viral marketing campaign case study

50+ Best Viral Marketing Campaign Examples & Case Studies To Get You Inspired (2024)

In this guide, I’ve curated some of the best viral marketing examples and campaigns that I’ve saved on my own personal swipe file over the years, and did some further research on others that are so good to learn from. Regardless of the growth stage of your business (large brand or small), you’re going to pick up some epic takeaways and learnings that you may be able to apply to your own campaigns for growth. Either way, they’re just fun to read, watch and go through! And you never know, you may have the next best viral campaign that gets millions of eyeballs (just let me know and I’ll add you to this guide ;).

If you’ve been on this site and read my articles before, you know I love a good case study (haha). I always enjoy coming across new ones as there’s always new things you can pick up that you can add to your marketing ideas bank or your own swipe file. 

Now for this particular guide, this was really fun to create and analyse/summarise.

I’m excited to introduce you to some of the top viral marketing examples and campaigns that truly went viral (some of the numbers these campaigns have achieved are insane). 

You would have seen many of these campaigns over the years play out in real-time, and whilst there’s always good analysis at the time of people sharing their thoughts/ideas (you know, over LinkedIn and the Twittersphere in particular), it’s actually awesome to look back and see what the end results were, and how it impacted the business in terms of awareness, acquisition, sales, and overall business growth. 

So, what makes these case studies and examples worth reading further into?

There are lots of ‘viral’ studies and examples out there, but I picked a good balance between those businesses who experienced insane viral numbers, to then those who achieved impressive results based on the budget/resources they had available at their disposal. 

What can you can learn from going through the summaries and reading the dedicated studies? Also, what makes these case studies good quality?

Here’s what I kept in mind when going through these case studies (and a small checklist of what to analyse/pick up as ‘golden nuggets’ that you can learn from and potentially incorporate into your marketing strategy):

• Strategies/tactics they used - Is there a good analysis and why campaigns were successful? (some do a really good job at this, whilst others brush over it a bit. However, they were still good to include). 

Note: In many of the summaries, I shared my own thoughts/takeaways.

• Data/stats performance - Do they share a good breakdown in terms of numbers? 
• Budgets - some of the studies share budgets, but most of the time, you can tell whether or not serious investment went into it due to the nature of the campaign.
• Uniqueness of campaign - what made the campaign stand out in their industry, and why were audiences drawn into engaging/sharing?
• What made the campaign perform? - what were the psychological/emotional triggers that sparked people to share?
• When it comes to the content, what’s the nature of it? Do you think it involve numerous resources to achieve the outcome? Was the content entertaining in nature? Or was is thought-provoking, problem-focused content that sparked further thoughts and actions from audiences?

Depending on your context and the industry/role you’re in, you’ll naturally have some other attributes and criteria that you’re looking to get out of those studies.

So, can you replicate similar success like these example viral campaigns? 

This is obviously down to the business you’re involved in, but this should be a criteria you should think about (I mean, that’s the primary reason you’re probably here, right?). 

Some of the video campaigns are hard to replicate due to the nature of the videos, and keeping in mind how big the brands are. Unless you’re someone from a bigger brand reading this with a big customer and subscriber base across your channels, it can be hard to replicate success if you’re a smaller startup or eCommerce brand on a lean budget. 

However, there are always (yes, always) key takeaways that you can cherry pick from and formulate into your own strategy.

Without further ado everyone, I hope you enjoy this guide I put together. 

Oh, and feel free to share with other marketing friends, founders, colleagues (or even family members) that you think will enjoy this. :) 

Related reading: In this guide, I talk about social media, UGC and viral competition campaigns that brands utilised to generate some epic results. Some of those platforms/tools that these brands have used (and that I have used as well) are in this pre-launch waitlist and viral competition platforms guide I put together. The good news is that there is a plethora of software solutions that are cost-effective and accessible to any brand, regardless of their size. So, it’s worth the read if you’re serious about viral growth.

Video Viral Campaigns

1. this video campaign reached the youtube top 100 charts in over a hundred countries.

Watch the video here (over 270+ million views).

• Created to inform the public about rail safety, Dumb Ways to Die has over 270 million views on Youtube.
• When ideating, the team emphasised the thought process of the audience .
• They produced a relevant video with a catchy song, appealing to a wide market.
• This turned into karaoke versions, posters, books, and more.
• After the campaign was released, there was a 21% decrease in railway accidents and near misses.

2. This campaign incited engagement, generating over 338,000 UGC photos in two weeks

Watch the video here (over 42k+ views). 

• TOMS’ One Day Without Shoes Campaign promised that for every photo without shoes posted on Instagram with their hashtag, they will sponsor a pair of shoes for a child in need.
• The premise is simple, easy to do, and builds towards a greater purpose.
• By participating in the campaign, people feel like they contributed to a good cause.
• This resulted in more brand exposure for TOMS’.
• The participation of big stars and brands also helped spread the word.

3. This challenge-based campaign took a viral trend and turned it into something better

Watch the video here of the Ice bucket challenge with Bill Gates - you’ll find plenty of others with a simple search on YouTube (over 37+ million views). 

• Good chance you won’t forget how big the ice bucket challenge was (and the amazing viral success and eyeballs it gained).
• The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took the existing ice bucket challenge and made it into a fundraising tool .
• People who did the challenge were tasked to nominate others to help raise money for research towards ALS.
• The ice bucket challenge campaign was literally shared everywhere (like you couldn’t stop seeing it at the time), across different social media channels, gaining impressive traction.
• The campaign made waves in over 150 countries, raising $220 million.
• Hashtags and celebrity endorsements propelled the growth of the campaign.

4. Volvo launched a video that gained over 90 million views

Watch the video here (over 116+ million views).

• Volvo Trucks decided to make an ad that would appeal beyond their usual audience, and it worked.
• They used to focus primarily on physical marketing materials, and this was their way of making a name in the digital space.
• The video included a stunt done by a famous action star, sparking spoofs and challenges.
• Themes in the video were 100% relevant to their target market and were designed to be entertaining for others.

5. This Dove video ad hit over 100 million views a month after it was released

Watch the video here (over 70+ million views).

• Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches” experienced insane view counts across multiple platforms and media outlets, and even became one of the most-watched video ads of all time .
• The video was made available in over 30 languages and sparked a series on Youtube.
• By appealing to the beauty pain points that women may experience, the campaign became an encouraging and empowering tool.
• Because of its messaging, women naturally shared it with other women, inciting virality.
• To maintain the distribution, Dove did a seeding strategy by launching in key markets before releasing the video worldwide.

6. The Range Rover video which has managed to gain over 100 million views

Watch the video here (over 100+ million views).

• The Range Rover Evoque's marketing campaign in London successfully tackled a notorious speed bump by showcasing the car's capabilities. 
• It went viral on social media platforms, resulting in millions of views, which increased brand awareness.
• The team behind the campaign addressed a common problem faced by drivers and connected with the audience emotionally, which made the campaign effective.

7. This campaign was the most popular ad in 2015

Watch the video here (credit: Droga5)

• Google’s Furever Friends campaign was shared over 6 million times across different social media channels.
• These numbers actually make it the most shared video ad of all time.
• The ad tapped into the affection and nostalgia people would generally feel for pets.
• This incited strong feelings of warmth and investment from the viewers, leading to them sharing the video.

8. The Old Spice deodorant commercial which drove an increase of over 100% in sales

Watch the video here (over 60+ million views)

• Ah yes, who could forget the infamous Old Spice ad which was seen all over the net back in 2010 - "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign. - it was designed to be multi-platform, incorporating TV ads, social media, and a dedicated website. Almost like I couldn't escape seeing it everywhere at one stage.
• The company established a unique brand voice by creating a humorous and irreverent character that connected with their market.
• They had a team respond to comments and create personalised videos during the campaign to increase user engagement.
• When the video went viral, followers were further encouraged to participate in user-generated content and social sharing.
• Overall, the strategies leaned into the importance of data-driven marketing.

9. The "Love Has No Labels" video focused on breaking biases and promoting gender acceptance

Watch the video here (over 60+ million views).

• The "Love Has No Labels" campaign celebrates diversity and inclusion, highlighting the beauty and uniqueness of all individuals, regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, or sexuality.
• Upworthy leveraged social media to reach a wider audience, using hashtags and images to encourage user engagement and sharing.
• The video fostered an emotional connection with the audience, showing people and their loved ones embracing each other in public, which elicits feelings of love, acceptance, and unity.
• This drove millions of people to the campaign website, increasing the reach across all channels.
• Media support eventually resulted in over $6 million in coverage.

10. The "World's Toughest Job" campaign got over 6 million views within two days

Watch the video here (credit: Mullenlowe)

• The "World's Toughest Job" campaign featured a fake job interview for a position that requires standing for 135 hours straight, working on holidays, and having no breaks.
• There was then a revelation that this job perfectly fit mothers everywhere.
• They utilised a hashtag, #worldstoughestjob, encouraging people to share their stories and appreciation for their moms.
• Measuring the success of the campaign as two-fold: it positively impacted the brand's perception and sales, as well as the cultural conversation around Mother's Day and motherhood.
• In the end, the campaign generated over 25 million views, millions of social media engagements, and significant media coverage and awards.

11. This toilet deodorant campaign went viral with over 40 million views and counting

Watch the video here (over 44+ million views)

• Poo Pouri released a video advertisement titled "Girls Don't Poop", which quickly gained the attention of people on the internet.
• It features a woman in a fancy bathroom explaining the benefits of using Poo-Pourri - hilarious yet relatable.
• The campaign’s humour and real messaging helped it gain widespread popularity.
• Its approach departed from traditional advertising techniques and relied on social media for attention.

12. Budweiser promoted responsible drinking and went viral because of it

Watch the video here (over 2+ million views).

• The Budweiser "Don't Drink and Drive" ad featured an emotional storyline that resonated with viewers and encouraged them to make safer choices.
• It established the heartfelt relationship between pet and owner and used this relatability to convey their message effectively.
• The ad received widespread recognition and has won multiple awards with the fact is resonated with large audiences (and a super important message to push).
• Its messaging also helped Budweiser establish be seen in the market as a socially responsible brand, helping reinforce strong brand credibility.
• This shows us how effective marketing can be used to promote social responsibility and make a positive impact on society, all while scaling the brand name.

13. This Super Bowl ad helped boost a cat food brand

Watch the video here (over 4+ million views).

• "Dear Kitten" is a video ad campaign created by Friskies to promote their cat food products, which they released during the Super Bowl.
• It features a series of videos with an older cat giving advice to a new kitten in the house, using humour and relatable situations to engage its audience.
• Beyond the Super Bowl, the ad was promoted through social media and online advertising, making it accessible to a wide audience.
• This helped Friskies establish a strong brand identity and increase sales of their cat food products.
• The success of the campaign shows the importance of understanding the target market and using creative and innovative marketing techniques to connect with them.

14. Volkswagen's "The Force" ad banked on pop culture to gain traction

Watch the video in link below (credit: Time.com)

• Volkswagen's "The Force" ad, which also aired during the Super Bowl, is widely considered one of the most successful ads in Super Bowl history.
• With almost 100 million views, it’s also the most shared Super Bowl ad to this day.
• The ad's use of nostalgia and pop culture references helped it connect with its target audience on a deeper level.
• As released during a time when Volkswagen was facing controversy, the ad helped improve its image and restore positive marketing.

Social Media & Hashtag Campaigns - TikTok, Facebook & Instagram 

15. this campaign by coca-cola helped pull in millions of dollars over the past decade.

(image credit: Coca-Cola Company )

• One of my personal favourite campaigns from Coca-Cola, which anyone reading this would know quite well, is the "Share a coke" campaign .
• It was certainly one of the more highly successful marketing campaigns Coca-Cola has run (and they've done plenty of them over the years) that aimed to make the brand more relatable and shareable - which ultimately helped them to an increase in sales.
• It used personalisation to engage its audience at scale, which is great for audiences to feel connected more with Coca-Cola.
• The team behind the campaign had to run through thousands of ideas in order to come to their catchphrase, “Share a Coke with…”
• This happened during a time when most other brands were still banking on traditional marketing.
• The campaign encouraged user-generated content and social sharing, which helped it go viral and reach a wider audience.

16. The “Do Us a Flavor” campaign in just 10 months saw over 20 million page visits per week

( image credit )

• Frito-Lay Lay’s was an already popular brand, but they wanted to create buzz about their flavour line-up.
• They came up with a campaign, “Do Us a Flavor”, which is a contest primarily targeting millennials.
• The goal is to have contestants submit ideas for new Lay’s flavours.
• An app was created to increase access to interested participants, where they could also see mock-ups of their proposed flavour.
• In the end, almost 4 million flavours were submitted, and enthusiasm for the brand was reignited.

17. Purina, a pet food company, used a hashtag to reach almost 40 million people on Twitter

(Image credit: Shorty Awards )

• The Purina #PetsAtWork campaign won the Best in Pets Social Media Campaign at the 6th Shorty Awards.
• The program aims to encourage companies to allow pets in the workplace, based on the idea that pets in the workplace can improve employee well-being and productivity.
• Purina conducted research to support this claim and created a toolkit for companies to help them implement a pets-at-work policy.
• User-generated content ran this campaign, including photos and stories of pets in the workplace.
• As a result, the Purina Pets at Work program has been adopted by many companies worldwide, with over 5,000 companies participating.

