X

Let's Get Viral

POSTED ON 
March 10, 2011
Have you seen the latest viral marketing campaigns making their rounds on the internet?Buzz is high about denim icon and blue jeans inventor Levi Strauss & Co. and their Rear View Girls video, which features two lovely young gals who secretly capture admirers checking out how fab their butts look in their jeans with the help of a hidden pocket cam. Another iconic brand, Coca-Cola, just released a video of their Happiness Truck, a vehicle that magically delivers all kinds of cool stuff to lucky people in Rio de Janeiro.We know that viral campaigns can be a huge hit with consumers and customers, but how about employees?For starters, if the campaigns are popular and fun like the ones noted above, they can be a real point of employee pride and help create brand evangelists. One strategy I’ve seen work well is to seed the marketing “virus” with employees – send it to a few people and see how quickly it makes its way around the office. Before you know it they may also start sending it to their friends and family on the outside.Better yet, how about making employees a part of the campaign itself? They can be the stars of the video, or challenged to come up with the next wacky idea that will be an internet sensation. After all, these folks are consumers, and in many cases pop culture experts, plus they know your product and brand better than anyone. Why not harness that power and build a little extra employee engagement at the same time?Last but not least, consider an internal viral campaign. It could take the form of an executive email containing entertaining but meaningful little bits of wisdom, or it could be a silly bit of animation that pokes fun at something that’s a little quirky about your culture – making people laugh but also sending a deeper message. Just don’t make it too corporate – when in doubt, ask your employees and they’ll know what NOT to do.While you’re pondering viral buzz and how it translates to an internal audience, here’s one last video to check out – this ad featuring Jennifer Aniston for Smart Water will make you giggle a bit about “viruses.” Enjoy!
Alison Harrison
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT

You might also like

4 Common Problems With Your Employee Surveys

If your survey is flawed, your data is flawed. We're showing you 4 key engagement survey mistakes and how to fix them. Learn how to launch winning employee surveys.

Read more
Start Your Open Enrollment Campaign Now

Boost employee benefits enrollment by getting ahead with Open Enrollment planning. Here's how.

Read more
9 Best Practices For Partnering With An IC Agency

An internal comms agency can be a fantastic investment — if you know how to find the right partner. These 9 best practices will help you know what you're looking for.

Read more