The Viral Video: Behind the Scenes Strategies

During our class discussion hours before spring break, several ideas were offered about what may make a video go viral. In addition to factors such as being genuine or being somehow unique, timing is also a factor. In a recent "New York Times" online article, a few strategies were mentioned for seeding viral videos on the Web. These included: waiting until Monday to release a video as opposed to during the weekend when people are away from the office and, thus, less likely to be passed on; and, using social media or buying keywords and Web site addresses to spread the word without being obvious about it. These suggestions, made from a marketing perspective, are attributable to Michael Krivicka who has no traditional advertising background, but who together with his business partner James Percelay (also without a traditional advertising background) is responsible for two recent viral videos: one promoting the upcoming film “Limitless,” the other for a product, the HeadBlade, a device used for head-shaving. So, it’s the marketing not as usual approach combined with a mix of other strategies that could turn out to be the right blueprint for getting a video into the viral sphere.