18. An organic interaction inspired this hashtag campaign crafted by Audi

( Image credit )

• Audi's hashtag campaign on Twitter, called #WantAnR8, started when a user wouldn’t stop tweeting about wanting an R8.
• After a while, Audi decided to give her a chance to drive an R8 for one weekend, then went on to use the hashtag she started as an entire campaign.
• The hashtag quickly became popular on Twitter, with celebrities and influencers joining in on the conversation.
• It generated over 75,000 tweets and over 100 million impressions, and Audi's Twitter following grew by over 700% during the campaign.
• This ended up birthing a sequel campaign, #WantAnRS5

19. This UGC campaign by Red Bull is 100% organic and drew up thousands of posts - one of the first UGC successes

(Image credit: Redbull )

• The Red Bull #PutACanonOnIt campaign won the Best Use of Instagram at the 7th Shorty Awards.
• It encouraged users to share creative photos featuring their Red Bull on top of vehicles.
• This spiralled and drew users to put cans on top of places, people, and even pets.
• Overall, the #PutACanonOnIt campaign is an example of how a brand can use social media to engage with its audience and increase brand awareness through user-generated content.

20. This campaign by Chipotle was a huge hit among the Gen Z market

( Image credit & video ) 

• Chipotle’s "Lid Flip Challenge” encouraged users to upload videos of themselves flipping their Chipotle bowl lids onto their bowls.
• The challenge was started by a Chipotle employee, who was really good at assembling the bowls.
• This helped increase sales, as participants had to use an actual Chipotle bowl.
• TikTok saw over 100,000 videos use the hashtag within one week.
• Engagement with younger customers and positive brand recall were boosted after the campaign.

21. Peloton leaned on social impact to gain greater brand awareness

(image credit: Pelobuddy )

• Peloton’s marketing approach focuses on building a strong community of users who feel connected to each other and the company's values.
• They promote their products as a way to achieve fitness and health goals, while emphasising the social and emotional benefits of working out with others.
• The company has also launched various social impact initiatives, such as “The Comeback ,” where people can nominate someone they think deserves a free bike.
• Partnerships with charitable organisations and fundraising events also helped further these initiatives.
• This approach helped Peloton build a loyal customer base and establish a strong brand identity as a responsible and community-oriented company.

22. This hashtag campaign by Apple ended up on over 10,000 billboards across the world

(image credit: Adweek )

• The #ShotOniPhone campaign was released by Apple to showcase the iPhone's camera capabilities.
• Apple selected the best photos and videos from the hashtag and featured them on their website, billboards, and even in-store displays.
• This led to a huge success, with millions of people using the hashtag to showcase their photography skills.
• In the process, Apple was able to establish a reputation for producing high-quality cameras on their iPhones.
• The campaign also helped create a community of iPhone users, further building their brand loyalty.

23. The e.l.f Cosmetics hashtag challenge got over 9 billion views on videos in 6 days

(Image credit: TikTok)

• e.l.f. Cosmetics partnered with TikTok creators to create a successful marketing campaign, #TikTokGGT.
• It aimed to build brand awareness and reach a younger demographic, featuring music, dancing, and creative use of e.l.f. Cosmetics products.
• Their videos went viral, and the company gained millions of views and new followers on TikTok.
• It was a big success in terms of view counts due to the authenticity and creativity of the TikTok creators, who were able to showcase the products in a fun and engaging way.

Related reading: I talk about the effectiveness of creators as part of your TikTok growth strategy when it comes to accelerating growth.

24. ASUS saw over 80,000 UGC submissions through their TikTok hashtag

(Image source: TikTok)

• ASUS came out with a targeted TikTok campaign to reach gamers and promote their ROG gaming laptop, called #CreateWithASUS.
• The videos were created by TikTok creators who were gamers themselves and had large followings within the gaming community, amassing over 220 million views.
• Delivery was highly targeted, with the company using data analysis to identify potential customers and deliver the videos to them.
• The authenticity and expertise of the creators made this ASUS campaign a success, as they were able to showcase the features of the laptop in a way that resonated with gamers.
• This helped ASUS establish a reputation for producing high-quality gaming laptops.

25. Grammarly reached over 5 million people on Facebook and Youtube

Watch video here .

• Grammarly’s “Write the Future” campaign used a storytelling approach to generate brand awareness.
• The videos are designed to appeal to a large audience, showcasing customer archetypes and the impact Grammarly had on their lives.
• It was successful, reaching over 5 million people and achieving a lower CPM and higher engagement rate than direct response campaigns.
• Video-view rate increased by 33%, and cost-wise, they landed on $0.02 video views, and $0.59 video completes, with a reasonable CPC of $1.87.

26. This campaign saw over 4 billion image impressions within the first three months

(Image credit: Effie )

• Always came up with the #LikeAGirl campaign to challenge gender stereotypes and inspire girls to stay confident.
• It started with an ad that highlighted the negative stereotypes associated with doing something "like a girl" and how these stereotypes can affect a girl's self-esteem.
• This went viral, sparking a global conversation about gender stereotypes.
• The company expanded the campaign with the social media hashtag #LikeAGirl and encouraged people to share their stories and pictures using the hashtag.
• They also partnered with organisations like TED and Girls Scouts of the USA to amplify the message of the campaign.

27. Under Armour saw over 4 million views in 8 days

(Image credit: from article)

• Under Armour launched its #IWillWhatIWant campaign , which targeted women and aimed to challenge traditional notions of femininity and beauty in sports.
• The campaign showcased female athletes who had overcome obstacles to achieve success in their respective fields, such as Misty Copeland and Lindsey Vonn.
• They also had a digital component with a website that allowed users to create inspirational messages using the hashtag.
• Their sales increased by 28% in the quarter following the campaign's launch, leading to an increase in brand awareness and affinity.
• As a plus, its success led to the expansion of Under Armour's product line for women and the inclusion of more female athletes in its marketing campaigns.

28. KFC’s campaign was released across multiple channels, resulting in an almost 20% increase in sales

• The #UnboringMorning campaign of KFC came out in Singapore, aiming to promote its breakfast offerings and attract a younger audience.
• While the ad was released in traditional media like television, the brand leveraged social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to reach its target audience and encourage engagement with the campaign.
• The campaign also included interactive elements such as a social media contest that encouraged users to share their own "unboring" morning routines for a chance to win prizes.
• They partnered with local influencers to create buzz around the campaign and generate more attention.
• Search activity increased by 18% in the first month of the campaign, significantly increasing brand awareness and affinity.

29. Calvin Klein, the clothing giant, became even more iconic after it launched its social media campaign

• Calvin Klein had the #mycalvins campaign , featuring celebrities Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and other young stars, to target millennials.
• The ads featured the stars and other well-known internet personalities in their underwear, using their massive social media following to drive engagement and shares.
• This helped the company increase their followers by millions across all social media channels.
• The brand used the campaign to move away from its previous branding, which was seen as too conservative and not targeting younger consumers.
• Through this move, Calvin Klein became a brand perceived as current and cool.

30. Adidas, the footwear and sportswear clothing behemoth, made personalised videos for over 30,000 athletes 

• Adidas' "Here to Create Legend" campaign utilised cutting-edge technology to personalise content for each runner joining the Boston Marathon.
• It was based on the idea that young people want to create their own legacies rather than just follow in the footsteps of others.
• The company used data to understand the interests and preferences of its target audience and created content that resonated with them.
• This meant utilising a mix of content formats, including video, social media, and experiential activations.
• Personalised efforts made the athletes feel seen and important, which led to a sales spike of over 1,000% post-marathon season.

31. This Disney campaign raised millions of dollars for charity

(Image credit: Disney )

• The #ShareYourEars campaign was run by Disney and involved asking people to take photos of themselves wearing Mickey Mouse ears and sharing them on social media.
• Disney committed to donating $5 to Make-A-Wish Foundation for every photo shared, up to a total of $2 million.
• It was timed to coincide with the holiday season. Good timing for a campaign like this when audiences/people in general are in a ‘giving’/charitable state of mind.
• Use of user-generated content (UGC) also helped to build a sense of ‘momentum’, inclusiveness and community, which in turn helped encourage more every day people to get involved in some way.
• In the end, so many people joined in that Disney saw itself making a profit of $150,000 because of how many ears were sold during the campaign.

32. Zoom banked on community to build its audience (and paid off big time)

(image credit: from article)

• Zoom's success during the COVID-19 pandemic can be attributed to its leveraging user-generated content to build engagement and credibility with its audience.
• They used humour and light-hearted content to connect with their audience and show they understood the challenges of working from home.
• The company also responded to customer feedback and complaints on social media, demonstrating its commitment to customer service.
• This social media strategy helped to drive brand awareness and adoption.
• Zoom's success on social media shows the importance of staying agile and responsive during times of crisis and how providing value to customers can help build brand loyalty and trust.

Viral & UGC Competitions 

33. gopro, an established action camera brand, launched a contest with a million-dollar prize.

• GoPro came out with the Million Dollar Challenge , which asked users of the new HERO8 Black + MAX to come out with highlight reels of their shots.
• The contest was promoted primarily through social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with the use of influencers helping to increase reach and engagement.
• There was a big focus on UGC, which in turn helped build a thriving and engaging community for GoPro.
• In total, the company got over 40,000 videos amounting to over 350 hours of reel time.
• As a plus, the contest provided valuable insights into consumer behaviour and preferences by analysing the data collected.

34. This viral contest leaderboard generated over 7,000 leads

(Image credit: Vyper)

• Vyper's viral leaderboard contest is an effective marketing tool for increasing engagement and driving user-generated content.
• It incentivised participants to share the contest with their friends and followers, which helped increase the reach and impact of the campaign.
• The company platform makes it easy to track and measure the results of the contest, which helped their marketers understand what was working and make adjustments as needed.
• The turnout also saw 8,000 new email sign-ups as new people became interested in the brand through their campaign.

35. IKEA used targeted UGC to increase conversion by 3x

Watch video here . 

• IKEA invited customers to submit photos of their homes , and the company selected some of the best ones to feature in a print advertisement. 
• As a result, the campaign captured IKEA's products in real-life situations and helped build a sense of community and connection with its customers.
• It also helped create a more diverse and inclusive representation of IKEA's customer base.
• The UGC element helped drive social media engagement, as people shared their photos and encouraged others to participate.
• Overall they got an epic result where they saw a 27% increase in reach and 3x increase in conversion.

36. FlySafair went from inception to a famous carrier in four years

(Image credit: Viral Sweep)

• FlySafair, a low-cost South African airline , used a social media contest to make a name for itself.
• They created a contest that asked people to submit photos of their pets, and the winner received a free flight for themselves and their pets. 
• Along the way, FlySafair was responsive to customer feedback and complaints on social media, which helped demonstrate its commitment to customer service.
• The prize was attractive and aligned with the airline's brand personality, which helped to strengthen its overall image.
• Further, the contest fostered a sense of community among participants who shared their photos and engaged with the airline on social media.

37. Adore Me, a lingerie company, ran a contest to gain market share

(Image credit: Gleam.io)

• Adore Me created a giveaway that asked people to follow them on social media and share the contest with their friends for a chance to win a year's worth of free lingerie. 
• Leaning into the sharing aspect of the contest helped increase the brand's reach and exposure.
• The prize promoted the brand's product offerings, which added to the contest's appeal - they’re offering things customers won’t get anywhere else.
• Propping up the brand’s items helped increase sales by driving traffic to the website and encouraging people to purchase.
• Their social media strategy also utilised Pinterest, with product images as the focal point.

38. 40,000+ followers were added to this eCommerce store’s audience after they ran a giveaway (one of my favs)

• The Instagram giveaway of Coconut Bowls was also used to collect over 40,000 email addresses and drive sales -  and guess what!? It only cost them $1,000 to run the campaign (wow!)
• They capitalised on FOMO messaging, partnering with influencers to get the word out.
• Because the campaign was set up to generate UGC, they saw over 15,000 posts come up promoting their brand within 4 weeks.

39. This music producer capitalised on his connections to run a viral campaign

(Image credit: Upviral)

• Gabe Schillinger is a hip-hop engineer who has worked with Snoop Dogg.
• By banking on this connection to promote his campaign, he was able to set up a collaboration with Snoop Dogg as a prize.
• He ran a referral program to incentivise customers with a chance to win this on top of other rewards.
• Gamifying the program, people understood that they could win more if they did more - so they did.
• Along the way, he was even able to sell out a product he had propped up within minutes, just from the traction he got through this contest.

40. Mailchimp used company swag to increase brand recognition

(Image credit: Viral Loops)

• Mailchimp launched a series of giveaways , each with a unique theme and a grand prize of company merch.
• They used a variety of promotional channels, including social media, email, and influencer partnerships, to reach a wider audience.
• The company created a sense of urgency by limiting the time frame for entering the giveaways and promoting them heavily in the days leading up to the deadline.
• Centering on swag helped to create a sense of community among Mailchimp's customers and incentivised them to engage with the brand on a deeper level.
• It came to the point where the merch became collectibles, driving up value.

