Viral Ads, or So the Marketers Hope

Hi

I think we're going to see a lot more of "pull" based advertising and its close cousin, "viral" in the years to come, as the traditional interruptive advertising model finishes its death throes.

A similar example is the UK 3G network, 3, launching its own ad channel, that I blogged last week http://www.mobile-weblog.com/archives/3_launch_ad_channel.html. The key characteristic is that the ads must be compelling enough for people to download (pull) and view on their phones. Or, as with viral, send these advertising films to their friends.

I can think of plenty of examples that might meet these exacting standards, like Honda's Cog, Pepsi's Surf, Guinness Surfers or Bud's Wassup. But can you imagine ever pulling or passing on an ad for say, financial services, soap powder, office equipment or tooth paste?

This is scary enough for mediocre agencies who can't adapt. But how will "unsexy" brands, or even categories of brands, engage their customers in the 21st century?

I guess that's where community based marketing programmes enter the fray.

Russell

Hi,

Based in London, I can say that the latest 'viral' hit from the UK has been www.axefeather.com Since its launch in January it attracted the attention of over 8MIO visitors worldwide. The average time spent on the site is 8.53 minutes.

I think the key is not to think of virals as passive online 'films' but actual 'interactive' content with the potential of becoming epidemic. I think it's not a case of simply putting ads 'online' but to create engaging content using the medium of the internet.

Cheers

Paul