collective imagination of the populace-with-computers as a whole and how they influence everyone else. And this kind of marketing is only limited by the imagination. Who knows what they’ll come up with in a few years time?

New Numa and Numa Three: The Numa Numa Guy’s Return

The numanuma dance has already claimed the legendary status. Gary Brolsma, the creator and the star of that video has been 2008’s number one internet icon, according to American TV station VH1. The video is a clip of him waving his hands and making funny faces to the tune of Romanian hit song Dragostea din Tei. Watched by over 700 million people around the world, Brolsma’s gag turned him famous in a span of two years, and even now, his fame still echoes throughout the internet. Along with web fame, he also made appearances in various media: in television, in newspapers and radio programs. He also appeared in NFL’s Super Bowl XLIV back in 2005.

At the peak of the numa numa fame, Brolsma, along with Dragostea Din Tei’s composer Dan Balan, made another numa numa video. It featured Brolsma’s band mates in “The Nowadays” band dancing to the tune of a Russian song composed by Balan and the Variety Beats, and sung by Chad Russell. This started a phenomenon of its own, attracting over 14 million viewers to watch it in Youtube from the day it was released back in September 2006 to present. Ultimately, the New Numa is Brolsma’s way of telling the fans how he is doing after the first numa numa release.

Along with the release of the New Numa, Brolsma also opened a “New Numa Contest,” a competition on who makes the best video using the New Numa song. Prizes are: $25000 dollars for first prize, $10000 for second prize, $5000 for third prize and $125 as consolation prizes to those who sent videos anyway. With 26 submitted videos, the winner of this contest was keith3d from Arkansas, USA. It was a video that used a lot of stop motions and random things in a computer room singing the New Numa song.

A year after the new numa craze comes the part three of the video, Numa Three, and was also made by Brolsma. There, he’s seen dancing and lip-syncing around his house to the tune of “Crazy Loop,” another one of Balan’s good songs. The Numa Three did not get as much attention as the two preceeding numanuma videos, having only around a million views.

The numa numa craze changed the face of the internet for a couple of years. It entertained us to an extent and taught us that it only takes a good sense of humor to appreciate even the littlest things in life. All in all, the numa numa craze cracked open some smiles and laughs, and made the world, though in a small way, an even better place.

Viral Videos and Instant Fame: How Internet Redefines Stardom

Back in the pre-internet era, becoming an icon or a sensation proves to be very difficult. You will have to wait in long lines for auditions, enter singing contests, form your own band, do something really, really embarrassing in your neighborhood, or, with luck, be discovered by talent scouts here and there. And most take years to take a place in the spotlight.

Nowadays, you can achieve fame by having the right resources. With good use of a personal computer and your internet connection, you can now be popular. Nearly every bit of information placed in the internet spreads virally, even videos. Upload a really interesting video of yourself doing some crazy stunt, and in a few days, the rest of the world is watching you. Congratulations, you are now the star of a viral video.

A viral video is a video that you can find online that’s either funny or annoying, and will get you asking your friends to watch it. In turn, that friend will ask his friend to watch, and his friend to another, thus spreading like a virus, until it eventually becomes a craze.

Enter Gary Brolsma aka the Numa Numa Guy: he achieved instant fame by uploading the Numa Numa Dance, a video of him lip-syncing and dancing in newgrounds.com. It got over 13 million views two years after it was put there. The video also put him in newspaper stories and guest appearances in radio and TV shows. To date, he has been viewed by 700 million people.

Youtube.com is what you may call a nest of viral videos. You can find a lot of interesting clips there: dancing robots with the use of stop motion, documentaries about the emo culture, practical jokes, guitar solos and covers in front of a webcam, and even live clips of certain performances by anonymous people. Young international artists like Charice Pempengco and Justine Bieber got their share of fame in Youtube.

Rick Astley also had a share of rekindled fame with the video of his single “Never gonna give you up,” which was a hit back in the late 80’s. People use his video as a practical joke: a guy gives the victim a link and claims that it’s relevant to what they’re currently talking about. To the victim’s surprise, he’s already redirected to the video. Astley himself also enjoys and acknowledges this prank.

The internet is a source of limitless possibilities. With the right resources, you can be famous in a snap of a finger. Who knows? The next time you video yourself tripping down a staircase may be the next biggest internet thing. Numa Numa wasn’t a one-off…

Sing the Numa Numa! Lyrics and Translation

The Numa Numa part of O-zone’s 2002 hit Dragostea din tei is probably the most popular lines of any song, even now, after 8 years have passed. Thanks to viral video maker Gary Brolsma, this song has not only sustained its popularity, but also spread worldwide. Rekindling its fame, in 2004, Dragostea din tei is now better known around the world as the numa numa song.

Lots of adaptations, parodies, and revivals of the song were recorded in different countries, making the numa numa song a phenomenon, You can see a lot of people worldwide that do the numa numa dance. The song may be ridiculously popular, but only those who speak Romanian, or at least have an idea on how it’s spoken know what the lyrics really mean. What is the song saying? Let’s find out:

The title Dragostea din tei is Romanian for “Love of the linden tree,” where linden trees are mostly associated with Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu’s poems. The song is basically about a man’s unrequited love for a woman. Here are the lyrics of the song, followed by the translation:

Lyrics:

*Ma-ia-hii

Ma-ia-huu

Ma-ia-hoo

Ma-ia-haha

(4x)

I

Alo, Salut, sunt eu, un haiduc,

Si te rog, iubirea mea, primeste fericirea.

Alo, alo, sunt eu Picasso,

Ti-am dat beep, si sunt voinic,

Dar sa stii nu-ti cer nimic.

**Vrei sa pleci dar nu ma, nu ma iei,
Nu ma, nu ma iei, nu ma, nu ma, nu ma iei.
Chipul tau si dragostea din tei,
Mi-amintesc de ochii tai.

II

Te sun, sa-ti spun, ce simt acum,
Alo, iubirea mea, sunt eu, fericirea.
Alo, alo, sunt iarasi eu, Picasso,
Ti-am dat beep, si sunt voinic,
Dar sa stii nu-ti cer nimic.

(Repeat **, Repeat *, Repeat **)

Translation:

(* is just vocalization, no meaning to the words)

I

Hello [on a cellphone], greetings, it’s me, an outlaw,
I ask you, my love, to accept happiness.
Hello, hello, it’s me, Picasso,
I sent you a beep, and I’m brave,
But you should know that I’m not asking for anything from you.

** You want to leave but you don’t want don’t want to take me, don’t want don’t want to take me, don’t want don’t want don’t want to take me.
Your face and the love from the linden trees,
And I remember your eyes.

II

I call you, to tell you what I feel right now,
Hello, my love, it’s me, your happiness.
Hello, hello, it’s me again, Picasso,
I sent you a beep and I’m brave ,
But you should know that I’m not asking for anything from you.

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