Marketing Focused 

41. this bank used social media influencers to help them gain over 3,000 new twitter followers.

(Image credit: article below)

• Axis Bank's marketing strategy focuses on "The Thought Factory, " which is a platform for innovation and creative thinking.
• They launched an event to which influencers were invited, which had a huge pool in their local market.
• Further, the messaging is centred around the idea of "Progress," which resonates with its target audience.
• The company backed this up with visual branding.
• Making sure that their action follows the message, they leaned hard on customer service, which has helped to build trust and loyalty among users.

42. Netflix used a TikTok filter to promote a new show

(Image credit: Neo Reach)

• Netflix came out with its own creative filter and hashtag to promote Cobra Kai.
• They identified and partnered with influencers who had a significant following and who would resonate with the show's target market.
• Going with a mix of macro and micro-influencers helped them reach a wider audience and create more engagement.
• This was a massive success, with #CobraKaiChop gaining over 4 billion views.
• As a plus, they helped foster a sense of community among show fans, which helped build loyalty and excitement.

43. American Standard, a bathroom brand, created a renovation campaign to promote their products

(Image credit: The Shelf)

• American Standard collaborated with micro-influencers who had a strong following in the DIY and home improvement niche, as well as home design and lifestyle bloggers.
• The campaign was centred around #MyAmericanStandardJourney, which aimed to emphasise the role of the brand in their home living.
• Before and after images and videos helped drive the hype and interest of the general public.
• They were allowed to experiment with various content formats, including blog posts, Instagram stories, and YouTube videos.
• This resulted in positive sentiment towards the brand, with many consumers expressing interest in purchasing the product after seeing the influencers' content.

44. Bacardi, a mojito company, used UGC to improve sales by 14%

(Image credit: Tribe Group)

• Bacardi, the spirits brand, leveraged organic marketing to promote their drinks as the product of choice.
• First, they teamed up with several influencers to create content promoting the #MojitoMoment.
• Then, they took the content tagged with the hashtag and scattered them across digital panels, which were located 15 minutes away from bars where their products were sold.
• This allowed them to subconsciously incite desire among passers-by and old consumers alike to participate AND get the drink.
• Overall, they generated over 1.5 million social media impressions and over 25,000 engagements.

45. This computer company partnered with influencers across Twitch, Youtube, and Twitter

• Nvidia made sure they were visible on the platforms where their target market was present.
• The influencers were chosen for their expertise in PC gaming and their influence over their respective gaming communities.
• Content included product reviews, gameplay footage, and live streams showcasing the company’s new graphics cards in action - things that their audience would want to watch in their free time.
• This helped Nvidia increase brand awareness and reach new audiences, particularly among PC gamers.
• From just partnering with 11 creators, they saw over 40 million impressions.

Referral Marketing

Related reading: if you’re looking to replicate similar success to these studies below from some of these household names, then make sure to check out my ultimate guide to the best referral marketing platforms that you need to look into. 

46. Tesla hit $1 trillion in value without spending a dollar on advertising

(Image credit: Referral Factory)

• Tesla's referral program shows the importance of creating a straightforward yet rewarding program.
• It was designed to incentivise customers to spread the word about Tesla and help the company grow its customer base.
• They kept rewards attractive, like free $1,000 credits, limited edition merchandise, and even a free Tesla Roadster for those who referred the most number of new customers.
• Customers loved the rewards, which caused them to share their experiences with their followers, increasing brand affinity even more.
• Though it cost the company a bit, it helped them achieve significant growth without spending money on traditional advertising.

47. Harry’s had over 100,000 interested customers before it even launched

(Image credit: harrysprelaunchreferral.com )

• Harry's ran its referral program using a viral loop pre-launch to get the word out.
• They gave out a free shave kit for every 5 referrals to keep the program attractive to customers.
• A lot of teasers were involved in solidifying the interest in the product.
• The referral program resulted in a significant increase in customer acquisition and sales for Harry's.
• Overall, participants had a higher customer lifetime value than non-participants.

Related reading: if you’re in eCommerce, you will like these eCommerce referral marketing examples from top brands, where you can get inspiration on how they communicate and grow their referral strategy. 

48. Dropbox saw almost 4,000% in growth in just over a year

(Image credit: Growsurf)

• Dropbox's referral program offered users free extra storage space in exchange for inviting their friends to join.
• Both the referrer and the referred user were incentivised, which helped encourage participation.
• They made it easy for users to track their referrals and see how much storage space they earned.
• It was largely because of this campaign that the company reached 100 million users in just five years.
• The success of Dropbox's referral program shows the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

49. PayPal literally gave out money (one of the first ever successful referral campaigns)

(Image credit: Flyy)

• PayPal’s referral program is considered as the first ‘famous’ (well-known within the tech startup scene) viral growth marketing campaign.
• Dropbox’s campaign was actually inspired by the success of PayPal in this case.
• The premise was simple: Give $20, get $20 - and the rest is history (as we all know, so many SaaS and eCommerce companies have double-sided referral programs).
• Because of the nature of the company, they utilised social proof to encourage people to join by highlighting the success of others who had already referred friends.
• The company’s focus on creating a positive user experience helped to retain users and drive repeat referrals.

50. Robinhood used referrals to hit 1 million users before it even launched

• Robinhood offered a referral program where customers get others to join the platform and receive a free share of stock.
• This was integrated into the onboarding process, making it easy for new users to invite their friends.
• They also kept the signup process short and simple to fit the short attention span of its market.
• Unlike others, Robinhood set a limit on the number of free shares each user could receive, creating a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
• The referral program's success helped Robinhood establish itself as a disruptor in the financial industry.

51. Uber gave free rides and bonuses for successful referrals

(Image credit: Smile.io)

• Uber’s referral program gave riders free rides in exchange for referring friends to the service, and it also gave drivers bonuses for referring new drivers.
• It was easy to use and promoted heavily within the app , making it simple for everyone involved.
• To make it more fun and engaging, users were able to personalise their referral code.
• The company ​​also used social proof, displaying the number of successful referrals in the app to encourage others to participate.
• This allowed Uber to acquire new customers at a low cost, which helped them grow rapidly.

⚡Frequently Asked Questions ⚡

Which are your favourite viral marketing case studies that are really worth reading and sharing with colleagues.

Well, as you can see, there are so many epic case studies and examples of brands that have achieved incredible results with virality. Some of the numbers are truly staggering. Pretty much all of them are worth reading and watching (I mean, that’s why I included them in this guide), but if I had to pick seven (7) of my favourites, they would have to be - Old Spice, Volvo Trucks (so good), Red Bull #putacanonit, Go Pro “Million Dollar Challenge”, Coconut Bowls, Harry’s, and of course, one of my favourite platforms and tools I love, Dropbox’s referral program (one of the most famous in the tech startup scene). If you can, try read/watch all these studies and take notes because there are a lot of learnings you’ll be able to pick out.

What are some of the key attributes and elements that go into a viral marketing campaign?

There are lots of advice out there around key elements that goes into making a viral campaign, and it’s also just as important to define what ‘viral’ is (expectation management is important here). The reality is, going viral into the millions is really tough (chances are really low), but you can still spark a level of virality that generates a good ROI and reach for your brand. Having worked on a few campaigns which haven’t gone ‘super viral’ (like the videos you see on YouTube like Volvo Trucks and Old Spice), you can still give yourself the best chance when going into campaign creation. So, whatever channel you’re working on or type of campaign, these are some of the key elements I believe that matter to focus on - First, follow a particular trend that’s happening (i.e. TikTok trends is a great example). Second, use your existing audience and relationship with influencers to generate that initial spark (i.e. a UGC social media comp and they engage/share with others to get involved who may not already be following you). Third, related to the above, ensure you have distribution channels in place, whether it be PR or larger influencers ready to share (again, need to create some sort of groundswell at the start). Fourth, have a great hook (e.g. maybe be somewhat controversial or have a reason for people wanting to read/engage/join the conversation - anything that taps into the emotional triggers of your target audience), and finally, make it super easy to share whatever it is you’re working on (i.e. if you’re driving people to a landing page, social share buttons should be obvious). There are plenty of other elements/variables that go into campaigns like this, but the above strategies/tactics I’ve seen work really well through clients/projects I’ve worked on and what I’ve seen/analysed from top brands.

What’s one of the top strategies you recommend for startups and eCommerce brands to consider to ‘go viral’?

One of my favourite strategies and initiatives I’ve done a few times now is by running viral competitions. You’ll see some of the examples I’ve mentioned above and the results some of them have achieved. Yes, even on a tighter budget, you can achieve pretty epic results similar to the brands/companies that ran great comps. You’ll see what I mean when you take a read through the studies. Although when you do read them, you’ll see the importance of having a good prize (which requires a budget) and using a platform like Gleam Viral Loops or Vyper (there are a few others as well). Additionally, depending on where you live/are located, you also do need to check jurisdiction laws around competitions. I’ve seen brands myself generate thousands of leads and even a decent number of customers (revenue) through these viral competitions. Highly recommend you check the studies out (and others you can find across the net) to get some inspiration that you can consider for your business/team.

For brands on a budget, what do you recommend are ‘viral’ based marketing initiatives that can generate sales and referrals?

In the above question, I mentioned that viral competitions are a great strategy for building up a huge list, awareness and drive sales, but there are some other low-cost initiatives that you should incorporate into your overall marketing strategy. First, make sure you have a referral program in place. The number of brands that I come across with no referral program in place astounds me, as there are plenty of cost-effective tools/solutions on the market. Even if it’s not performing, there’s always room for making optimisations and improvements. Second, in relation to competitions, is UGC social comps (which I mention more below in the next question). Third, do partner/collab campaigns with other related brands (that aren’t direct competitors). For example, you can do email campaigns through both your audiences to get exposure to new subscribers, as well as do social media collabs. Fourth, this strategy can add up if not careful, but I personally believe micro-influencers are really good for smaller brands on a budget. However, it can only work if you effectively measure the ROI from the engagement (i.e. use coupon codes, tracking links, etc.). Working with numerous brands, I’ve seen first-hand it can still work incredibly well, especially at scale when you grow. Plus, the benefits of awareness and sales is one thing, but it’s the accelerated trust building and content that can really pay off dividends for your business. Fifth and final strategy suggestion is getting good at creating engaging content, and then focus on building relationships for distribution. If you get good at this (and stay consistent), in no time, you’ll get the awareness and viral exposure you’re looking for. I’ve suggested five strong strategies here that have worked time and time again for myself and various clients I’ve worked with over the years. However, there are naturally plenty of others you’ll get exposed to - it all comes down to testing and experimenting but ensuring you measure it effectively to track ROI.

Do UGC campaigns on social platforms still work effectively for brands on a leaner budget?

The short answer is yes, UGC social comps and posts are a great way to build awareness as well as followers and, ultimately, drive sales of new customers. However, it’s becoming more of a challenge as social media platforms reduce/tighten their organic reach. A great strategy actually I’ve started to see a lot of brands do is co-branded/collab UGC competitions with other related (non-direct competitor) brands. It’s a win-win by cross-promoting audiences and getting that initial ‘boost’ of organic reach. Naturally, though, you’re always going to need some sort of budget (not just for the prize) to really get the wheels turning when it comes to getting awesome engagement that can increase your chances of getting huge numbers of entries. So for those on a budget, definitely look into UGC comp collabs on Instagram.

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Viral Marketing: 7 quick case studies to help you get word-of-mouth and organic attention for your brand

This article was originally published in the MarketingSherpa email newsletter .

Quick Case Study #1: Four- and five-act videos get more than four times the shares of zero- to three-act videos

“Add drama to your online videos by telling a complete story. The results are increased shares and views irrespective of company size,” advised Keith A. Quesenberry, Associate Professor of Marketing, Messiah University .

Quesenberry and co-author Michael Coolsen, Professor of Marketing, Shippensburg University published research in the Journal of Interactive Marketing analyzing 155 viral marketing videos. They coded the videos for story development following the five acts of Freytag’s Pyramid – introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

On average, four- and five-act videos gained more than four times the shares of zero- to three-act videos.

“Base the story around characters and situations your target audience can relate to or is relevant to their life. Yet add a twist or surprise of the unexpected to create the fascinating familiar. The resulting emotion they experience from the story and surprise is something they will want to share with others,” Quesenberry said.

Quick Case Study #2: Family-owned jewelry business gets more then 5 million video views with video about unique subject

For years, Moriarty’s Gem Art put out content in videos, but nothing ever took off. In 2018, the team found a unique gemstone called Hyalite Opal – it glowed because of the radiation inside of it. They joked about how it looked like Kryptonite.

That gave them an idea for a video. They spent about 10 to 20 hours on this video and even brought in a radiation expert. They made an in-depth video about this rare stone, really pushing the amazing glow.

“We then posted the video on YouTube and made a clever title on Reddit,” said Jeff Moriarty, Marketing Manager, Moriarty’s Gem Art.

Creative Sample #1: Viral video for family-owned jewelry business

The video was viewed more than 3,000,000 times in its first few weeks. After three years, the video now has 5,323,222 views.

“My advice to anyone trying to get something to go viral – find something unique and exciting you can really go into depth about, then spend more time than you want on creating the content, whether it’s video or just textual content,” Moriarty said.

While the team hasn’t had this big of a hit since, the success inspired them to change the way they make videos and they now get ten times more views than they used to. Instead of a quick setup and one-hour block to complete a video, they spend more time and put more effort into the creation of the videos. “While this was very time consuming and more stressful, it paid off for us!” he said.

Quick Case Study #3: Lawn care platform uses data it already had to reward customers, sparking organic social posts

“Unexpected, exceptional customer service should be every business’s best practice to bring a smile to a customer’s face – or their pet’s face – to ensure a viral marketing campaign. These acts can also be done at a very low cost,” said Gene Caballero, Co-founder, GreenPal .

The team brainstormed an idea to win over customers through their pets by tapping into data they already had. When a homeowner signs up for the service, they provide information on if they have pets, and if so, the pets’ names. This information enables the platform to tell lawn vendors to be careful when entering the lawn.

They decided they could also use this info about customers to send a personalized gift to customers’ pets, addressed to the pet.

“This really wowed our customers, we received personal thank you notes, videos of their dog chewing the bone we sent posted to Facebook, and thank you tweets. It worked really well for the time and money we invested and even landed us a few TV interviews. Monitoring our social media accounts gave us great insight into how this program was working,” said Caballero said.

Creative Sample #2: YouTube comment about lawn care platform

The company saw an uptick of five to ten percent in homeowner sign-ups in a specific market if a homeowner posted on Facebook. “Over 20 to 30 markets, we could see that this was working. Our goal was for our customers to promote us on Facebook or Instagram and socially vet our service,” he said.

Quick Case Study #4: Product launch gets more than 1,000 new user signups for app in first week

“Having a successful Product Hunt launch can catapult your new startup to quickly get visibility and new users, provided that your startup is one of the most-hunted products on the day that it launches,” said Andy Cabasso, Co-Founder, Postaga .

Postaga’s product launch garnered more than 1,000 new user signups for its app in the first week, several requests for interviews from media, as well as outreach from investors. Its app was rated #1 Product of the Day and #2 Product of the Week on Product Hunt after receiving 1,275 upvotes. Here is Cabasso’s advice for using Product Hunt to create a viral launch based on this success:

• Have really good visuals – images (not just screenshots, but annotated images that show off your product), a quick one-minute explainer video that is very polished and shows what your product does, and an animated gif for your listing.  
• Launch at the right time (12am Pacific) and promote your Product Hunt launch to any audience you have and online communities you are a part of to get them to upvote your product, which helps increase the likelihood you are in the Top 5 early on (and getting Top 5 early on is a significant boost to the likelihood you are one of the top ones by the end of the day).  
• Have good copy for your Maker’s comment when your product launches.  
• Block out your whole day the day of the Product Hunt launch to answer any questions on your product page as well as from new visitors to your website. “It's gonna be a busy day if your launch is going well, ” he said.

Quick Case Study #5: Humorous videos on LinkedIn help agency sign more than $1 million of business

“Most people still aren’t posting funny content on LinkedIn, and contrary to popular belief, most business professionals DO have a sense of humor,” said Jackie Hermes, CEO, Accelity . “I wasn't showing my or my company’s true personality on LinkedIn by making exclusively serious content, and that felt inauthentic. Some of my most popular content includes humor.”

For example, Hermes posted a video on LinkedIn about working from home with kids during COVID, and got 1,553 reactions and 282 comments.

Creative Sample #3: Humorous video posted by agency on LinkedIn

The team used to shoot with a professional camera and mics but found that level of production was not needed for social content. Since COVID started, Hermes shoots all of her videos on her phone. “Then, we use Zubtitle to caption and voila!” she said.

“I posted it on LinkedIn and Instagram. I focus heavily on LinkedIn – I think brands/personal brands should only do what they have time to do well and a lot of people make the mistake of starting a YouTube channel and trying to have a big presence on every social site,” Hermes said.

Prospects mention the funny videos in the agency’s sales process and the company has signed more than one million dollars in business from LinkedIn. “Outside of that, my funny sales-related videos earned a connection to Ryan Deiss of DigitalMarketer and I have now been on their stages at Traffic and Conversion Summit and Digital Agency Expo,” she said.

Quick Case Study #6: Startup utilizes a moment with a lot of existing energy to get a brand lift and increase sales 60%

“We see brands apply this tactic all the time around sporting events such as the Super Bowl and big-time holidays such as Mother’s Day. With many moments to come in 2021, how brands strategize around activating their big moments could result in brand loyalty, increase the share of voice, and ultimately big sales,” said Sanja Komljenovic, Founder and CEO, ONA Creative .

For example, the agency activated the #EATGREEN campaign in service of its client Lettuce Grow for Earth Day 2020. Last year’s Earth Day theme was climate action. As part of brand planning, the team focused the startup’s messaging around sustainability since Lettuce Grow’s product allows consumers to grow family-sized vegetables at home, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions added by the global food system which directly contributes to global warming. The global food system – including farming and grazing, transportation, packaging, and feed production – produces 37% of greenhouse gas emissions according to a UN report .

“As part of our overall brand strategy, Lettuce Grow is making fresh, tasty and nutritiously alive food easy and fun to grow at home, so leaning into Earth Day’s 50th anniversary was a no brainer,” said Jacob Pechenik, CEO, Lettuce Grow. “We worked with the team to activate our #EATGREEN campaign, taking advantage of the milestone to make a meaningful connection with and – more importantly – to grow our community of fresh food enthusiasts.”

 The #EATGREEN campaign leveraged influencers and celebrities to challenge and inform consumers, showing them that their food choices can impact climate change and support the health of our planet. “We created a campaign with its own look and feel, carefully strategized which influencers to use – we opted for athletes, doctors, and nutritionists – and obsessed over the details that went into the Instagram stories and posts, focusing on share-ability every step of the way,” Komljenovic said.

Creative Sample #4: Instagram post for startup’s viral Earth Day campaign

“[Lettuce Grow] Cofounder Zooey Deschanel, fitness expert Denise Austin, Olympian Julia Mancuso, and bloggers Whitney Morris and Koko shared their #EATGREEN commitment. Earth Day is both a challenge and a celebration. These posts captured just that,” she said.

To get the influencers involved, the team leveraged personal and business relationships, sent free products to select influencers, and never asked them to sell anything…just promote eating green for the health of the planet.

 Creative Sample #5: Social media posts from influencers in support of startup’s Earth Day campaign

The viral campaign not only grew brand sentiment by communicating the brand’s values but also drove conversions. At the time, Lettuce Grow saw record sales of the Farmstand product at full price – a 60% increase above the 30-day average – with many first-time buyers and visitors to the site.

“Take advantage of moments with existing energy. This is a strategy every brand should have in their marketing playbooks. However, these moments have to be authentic to the brand. Mother’s Day for mom and baby brands. Earth Day for sustainability brands. Sports moments for athletic brands. Brands also need to think through the details and the messaging carefully. Utilize the right positioning. Make sure they connect with the right kind of influencers that care about these moments as well,” Komljenovic advised.

Quick Case Study #7: Snack food brand increases conversion 9.8% with customer-generated reviews

“Marketers know that favorable product reviews can help with conversion, but they should also think about supporting marketing efforts further up the funnel. With an understanding of reviewer motivations, brands can devise winning strategies to win over their advocacy and generate more user engagement and ratings and reviews,” said Andrew Smith, Vice President of Marketing for PowerReviews .

PowerReviews’ recent survey research into the motivations of 10,000 shoppers revealed 40% of Gen Zers said they were motivated to provide photos or video in their review submissions on the chance their image might be subsequently shared on a brand’s website. More than three quarters (77%) of Gen Zers polled said they were motivated to provide reviews for the purpose of guiding and helping others.

Smith continued, “Brands can also leverage user-generated content as a valuable customer feedback source to improve your business. Above and beyond its obvious conversion power, brands should also leverage the analytics value of this content. It’s a highly valuable form of customer feedback that can drive improvements in products, customer experience, and overall marketing and messaging efforts.”

For example, review content has helped BEER NUTS engage with consumers and align its ecommerce efforts with how Gen Z shops.

“Most consumers today shop by reviews and ‘social proof’ – they care about what other people think,” said Jonathan Strupek, Marketing Manager, BEER NUTS® BRAND SNACKS. “Ratings and reviews are a big part of building an ecommerce experience that consumers have come to expect via their interactions with companies such as Amazon and Walmart.”

“We know that five seconds is the average attention span,” said Strupek. “So how much content can we give them in a well-organized manner and in a format that is as high-level or in-depth as they like, along with transparency in highest versus lowest reviews? This creates multiple touchpoints with the customer and gives them confidence to purchase.”

BEER NUTS was traditionally found in bars and taverns all across the country. Like many retailers, they have pursued a new direct-to-consumer sales channel and their website is the anchor for this effort. They’ve used product sampling for a reviews program to gain consumer ratings and reviews and new product imagery since they recently changed their packaging.

The company went live with PowerReviews in March 2020 – right during the start of the COVID pandemic shelter-in-place mandates, which ushered in significant changes in consumer buying behavior.

“We wanted to understand how consumers buying habits were shifting post-COVID so we could put forward the best pricing and product availability and Shopify Plus® and PowerReviews helped with our understanding of that. Consumer behavior is always changing – having the ability to have our finger on the pulse of that is critical,” says Strupek. “As we are building BEER NUTS’ direct-to-consumer business, we are taking advantage of this significant opportunity to have a conversation with consumers that our giant retail sales arm doesn’t have. They can’t get real-time feedback or understand what consumers are saying about our products. This is incredibly vital to tap into this Voice of the Customer since we physically can’t be across the nation,” he says.

BEER NUTS was able to generate a 9.8% conversion lift when website visitors interacted with customer-generated media – photos and videos – that customers submitted in conjunction with reviews.

Related Resources

Email Marketing Chart: Tactics used by the top 1% of viral emails

Community Marketing: 1 million Instagram impressions via creative design contest

Social Media Marketing: Going viral is so easy it’s hard

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Viral Marketing: The Definitive Guide

This is the complete guide to viral marketing.

In this new guide you’ll learn:

• How to launch viral campaigns from scratch
• How to make viral videos
• Helpful tools, strategies and pro tips

Let’s dive right in.

1. Viral Marketing Basics

2. How to Create a Viral Campaign

3. Viral Marketing Examples

4. Advanced Tips and Techniques

5. Viral Marketing Case Study

Chapter 1: viral marketing basics.

In this chapter, we’ll cover the basics of viral marketing.

(Including what it is and how it works.)

So if you want a quick overview of why things go viral, this intro chapter is for you.

What Is Viral Marketing?

Viral marketing is a marketing practice that leverages network effects and word-of-mouth promotion.

Put another way:

Viral marketing is an approach designed to get others to share your product for you.

In other words, traditional marketing is where you blast your marketing messages to a group (like with TV commercials).

And viral marketing is where you encourage other people to spread your product or service.

That said, in the real world most products don’t have a realistic chance of going viral.

And if you’re in that spot, you need to create a piece of viral content instead.

(More on that later)

Benefits of Viral Marketing

So you might be wondering: why bother with viral marketing at all? Aren’t you better off sticking to traditional marketing approaches, like online advertising and SEO ?

To be clear: going viral isn’t going to replace traditional marketing anytime soon. But it’s a great way to complement what you’re already doing.

Specifically, here are the top 5 benefits that your business can see from a successful viral marketing campaign:

• Increased brand awareness
• A spike in website traffic
• More leads and sales
• Decreased marketing costs (viral content is WAY cheaper than ads)
• Increased connection with existing customers

Why Things Go Viral

I teamed up with BuzzSumo to learn why things go viral.

Obviously, it’s impossible to quantify exactly why certain content gets shared more than others. There are a million variables involved. But this industry study at least gives us an idea of what traits viral campaigns tend to have.

So: what did we find?

First, when it comes to blog content, longer content gets significantly more shares than short articles.

Although we didn’t find a big difference in terms of publishing days, content published on Sunday seemed to do best.

We also discovered that longer headlines (14+ words) tended to get a higher than average number of social media shares.

Our last finding was that people LOVE lists. In fact, list posts generate more shares than any other type of content (even video).

So yeah, interesting stuff. And now it’s time for our next chapter…

Chapter 2: How to Create a Viral Campaign

In this chapter, you’re going to learn how to create a viral marketing campaign from scratch.

So if you’re ready to get started on your first campaign, you’ll love the actionable tips in this chapter.

Let’s get started.

Find a Hot Topic

Your first step is to find a topic that people will WANT to share.

In other words:

A red hot topic that people are already talking about.

Why is this important?

Well, most products and brands that go viral leverage an existing trend.

For example, this Squatty Potty video went viral (it currently has over 40 million views).

Sure, the video is professional. And funny.

But the REAL reason this video did so well is that it piggybacked on the emerging interest in gut health.

If this same video came out in 2012 or 2013, people wouldn’t have been ready for it.

The question is:

HOW do you find these hot topics?

First, use Google Trends .

Google Trends shows you hot topics (actually, keywords) that people are searching for in Google.

To use it, just enter a broad topic that describes your brand or product.

Then, scroll down to the “related topics” and “related queries” boxes.

This shows you hot topics related to the keyword you just typed in.

You can also use BuzzSumo’s Content Research feature.

In my experience, this tool is actually better for finding hot topics than Google Trends. But I actually use both.

Anyway, all you need to do is search for a few keywords related to your business. Then, look at what types of content get the most shares.

For example, if you search for “Keto” in BuzzSumo, you’ll notice that contrarian content (“’No One Should Be Doing Keto Diet’ Says Leading Cardiologist”) and recipes (“Keto Chicken Quesadilla”) tend to do best.

Don’t Make it “Salesy”

Should your content relate to your product?

But it’s important to keep in mind that your viral campaign isn’t a traditional advertising campaign. There shouldn’t be a logo, slogan or other traditional marketing assets.

Instead, the focus should be on creating something cool that people will WANT to share.

Let’s look again at The Squatty Potty video I mentioned earlier.

This video 100% relates to the product. But it’s also educational and funny.

They only show the product about halfway through the video.

And even then, they only talk about the product itself for a few seconds. Then, it’s back to hilarious content.

Viral videos aren’t for everyone. For example, if you sell something boring like B2B supply chain software, it probably doesn’t make sense to make a funny video.

That’s where data comes into play.

Data is a SUPER underrated way to get shares and targeted traffic.

For example, my business is an online education company. It’s a pretty small niche. This means that there’s no point in making a funny video that’s designed for a large audience.

Even if that video DID go viral, it wouldn’t get in front of my target audience of marketing professionals.

So instead of funny stuff, we focus on data-driven content that our audience is interested in.

It may not rack up millions of page views, but we do go viral in our small niche.

For example, our search engine ranking factors analysis racked up over 14k social shares.

And brought in a flood of traffic from blogs, news sites and social media.

Chapter 3: Viral Marketing Examples

Now it’s time for the fun stuff: real-life examples!

In this chapter, I’m going to break down 4 successful viral marketing campaigns. I’ll reveal why they worked… and how you can replicate their success.

Let’s kick things off with our first example…

Purple Mattress’ Egg Drop Test

In this video (which has 55 million views to date), Purple Mattress dropped a guy onto a bunch of eggs held only by a mattress.

This 2018 video combined multiple factors that make content go viral:

But this video also has something that your viral campaign doesn’t NEED… but it helps.

I’m talking about controversy.

That’s because lots of people pointed out flaws in the way this “study” was conducted.

This wasn’t anything that derailed the video. But it was just controversial enough to drive up interest.

Takeaway Lesson: As long as you nail the fundamentals, adding a touch of controversy can definitely help. This doesn’t mean that you need to take a stand on a controversial issue. But you can add a touch of controversy by doing something that sparks a conversation, like running an experiment, bucking a common practice or doing something outlandish in a boring space (like mattresses).

Dollar Shave Club’s Intro Video

When Dollar Shave Club first started, they had a problem:

How do we explain our unique service to our core audience of young guys?

You have to remember that in 2012 monthly boxes were brand new concepts. This meant that Dollar Shave Club had to explain why people should stop picking up razors at CVS and sign up for razors-by-mail instead.

So they decided to create a video that explained what they did using lots and lots of humor.

And it worked!

The video went viral pretty much on day 1. And it now has over 27 million views.

But more important than views is that the video put Dollar Shave Club on the map. The brand awareness they got from that video is worth millions (even though the entire campaign cost them $4500 ).

Takeaway Lesson: If you have a product or service that requires an explanation, make the explanation fun. That way, people will actually WANT to learn about what you do.

Wage Needed To Rent a House Map

Maps are a SUPER underrated form of visual content .

Unlike things like videos and infographics, maps are a CINCH to make. And the right map can go viral.

For example, this simple map racked up 877.5k social shares.

As you can see, that map isn’t going to win any design awards. But it strikes a nerve that pushes people to share it.

Takeaway Lesson: Like I mentioned in Chapter 2, data is HIGHLY shareable. And maps are a great way to package that data for maximum shares. That’s because people that live in places on the map (or know people that do) will want to share your map.

Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches Campaign

This single video has racked up over 69 MILLION views.

How is this possible?

Well, Dove hit on multiple emerging trends: new ways to define “beauty”, confidence and a focus on self-care.

And the video wasn’t some fluff piece that said: “All women are beautiful in their own way!”.

Instead, this video is a touching piece of content that increases high-arousal emotions.

And, according to a study by Sorbonne University , emotional content is more likely to get shared (and therefore go viral).

Takeaway Lesson: This campaign worked because it was highly EMOTIONAL. And considering sharing is an emotional decision, pushing the right emotional buttons can help your content spread. This sort of thing is not easy to pull off. But as you just saw, when it works, it REALLY works.

Chapter 4: Advanced Tips and Techniques

Now that you have a handle on the fundamentals and have seen real-life examples of viral marketing in action, it’s time to go advanced.

Specifically, I’m going to show you four advanced strategies that will increase the odds that you go viral.

Promote in Communities

So you just created something that you’re SURE can go viral.

Well, it’s time to promote your content in communities.

The exact community depends on what you’re looking to promote.

But in general, places like Quora, Product Hunt and Reddit can work well.

Obviously, you don’t want to spam these communities. That’s going to do more harm than good. Instead, you want to casually mention your content with the group.

If it resonates with that group, members will comment on your post and upvote it… which can be the initial “push” that every viral marketing campaign needs.

Use Email Outreach

Email outreach is another way to get eyeballs on your content.

I have a complete guide to outreach here .

But as a quick summary, you want to target people that are SUPER interested in your content.

For example, let’s say you just published a video about The Paleo Diet. Well, you’d want to reach out to bloggers that write about Paleo. Simple.

Targeting the right people is 90% of the game.

The other 10% is sending people personalized, non-spammy messages.

In other words, you want to avoid stuff like this:

Here’s an example of a GOOD outreach email:

Focus On Video

As you saw from the viral marketing examples in Chapter 4, videos are PRIMED to go viral.

So if you’re deciding between different formats, definitely go with video.

There are two reasons that videos tend to work better than blog posts, infographics, ebooks… and pretty much anything else.

First , videos are highly emotional and highly visual.

Two things that are HUGE for going viral.

Second , YouTube videos can spread naturally on the platform.

In other words: your videos can spread on YouTube without you needing to hustle for every view. You still need to give your video that initial push.

But if people start to watch, like and share your videos, YouTube will start to promote the video on its platform.

Make Sure Your Campaign Is In-Line With Your Product

For example, IBM’s “A Boy and His Atom” video is closely tied to computers.

As an example of what NOT to do, The North Face defaced Wikipedia in an effort to get higher Google rankings.

Then, in a lame attempt to go viral, they bragged about it.

Needless to say, gaming Wikipedia is not in-line with The North Face’s brand.

Chapter 5: Viral Marketing Case Study

In this chapter, I’m going to show you how one entrepreneur used viral marketing to generate 17,584 unique visitors to a brand new website.

In one day.

And he accomplished this despite having:

Zero connections.

Zero Twitter followers.

Zero marketing budget.

Here’s the exact step-by-step process that he used.

How Chris Gimmer Generated 17,584 Visitors (In One Day)

Chris Gimmer was the founder of BootstrapBay , a marketplace for themes built using the popular web development framework called Bootstrap.

Make no mistake:

The Bootstrap theme niche was REALLY competitive with dozens of entrenched competitors.

It gets worse:

Chris wasn’t some hotshot startup founder with years of experience under his belt.

In fact, Chris recently left his 9-5 gig in the finance world to launch his startup.

Despite those setbacks, Chris launched a campaign that brought in 17,584 visitors in one day to his brand new site.

Companies like Blendtec, Old Spice, GoPro and Dollar Shave Club all created viral videos that have generated millions of views.

Thanks to their videos going viral, brand awareness and sales shot up like a rocket…

…and never went back to square one.

And it was a similar story with Chris’s campaign.

Before the massive traffic surge, BootstrapBay was averaging around 150 visitors per day.

After it, they averaged over 2000 visits per day.

Bottom line: A single viral marketing campaign can make a huge long-term difference in your site’s traffic.

With that, here are the steps that Chris used.

Step #1: Find Content With a Proven Track Record of Success

One day Chris stumbled upon a post on Medium.com called, “ Stock photos that don’t suck ”.

Despite being a bland list of links to stock photo sites, that Medium.com post racked up an impressive number of social shares.

After reading that Medium.com post, Chris thought to himself:

“If that list of links got people that excited, what if I made something way better?”

This leads us to our second step…

Step #2: Improve On The Content That You Find

Here are the techniques Chris used to dramatically improve the base content he found:

1. He turned the content into a full blog post with an introduction, body and conclusion

The Medium.com article lacked the meat that makes a blog post great.

In fact, it was really just a list of links:

Chris rounded out his content with a strong intro and conclusion that made his blog post feel more like, well, a blog post.

2. He indicated which license each website used

People love to share insanely useful stuff.

Believe it or not, creating something super-useful isn’t that hard.

You just need to give your content that extra oomph that most people are too lazy to add.

Case in point: Chris’s post.

Chris told people the exact license each free stock photo site had:

3. He added sample pictures from each resource

This made his content much more visual.

Adding images seems like a no-brainer. But a fair share of “here’s a list of free stock photo sites” articles don’t feature images (including the Medium.com post).

At this point, you’re probably wondering:

How long did all these improvements take?

Chris must have handcuffed himself to his laptop and worked non-stop for 87 days.

Actually… it took Chris a grand total of 6-hours to create his epic resource.

Here’s the breakdown of those 6-hours:

• 1.5 hours to search the web for additional resources
• 1 hour to determine which license each site falls under
• 1.5 hour to gather all the pictures
• 2 hours to write the post and put it all together

So at this point Chris had an epic piece of content live on his site.

But with no following and no connections, how could he possibly go viral?

Well, that’s where step #3 of this process comes into play…

Step #3: Promote Your Content

I mentioned this back in Chapter 4…

If you want your content to get results, you can’t rely on the ol’ “Publish and Pray” approach.

Instead, you need to promote it.

How did Chris promote his content?

I’m glad you asked…

First , Chris submitted his post to a place that his target audience hangs out.

Web designers make up a huge chunk of Chris’s target audience.

And where do they hang out?

The web design subreddit on Reddit. So he decided to share his content there.

As you can see, his Reddit thread quickly racked up 181 upvotes:

Upvotes are great and all… but what about TRAFFIC?

That single Reddit thread drove 2,168 visitors to Chris’s content overnight:

Next, Chris submitted his content to a bunch of web designer communities.

Chris realized that the web design subreddit was just one of MANY places that his target audience hung out.

So he submitted his content to web design communities, like LayerVault.com (basically GrowthHackers.com for web designers):

That single LayerVault submission has brought in 1,915 visitors:

That’s it for my complete guide to viral marketing.

Now I’d like to hear from you:

Which campaign from today’s guide was your favorite?

Chris’s stock photo campaign? Or are you a big fan of The Dollar Shave Club video?

Either way, let me know in the comments section below.

I think this case study sums up all your techniques we’ve be getting in your newsletter recently. Like a Cherry on the top!

Great insight again Brian, it’s amazing; I’m getting some ideas as I have some stuff ready to go viral. :))

That’s what I was going for, Filip. Nothing beats seeing it in real life, right?

You got that right! Walk-troughs make life easier 😛

This is GREAT content. I have had some viral marketing success in the past – this still really impresses me. Great stuff! Thanks, Brock

You’re welcome, Brock.

Using this methodology, I was able to significantly increase traffic and got a ton of shares on social media. D&B actually tweeted our article on 101 Small Business SEO Tips. Thanks for the great content ideas!

That’s awesome, Jay. Thanks for sharing that. Rock on!

Yet another useful and helpful post, Brian 🙂 Awesome!

I’ve been reading your blog for some time, and the rewards are starting to pay off in traffic and backlinks!

Best regards

Thanks Nicklas. It’s awesome to hear that. Props to you for putting my techniques and strategies into practice.

Hey Brian – question – for a newbie, how do I go find out how many monthly searches are being conducted on certain search terms I’m curious about?

That info/tool would be very helpful to me as I consider a new launch. Thank you!

Hey Scott. This guide has you covered: https://backlinko.com/keyword-research

I reiterate and echo:

You are the man.

Thank you!!!

Brian, This looks great and I am probably going to have to read it more than once to get everything. One thing I keep having to remind myself: you can pick a topic that is not directly related to your product/service but interesting to your audience. Prior success is the most important part, not how closely a particular article topic might relate to what you do. So, bootstrap themes –> finding free stock photos. Or, building backlinks –> google ranking factors. Anyways, thanks for writing. This is great stuff!!

Definitely, Gordie.

That’s one of the #1 questions I get: “How can I write content for my niche if it’s not interesting”. As you pointed out, the answer it: “Don’t”. There are plenty of related niches ripe for the taking.

Hey Brian, I noticed there was no mention of email outreach to others that have linked to similar content, did you leave that out on purpose or did he simply not do that?

i have been reading your content for months – love it! but what about ultra niche products/services in limited geographic markets? i’m dealing with very very low search volumes and no meaningful social sharing. which of your strategies do you suggest for folks like us?

Thanks Alex 🙂

In that case you want to create content that appeals to a larger audience. There’s no law that says your content has to be super-related to what you sell. So for example, let’s say you sold lawnmowers in Texas. You could create Skyscraper Content about gardening, DIY, lawn care etc.

Hi Brian. Grade “A” article ! Based on your case study, it works well in english that for sure but what about other languages ? I’m running a website in “french” with a brand new domain name (DA:14) and when I run the step1, the number of shares or social impact are really really low compared to a website written in english. In your example Chris got +200k FB share, the max I can get is approx. 1.500. I think the overall trafic and shares impact will be really low ? What do you think ? Should be good to have an other case study for languages different than english ! You see me coming right ? 🙂

Good question, Lio. You may not get as many social shares and links. But there’s less competition so you don’t need as many to rank.

To add to your insane comment-fielding workload – what about companies (or clients of mine) in the B2B space? One of my clients is a sewage treatment plant company, for example… I don’t imagine communities form around those sorts of things online!

Zak, every niche has an opportunity of some kind. You just have to be creative. There’s ton of great content you could create for people to help with their septic systems, plumbing etc.

Any additional tips if your website isn’t in English? Any additional sources to check content that has done well in specific languages? Thanks!

I’m pretty sure buzzsumo works in several different languages, Rosane.

Brilliant post, Brian, that’s simply bonkers! I think these viral moments are what build a lot of sites. BuzzFeed, for example, have had their fair share of BIGGIES which I think further increased their incline upwards.

Good point, Marty. I’ve also seen one piece of content literally take a site from “zero” to “hero”.

I’ve started and stopped so many personal blogs before simply because I experienced burnout after the initial 1 week blogging high. I would get writers block and quit. But just going through the Buzzumo step here I found over 10 article ideas that I’d be stoked to write about!

You can totally do it, LJ!

Great information – can’t wait to receive more SEO insight through the newsletter!

Thanks Olivia 🙂

You writing style is so engaging and entertaining! I thought the indents and ellipses were cheesy at first, but it really made me want to keep scrolling along. I found your post very helpful, and I’ll be sure to send it along to my fellow members of the writing department here at Tek Shouts! Thanks, Brian!

Thanks Megan.

Learned a lot! Thanks Brian! Glad someone referred me to your blog. This will definitely help me in my business. Looking forward to your newsletters 🙂

Happy to help, Keri.

Hi Brian, As Always, an awesome post with a great case study. Learnt al lot from this post. I really like your case studies. Thanks!

Best Regards

You’re welcome, Miraj.

Brian, thank you so much for this incredibly useful case study. I used the techniques in a blog post and saw a huge increase in traffic. We went from an average of 100 weekly visitors to ~2,000 in the last two weeks since the post has been up – https://www.thebrevetgroup.com/sales-training-blog/21-mind-blowing-sales-stats/ . Thanks again for the helpful tips.

Wow, that’s awesome Dimitar. Rock on!

Hey Brian, Thanks for such an informative case study. I’m going to use the things I learned from this article in my next project.

Sounds good, Brian. Let me know how it goes.

Impressive that he just created a simple solution to a real problem for web developers and they went crazy for it. I’ve searched for free stock photo sites and they do seem lackluster and reading up on all the licensing info is time consuming. He put together the right fix to the issue, with a sweet high quality email photo package and the people loved it!

Great article and site, thanks 🙂

Michael, that’s true. Sometimes people overthink content. Sometimes half the battle is putting out something extremely useful.

Awesome post. Not sure how I landed here as I was searching for “sumome image sharer” case study.

I clicked through cause I know your name.

This is truly the way to go with modern day SEO and falls into the basket of create a business that offers more and costs less. Works 100% of the time.

I think that your example is great, it highlights in many ways why this will work and is a perfect example that is somewhat easy to excecute.

I think that you should put more emphasis on the fact of finding a piece of content that is bland, really mediocre with a huge amount of shares! This is actually the hardest part, the rest is pretty simple. Luckily I know where to start looking for some So So content with a lot of shares 🙂

Thanks really great food for thought.

Thanks Neale.

I go more into detail about that step of the process here: https://backlinko.com/skyscraper-technique

Brian, you are a long ball hitter when it comes to free traffic. Thanks for the great information. I would love to read about how you micro target the target “crowd” for a specific post.

Thanks Todd. Great suggestion. I might include that in a future post.

Great post to read, love your writing and recommendations. So far my highest number of visitors happened just a week or so ago when I had a 3 line mention in the NY Times. Don’t laugh, just 531 visitors and that has tailed off sharply.

Question: I have one post about specific exercises to lose weight and fight depression that is the main driver of what little traffic I do get currently. Is that common for a site to have one or just a few posts that get the most traffic? And in that case, does it make more sense to see if I can improve and market that content? I believe I first read or heard of you from the smartpassiveincome podcast and when I did start to muck around with my page title and that specific post, I messed up and actually lost rank position, I think I need to see if I can apply your skyscraper technique to my own best post without losing rank. Thanks again for your detailed guide. Sincerely, Richard

Richard, a NYTimes mention is nothing to sneeze at. Yes, that’s common but you want to have several bringing in traffic for you. #scaleup

Shared, Tweeted and Liked! Fan-frick’n-tastic post Brian, once again blazing the trail with case studies that provide genuine value to others. Stellar as usual my friend. Only thing I’m wondering now, is if the WordPress theme space can take a double whammy if we try the same with our new framework…

Hmmmmn…. to be continued… 😉

Thanks, Jeffrey. The stock photo angle may be a bit saturated (I’ve seen A LOT of people using that since this article came out). Fortunately, there are lots, lots more out there.

I have read this twice and printed some of the other posts too! I am just starting out in the blog world and I have been doing my market research. I am so happy I decided to work backwards! I am learning the important stuff first. I have already used some of your techniques to see what topics in my niche need a little skyscraping with a bit of me squeezed in for pizzazz! I mean I am cracking my knuckles and having a great time just looking for topics! I’ll be back to share my success very shortly. Thanks again!

That’s awesome to hear, Sukina.

This is gold right here. Bookmarked! Actually I have been using almost all platforms you mentioned. The rewriting viral content is super brilliant. I’m glad I came across this today. Thank you!

You’re welcome, Brian.

Ive done this on a smaller scale for other people, but Im just now doing this for myself! Ill let you know how it goes! Im really excited!

Thanks Keith. Keep me posted on your results.

Wow. What a great read. Thanks for sharing. Specifically about “buzzsumo” I had never seen that site before. It should come in handy.

Thanks Tom. Buzzsumo is an awesome tool.

You know many adverts and soap programmes on television tend to show us Brian’s as not being that clever – Brian in Confused.com for example and some soap star’s who played the role of Brian like in Coronation Street.

But here in the real business world if your name is Brian Dean, the people better start taking you seriously. This article you have written is first class. I think many of us here who are hanging out with you and reading the article may be delivering Search Marketing Services to business owners. And so, I tell you what – that is exactly what I am going to do – make my business clients read this. Why? Because business owners, especially those in the Small Business Community do hire people like us, but also try to do the DIY bit to keep their service cost down.

But the problem is that many of those people are ‘dabblers’ and don’t really know what it takes to market their website and create pages that will engage the customers they want. This process Brian you have put together really maps out how to publish a web page that will convert.

The biggest problem for those small business owners is they can’t think like a journalist, yet they want an all singing all dancing website they can edit themselves. I think this article of yours will teach them to become better page editors and lead them to squeeze more out of their landing pages and their websites. Business owners need to be educated if they are to achieve what I call OnlineXcellence!

Hello, First of all want to say your article is awesome. I read each and every step very carefully and also will implement all these strategies. But, my question is how you find targeted audience for particular category ?

Thanks Elina. Not sure what you mean.

OMG, this is the best resource for generating traffic that I have found! I can’t thank you enough for the detailed and thorough information you’ve provided!!! I’m excited to see how well I can do.

Wow, a superb method. So the key is to create value for the audience and you will get your results!

You know Brian what I like the most about you. You are genuine and the funny part is your so long post never bores me like my books do. I can read all your articles no matter where I am seating because you always tell about your experience. I had become a fan of yours from last one year and you wouldn’t believe after that I made a huge money and readers from Online blogging. Thanks a lot Bro 🙂

I originally read this post several weeks ago. We put a content strategy plan together for a client and I thought it would be a good idea to come back and make sure I add a lot of these strategies to it. It is easy to come to Backlinko for strategy ideas because there is always a case study to back it up. Thanks for sharing Brian

Wow! Just Gosh this post really opened my eyes to content marketing in a whole new way. I got some split testing to do Thanks!

Brian.. will this method work if i deal with purely B2B things!! viz. my organization is purely on the tech side.

This is awesome because you actually gave specific, actionable steps that I can take and follow with own business. I read a lot of blogs that are vague and supposedly helpful, but in reality they don’t teach you anything you can actually, specifically DO to see results. Thanks for this! Off to start researching..

Brian, Great article, and super easy to follow along. Question – do you push every single new blog post to your email list, or is that done selectively?

You’re welcome, Aaron. It’s more selective. It depends a lot on the post and topic.

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Viral Marketing Case Study: Stanley’s TikTok Marketing Triumph

Stanley tumbler viral marketing case study.

In a world where social media can turn a single moment into a global conversation, the power of viral content in shaping brand perception is undeniable. The Stanley Tumbler viral moment was seen when a TikTok video by @danimarielttering captured a remarkable event: her car caught fire, and amidst the devastation, a Stanley tumbler emerged unscathed. Showcasing the product’s durability, the surprising survival story set the stage for an exemplary response from Stanley and produced social media brand success. Exploring the strategic nuances of Stanley’s reaction and drawing parallels with the viral Ocean Spray incident, let’s find key lessons for marketing directors and social media managers, serving as a real-life viral marketing case study.

Leveraging Viral Content

Achieving over 3.1 million views, 1.1 million likes, 102,000 comments, and 52,000 shares, the TikTok video by @danimarielttering quickly captured the internet’s attention. Its extraordinary reach is a testament to the power of viral content in today’s digital landscape. Skyrocketing Stanley’s visibility, the incident highlighted the potential of social media as a platform for organic brand promotion. Similarly, the Ocean Spray TikTok case , where a simple video of a man skateboarding and drinking cranberry juice went viral, demonstrates how unplanned moments can become pivotal marketing opportunities. Both cases underscore the importance of being prepared to leverage unexpected opportunities to amplify brand messaging and connect with a broader audience.

@danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle

How to Leverage Viral Marketing Moments

Recognizing the unique opportunity presented by @danimarielttering’s video, they quickly reached out with a gesture that was both generous and astute: offering to replace her car. Going beyond standard corporate communication, this move showcased Stanley’s commitment to customer satisfaction and its product’s reliability. It also highlighted the importance of timely and empathetic responses in today’s fast-paced digital world, where brands are expected to engage with their audience in real time. Enhancing brand reputation and setting a new standard for customer engagement, such responsiveness demonstrates how brands can effectively use digital platforms to connect with audiences and build lasting relationships.

Empathy and Authenticity in Viral Marketing

A masterclass in empathetic and authentic brand messaging was displayed by Stanley’s response to the viral incident. By offering to replace the woman’s car, they not only acknowledged the customer’s ordeal but also reinforced confidence in the product’s durability. Deeply resonating with the audience, this human-centric approach reflected genuine care and empathy, qualities highly valued by consumers. In today’s market, where customers increasingly look for brands that align with their values and demonstrate social responsibility, such gestures of goodwill can significantly enhance brand loyalty and trust. Contrasting with traditional marketing tactics, the approach focuses on building a genuine connection with the audience and showcasing the brand’s values in action.

Leveraging User-Generated Content for Authentic Viral Marketing

Highlighted by the incident is the power of user-generated content as a marketing tool. Stanley’s strategic use of @danimarielttering’s experience to showcase their product’s durability is a prime example of how brands can leverage real customer stories to authenticate its claims. Validating the brand’s messaging and fostering a sense of community and customer involvement, the approach is crucial for building brand loyalty in the digital age. Providing a level of authenticity that cannot be achieved through traditional advertising, user-generated content comes directly from the experiences of real customers. Particularly effective on social media platforms, this form of content is highly valued for its authenticity and relatability.

The Ripple Effect of Viral Marketing

Significantly boosted by the viral incident was Stanley’s brand awareness, showcasing the expansive reach and impact of viral marketing. The surge in engagement following its response not only increased the brand’s visibility but also demonstrated the potential of viral moments to enhance a brand’s market presence. Serving as a powerful tool in the digital marketing arsenal, the ripple effect allows brands to reach new audiences and gain exposure in a way that traditional marketing methods cannot match. Recognizing these opportunities and responding in a way that aligns with the brand’s values and resonates with the audience is key.

Social Media Crisis Management

Stanley’s handling of the situation is a prime example of effective crisis management and opportunity seizure. Turning a potentially negative situation into a positive narrative, it not only mitigated any potential damage but also used the opportunity to reinforce the brand’s image. Agility and creativity in crisis management are highlighted by the strategic response, demonstrating how brands can use unexpected situations. Further engaging with the community, the CEO of Stanley created a stitched response on TikTok, showcasing effective leadership and a commitment to open communication.

@stanleybrand #stitch with @Danielle Stanley has your back ❤️ ♬ original sound – Stanley 1913

Brand Responsiveness in Viral Marketing

Likely to have a lasting impact on Stanley’s marketing strategies is this incident, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and readiness to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities. In a rapidly changing digital landscape, brands must be prepared to pivot strategies in response to viral moments, using them as opportunities to enhance a brand image and connect with an audience in meaningful ways.

Offering invaluable lessons in adaptability, empathy, and strategic social media engagement, the Stanley Tumbler incident, paralleled with the Ocean Spray TikTok phenomenon, highlighting the importance of being prepared to leverage viral moments for brand success. 

Social Media Viral Marketing Response Checklist

• Monitor Social Media Regularly: Stay alert to potential viral moments.
• Act Quickly: Time is of the essence in responding to viral content.
• Show Empathy: Humanize your brand with a compassionate approach.
• Leverage User-Generated Content: Use authentic customer experiences in your messaging.
• Maintain Authenticity: Ensure your response aligns with your brand values.
• Engage Directly: Use social media platforms for direct interaction with your audience.
• Evaluate Impact: Assess the response and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Q: How important is the speed in responding to a viral moment on social media?

A: Speed is crucial. A timely response can capitalize on the moment’s momentum and maximize its impact.

Q: Can any social media viral content be beneficial for a brand?

A: Not all viral content is beneficial. Brands must assess each situation carefully to ensure alignment with their values and public image.

Q: How can small brands leverage social media viral moments?

A: Small brands can leverage viral moments by being agile, authentic, and engaging directly with their audience to build a strong community presence.

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Viral Marketing: Strategies, Insights, Lessons, and Examples from Successful Campaigns

Discover your brand's unique character. Reveal the truth with our free quiz!

Remember the guy on a horse who could bake gourmet cakes in the dream kitchen you always wanted, all while swan-diving off a waterfall?

Ah, the “Old Spice Guy”! A marvelous blend of humor, absurdity, and charisma, this character didn’t just sell deodorant; he sold a wildly amusing experience.

Those commercials didn’t just reach out to those looking for a new scent; they painted a creative, fun mural across TV, social media, and YouTube, captivating audiences with their unpredictable charm.

The outcome? A wave of viral hilarity, birthing a legion of fans who didn’t just watch—they shared, mimicked, and even integrated the quirks into their videos!

Did Old Spice know they were onto a jackpot of viral gold when they came up with the concept? They might have had an inkling, but the explosion of fandom? That’s the unpredictable magic of viral marketing .

What is viral marketing?

Viral marketing is a strategy that encourages people to share a product message across their networks, primarily on social media, creating an organic buzz. It's 'viral' because of how quickly and broadly a message can spread, just like a virus, reaching beyond the intended audience to the general public. It's about sparking conversations and leveraging audience interactions to promote a product or service, making the message resonate so much that people can't help but share it.

Hitting the viral jackpot isn’t about having a foolproof formula. It’s about blending strategy, ingenuity, and a hearty dose of understanding your target audience.

In the last 15+ years, I’ve mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners, helping all kinds of businesses, from the small and mighty to some established players, get their messages out there and make a real impact.

This guide is packed with all those real-world lessons and insights I’ve picked up along the way. Whether you’re just starting or looking to boost your marketing, I’m here to share what I know to help you get your content out there and make it stick with your audience.

Viral Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

• Key takeaways - the benefits of virality

The downsides of viral marketing

Best practices for crafting viral magic, viral marketing campaign examples, key takeaways – the benefits of virality.

What makes letting your content catch the viral fever worth it?

• Explosive exposure. Viral marketing catapults your content into the limelight, exposing it to a broader audience and increasing visibility and reach. The “Ice Bucket Challenge” swept the internet, racking views and sparking global conversation about ALS. Post-it notes became omnipresent through widespread free samples, spotlighting the product in various settings.
• Cost-effective buzz. Viral campaigns create substantial buzz without draining your budget , maximizing ROI. Dollar Shave Club’s offbeat video captured attention, creating a buzz without a mega budget. “Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man” generated attention with minimal cost through roadside visibility.
• Enhanced credibility. When your content goes viral, it earns consumer trust and enhances brand credibility through widespread approval. Wikipedia earned user trust and became a go-to source through viral word-of-mouth recommendations. Tupperware won over consumers with product demonstrations and user testimonials.
• Community building. It fosters a community around your brand, encouraging user interaction and brand loyalty . Reddit’s diverse communities garnered followers, fostering a sense of belonging and interaction. Local book clubs have nurtured offline communal spaces for literary discussions.
• Increased lead generation. Viral content attracts potential customers, generating leads and conversions. Dropbox’s referral feature sparked widespread sharing, attracting many new users. Word-of-mouth referral programs at local gyms have drawn in new members through community buzz.
• Boosted sales. The heightened exposure and engagement drive sales upwards, impacting the bottom line positively. The Instant Pot became a household name through online chatter, leading to a surge in sales on platforms like Amazon. The annual return of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte has consistently spiked sales, courtesy of its offline and online buzz.
• Heightened brand awareness. Viral campaigns engrain your brand in the consumer’s mind, enhancing brand recall and recognition . Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign bolstered its brand image and increased visibility. Burger King’s “Have it your way” campaign resonated with consumers, reinforcing brand identity.
• SEO perks. The backlinks and mentions from viral content can boost your SEO rankings , improving online visibility. Viral “How to Tie a Tie” content enabled fashion blogs to climb SEO rankings through increased backlinks. High demand and word-of-mouth for local restaurants can influence their search engine standings locally.
• Customer engagement boost. Interactive and engaging viral content keeps the consumers hooked, fostering a stronger connection with the brand. Old Spice’s interactive video campaign spurred conversations and interactions, deepening customer relations. McDonald’s interactive billboards have engaged passersby, making the brand more relatable and accessible.
• Market insight gains. The widespread use and feedback from viral content offer valuable insights into market trends and consumer preferences. The extensive utilization of Google Forms and its alternatives has allowed companies to gather rich market insights. The responses from sampling campaigns at Costco have provided insights into consumer preferences and product performance.

We’ve all seen our fair share of viral hits and misses. While going viral can be a game-changer, it’s not always a walk in the park. A few bumps and pitfalls can make the journey a bit tricky. Here are some of those hiccups you might run into:

• Unpredictability. You can put in all the work and whip up a killer campaign, but there’s no guarantee it’ll catch fire. It’s like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Have you ever heard of a company betting on a flashy ad only to get a few likes and shares (or the wrong type of publicity)? This happens more often than you think!
• Negative buzz. Sometimes, campaigns grab attention for all the wrong reasons. A misstep can have people talking, but not in a good way. An online ad might spark controversy and get folks heated on X (Twitter). That’s a lot of damage control to do.
• Brand dilution. When your content spreads like wildfire, you lose a bit of control. Your message might get twisted, and your brand might lose its essence. A catchy slogan gets memeified; before you know it, it’s no longer about your brand.
• Resource intensive. Creating content that stands out takes time, effort, and serious creativity. And even then, it’s a gamble. That super cool video that took ages to make? It might just blend into the background noise of the internet.
• Short-lived impact. Going viral can be a flash in the pan. Today’s hot topic is tomorrow’s old news. A trending hashtag can have everyone buzzing one day and be forgotten the next.
• High expectations. Once you go viral, people expect more hits. Keeping that momentum can be a tough act to follow. After a smashing success, your next big thing might not hit as hard, and fans might be left wanting.
• Audience misalignment. Sometimes, the folks loving and sharing your content aren’t the ones you’re trying to reach. Getting a million shares is cool, but not if it’s not reaching the folks who’ll buy what you’re selling. This scenario is typical for B2B businesses dabbling in viral TikTok videos .
• Privacy concerns. In the bid to go viral, there’s a risk of overstepping boundaries and getting into hot water over data and privacy issues. An app that asks for too much personal info can quickly turn from a hit to a privacy nightmare.*
• ROI uncertainty. It’s hard to predict if all the buzz will translate to dollars and cents. Many likes and shares feel good but don’t always mean more sales.
• Overemphasis on quantity. The race for likes and shares can sometimes make quality take a backseat. Chasing trends might get attention, but it might not be the kind of attention that’s good for your brand in the long run.

It’s not about luck but connecting, resonating, and striking the right chords, much like Mr. Beast does with his philanthropic stunts on YouTube. Let’s dissect some practices that can infuse your campaigns with that viral spark.

1. Know your target audience inside out

To make a campaign stick, you’ve got to understand the heartbeats and mindsets of your target audience . It’s about creating content that echoes their values, aspirations, and emotions.

When launching crowdspring, we considered releasing a quirky potato launcher video (a student film crew created it). It had the makings of a fun, share-worthy piece. But, a closer look at our strategy revealed a mismatch. Success in virality could mean drawing in a crowd of creatives, a vibrant bunch, but not our primary target of business owners.

Netflix does a stellar job creating tailor-made trailers based on viewing habits, resonating with individual viewers, and making them share-worthy!

Many offline businesses create viral sensations, too. Think about those local cafes with witty, relatable chalkboard signs out front, creating a buzz and drawing crowds.

2. Leverage strong visuals that speak

A picture is worth a thousand shares! Strong visuals narrate your story, captivate the audience, and serve as bait for the eyes.

Instagram’s success is built on visually enticing content, making every post a potential viral hit. Innovative billboards with eye-catching imagery can turn heads and become the talk of the town, enhancing brand recall.

3. Creativity is king

An out-of-the-box, original idea is the backbone of a viral campaign. It should leave an imprint and be the conversation starter.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was groundbreaking, turning a simple idea into a global phenomenon. Red Bull’s Stratos jump was a masterstroke in creative marketing, skydiving from the stratosphere and leaving the world in awe.

4. Emotional connections are essential

Emotional hooks make campaigns memorable . The goal is to evoke feelings, leading to a cascade of shares. Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches Campaign struck chords by addressing self-esteem issues, sparking worldwide conversations. Charity events that tug at heartstrings, leveraging emotional stories to gain support and spread awareness, are stellar examples.

5. Optimize for shareability

A campaign’s reach is amplified when it’s share-friendly. Embedding sharing options and leveraging influencers can catapult your content into the viral sphere. Memes are inherently shareable, transforming simple ideas into viral sensations through platforms like Reddit and Twitter. Word-of-mouth is the oldest form of shareable content. A remarkable customer service story can spread like wildfire, drawing customers in.

6. Timing is everything

Releasing content when your audience is most active can be the difference between a hit and a miss. Aligning with major events or holidays can amplify your reach. Tweeting during high-profile events like the Oscars can see engagement soar; just ask Oreo and their blackout tweet! Launching a new product around Black Friday can capitalize on the shopping frenzy, creating buzz and boosting sales.

Crafting a viral campaign isn’t about throwing content into the wind and hoping it flies; it’s about precision, resonance, and marketing magic. Whether it’s an infectious meme or a heartfelt offline event, understanding your audience, being visually compelling, staying original, hitting emotional cords, ensuring shareability, and timing it right are the ingredients for viral success.

Let’s look at some of the most popular viral marketing campaigns and what small businesses can learn from each:

Old Spice: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

Old Spice needed to redefine its brand image and appeal to a new demographic, women, who often purchase men’s hygiene products. They created humorous, over-the-top ads featuring “The Old Spice Man,” addressing women directly.

This campaign went viral due to its humorous, unexpected approach and direct engagement with a new demographic, demonstrating the effectiveness of humor and direct engagement in viral marketing.

Insights for small businesses and startups:

• Identifying and addressing your actual buyer, even if indirectly related to the end user, can enhance the campaign’s impact.
• Humor and creativity stand out and can significantly increase brand recall and recognition.

Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

Popeyes aimed to advertise its new chicken sandwich in 2019 in a market dominated by competitors like Chick-fil-A. It cleverly engaged in online discussions and humorous debates comparing its sandwich to others. This smart utilization of user-generated content and online buzz allowed Popeyes to become a major contender in the fast-food industry. It became viral because it tapped into existing debates with humor and engaged directly with consumers, creating anticipation and scarcity around the product.

• Aligning your product launch with current discussions and debates can give it more visibility.
• Humorous and timely responses can help maintain engagement and keep the discussion alive, which benefits online and offline businesses.

Blendtec’s “Will it Blend?”

Blendtec faced the challenge of showcasing the power of their blenders engagingly. They initiated the “Will it Blend?” series, blending unconventional objects like smartphones and marbles. This solution provided proof of the blender’s capability while entertaining viewers. The unique and amusing content naturally encouraged sharing, making the series a viral sensation.

• Demonstrating product capability uniquely and entertainingly can drive engagement and sales.
• Regularly releasing content keeps the audience engaged and coming back for more.

Spotify Wrapped

Spotify’s challenge was maintaining user engagement and promoting the app during year-end when multiple platforms released year-end reviews. Spotify Wrapped gives users a personalized overview of their listening habits, becoming an annual event users eagerly anticipate and share. The campaign’s success hinges on its personalization and the user’s desire to share their music tastes, creating a surge in app downloads and interactions, thereby cementing its virality.

• Personalization is key in engaging your audience; it gives them something unique to share.
• Regularly updating your content keeps your audience anticipating and engaged, ensuring consistent interaction with the brand.

Nike “Just Do It” with Colin Kaepernick

Nike embraced the challenge of societal issues and racial injustice by featuring Colin Kaepernick in their “Just Do It” campaign. Kaepernick was a polarizing figure due to his kneeling protests during the national anthem at NFL games. This campaign sparked discussions about racial inequality and rights, becoming viral as it took a stand on prevailing societal issues and resonated with people’s sentiments and beliefs.

• Taking a stand on societal and cultural issues can drive discussions and visibility.
• Aligning brand values with the campaign message can enhance brand image and loyalty.

Old Town Road by Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X sought to jump-start his music career in a saturated market. He strategically released catchy snippets of “Old Town Road,” creating anticipation and buzz around the full song. The combination of a catchy, meme-able song, with strategic, anticipatory releases and ensuing debates about music genres, made the song and Lil Nas X immensely popular, illustrating how anticipation and uniqueness can drive virality.

• A unique and catchy product (or content) appeals to a broad audience and sparks discussions.
• Leveraging controversy can keep the conversation going and maintain visibility for your brand.

Always “#LikeAGirl”

Always aimed to address and change the negative connotation of the phrase “like a girl.” They created a video showing different interpretations of the phrase “like a girl” and highlighting the strength and confidence of young girls. The campaign’s impactful message and challenge to societal norms resonated with many. They sparked discussions about gender stereotypes, demonstrating the power of addressing societal issues and redefining derogatory phrases in creating viral content.

• Addressing societal norms and stereotypes can resonate with a wider audience, driving conversations.
• Hashtags can be powerful tools in maintaining and tracking engagement and discussions around the campaign.

#eyeslipsface Challenge by e.l.f. Cosmetics

e.l.f. Cosmetics’ goal was to create brand awareness on a platform dominated by various trends, TikTok. They leveraged a branded song and encouraged users to post makeup videos with the hashtag #eyeslipsface. Combining a catchy song with user-generated content led to immense brand visibility, showcasing the importance of leveraging platform-specific trends and user participation in creating viral campaigns.

• Creating shareable, relatable content can rapidly enhance brand visibility and interaction.
• Engaging with popular trends and platforms can help reach a younger and wider audience .

ALS: “Ice Bucket Challenge”

The ALS Association aimed to raise awareness and funds for ALS research. The Ice Bucket Challenge involved pouring ice-cold water over one’s head and nominating others to do the same. This campaign’s success was driven by its participatory, challenge-based nature, celebrity involvement, and representation of a larger cause, showcasing how combining entertainment with cause advocacy can lead to widespread engagement and awareness.

• Campaigns that are enjoyable and make participants feel part of a bigger cause can have a lasting impact.
• Social media challenges can exponentially increase visibility and engagement.

Dove “Real Beauty Sketches”

The challenge for Dove was to highlight women’s real beauty in a world obsessed with unrealistic beauty standards. Dove used a forensic artist to draw women as they described themselves and then as strangers described them. The contrast showed how women harshly view themselves compared to others. This campaign became viral because it addressed universal insecurities and encouraged a conversation about self-esteem and body image, making it highly relatable and shareable.

• Emotional and relatable content can drive more shares and discussions.
• Addressing real-world issues and insecurities can establish a deeper connection with the audience.

Mr. Beast’s YouTube Campaigns

Mr. Beast, a YouTuber, is known for his philanthropy and extravagant stunts. The challenge was to create content that stood out in the oversaturated YouTube environment. Mr. Beast combined philanthropy with entertaining content, like giving thousands of dollars to unsuspecting individuals. These campaigns went viral due to their shock value, heartwarming reactions, and genuine display of kindness, prompting shares and discussions across platforms.

• Philanthropy and giving back resonate well with audiences, creating a positive brand image.
• Consistency in content and engagement is key to building and maintaining a dedicated audience base.

Grasshopper’s Chocolate Covered Grasshoppers

In an unorthodox and unforgettable manner, Grasshopper, a provider of virtual phone systems , leveraged an unusual product to create buzz – chocolate-covered grasshoppers. Grasshopper needed a way to bring attention to its services and to differentiate itself from competitors. It wanted not only to reach potential customers but also to create a buzz and get people talking.

Grasshopper sent boxes of chocolate-covered grasshoppers to influential entrepreneurs. This wasn’t just a random snack choice but a symbolic gesture aligning with their brand name and reinforcing their image. This gift’s bizarre and unconventional nature meant recipients were likely to share their experience online, adding to the campaign’s virality.

This campaign tapped into the human love for the peculiar and unexpected. People were intrigued and amused by the idea of receiving such an unconventional gift, prompting conversations across social media platforms and beyond. The alignment of the gift with the brand name made it memorable and helped to cement Grasshopper’s image in the minds of the recipients and their audiences.

• Use marketing strategies that align with your brand identity. Even an unconventional approach can yield positive results when it is consistent with your brand image and message.
• Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes, unconventional and surprising brand strategies can capture attention more effectively than traditional methods, encouraging sharing and discussions to increase brand visibility and engagement.

Coca-Cola “Share a Coke”

Coca-Cola wanted to create a more personalized experience for their consumers. They introduced the “Share a Coke” campaign, featuring names on Coke bottles. The personal touch encouraged people to find bottles with their names or friends’ names and share pictures online, making it viral. It catered to the human instinct of personal connection and recognition, inducing widespread engagement and interaction.

• Personalization and customization make the content more shareable and relatable.
• Involving the audience in your campaign encourages more interaction and engagement.

GoPro User-Generated Content

GoPro aimed to showcase the versatility and quality of their cameras. They encouraged users to share their adventures captured on GoPro. The authenticity and variety of user-generated content demonstrated the product’s value and created a sense of community among users. This approach made the content relatable and shareable, allowing GoPro to reach wider audiences organically.

• User-generated content provides authenticity and relatability.
• Encouraging users to share their experiences enhances brand loyalty and reach.

Toms “One for One”

Toms wanted to make an impact and also create a sustainable business model. They introduced the “One for One” model, donating a pair of shoes for every pair purchased. This clear, charitable mission appealed to consumers’ altruistic side, creating a buzz as it blended consumerism with philanthropy, making people feel good about their purchases and promoting widespread sharing and advocacy.

• A strong, charitable mission can drive purchases and brand loyalty.
• Clear and concise messaging helps in better understanding and recall of the campaign.

Airbnb “Live There” Campaign

Airbnb aimed to distinguish itself from conventional travel options. The “Live There” campaign encouraged users to experience destinations as locals rather than tourists. User-shared experiences and the promise of authentic travel made the campaign relatable and attractive. The concept became viral as it resonated with the evolving travel preferences of experiencing rather than observing, thus creating a ripple effect of sharing and discussions.

• Encouraging users to share their unique experiences can drive brand engagement and trust .
• Showcasing diversity and inclusivity can appeal to a broader audience and drive brand values.

Achieving viral success is more art than science, with no one-size-fits-all formula. Looking at past successes can offer useful clues, but at its heart, going viral is about making a genuine connection with your audience. It’s about creating content that speaks to people on a personal level, making them eager to share. So, focus on crafting content that resonates, engages, and excites, and who knows? Your brand might just be the next big talk of the town!

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Viral Video Campaigns: 7 Fantastic Case Studies to Learn From

Although ‘it’s gone viral ’ is a line that every marketing team longs to hear in their office, it’s not a common occurrence.

Stats from Stanford University suggest that only one per cent of all online content goes viral.

Fortunately:

Research shows you’ve got a better chance of going viral if you deliver your content in video form.

Not all videos are made equal.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the most sensational viral video campaigns of both the past and present to see what the secret sauce to their success might be.

A bit of background.

Viral campaign marketing in a nutshell

So what counts as a viral video campaign?

The jury is actually still out on that one.

In an analysis of dozens of different opinions and studies , Forbes writer Robert Wynne concluded:

“If your friend in the next cubicle posts a video on YouTube and it spreads to 100,000 people in four hours, that’s probably viral.”

The advantages and disadvantages of viral marketing

We’ll keep this brief:

Advantages of viral marketing

• A better bottom line – after the Greggs video mentioned below was released, the company’s shares hit an all time high and annual sales broke the billion pound barrier for the first time
• Exposure to new demographics and audiences
• Better brand loyalty – because sharing videos is an interactive activity, so it helps potential customers feel more connected to the brand.

Disadvantages of viral marketing

• Lack of control: once a video goes viral, the brand that made it has no control over how people respond to it and has no power to retract it if the message is received the wrong way
• Effort: because there’s no silver bullet when it comes to trying to get a video to go viral, marketing departments can end up putting a lot of effort in for little return

7 sensational viral video campaigns you can learn from

One of the top viral marketing campaigns of 2019 has to be the video in which Greggs introduced its new vegan sausage roll to the world.

The film parodied the revelatory techy tone of an iPhone commercial and it garnered five million views on social media within 10 days of its launch.

What exactly did this video do right?

It was short. Lasting just 37 seconds, it was a quick watch, freeing up viewers’ time to go on to share it.

It was humorous. A study by The New York Times Insight Group found that one of the main reasons people share content online is to enlighten and entertain valued people . And humour is always enlightening and entertaining.

At the end of 2017, a CarMax video clocked up more than 400,000 views on YouTube alone.

How did they do it?

They embraced social listening and humour.

Before the video was made, CarMax had seen another video made by a filmmaker in order to sell his girlfriend’s beaten-up Honda Accord.

In CarMax’s own video, it made the film maker a market-price offer for the car and then continued to offer him money for other things featured in the video such as an old mug, a coffee machine and his girlfriend’s threadbare jumper.

The overall value of the offer?

Range Rover

Range Rover’s Evoque Speedbump Stunt video was named the viral video of 2018.

Here’s the deal:

For filming, the Range Rover team set up a huge speed bump in the middle of a South London street and they filmed the reactions of real-life motorists who encountered the bump.

At the end of the video, the footage revealed how a Range Rover could get over the bump when no other car could. The secret ingredient to Range Rover’s success?

The filmmakers didn’t follow the traditional storytelling arc that begins with rising tension and a climax and ends in a resolution.

The production crew used the emerging story arc, starting the video with suspense and maintaining that suspense through to the end.

Although Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches video was created way back in 2013, it’s still listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most viewed video ad of all time .

It’s been watched more than 124 million times in more than 110 countries around the world.

Well, in addition to the emotional aspect, the makers of this video had a support plan.

The company used PR strategies to ensure the video was picked up by key media channels such as Mashable, Huffington Post and the Today Show before it released the video to the world.

Love is a Gift

At Christmas 2018, a video called Love is a Gift by filmmaker Phil Beastall attracted six million Facebook views in a matter of days.

The footage showed a man listening to the final tape in a series of cassettes that his deceased mum had left for him to open every Christmas Day after she died.

Some viewers said the video was better than that year’s John Lewis advert and called for the department store to hire Beastall to create the brand’s 2019 video.

The bottom line?

What this video did perfectly was tap into viewers’ emotions.

In his book Contagious: Why Things Catch on John Berger explained that the most sharable content tended to evoke strong emotions in viewers.

Made for just £50, the film shows that viral video production doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Dumb Ways to Die

The animated Dumb Ways to Die video is the world’s most shared public service announcement and it’s a great example of how viral marketing campaign videos don’t need to feature real world locations or actors.

Made for Melbourne Trains the video, which showed animated characters dying in dumb ways, racked up 50 million views on YouTube and was retweeted more than 100,000 times on twitter.

In addition to featuring humour, the video succeeded thanks to a catchy music soundtrack that charted on iTunes in 28 countries.

In early 2018 The Sun ran the headline:

‘Nike’s advert ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ hailed as one of the best ever made.’.

The three-minute video starred celebrities from sport and music alongside London youths who were trying to make it big in certain sporting fields.

A lot of money was ploughed into the making of this video.

That’s not the only reason it succeeded.

In addition:

It featured humour – the producers cast Gareth Southgate as God – and it included a strong emotional element – showcasing stories of young Londoners fighting to fulfil their dreams.

Making a piece of marketing content that goes viral is no small order.

Video tends to be more sharable and therefore more likely to go viral than other forms of content.

The world’s most successful viral video campaigns do have a few things in common. They all:

• Feature humour
• Milk the zeitgeist or are topical
• Include an emotional element
• Tell a story
• Often feature a memorable soundtrack

Despite the fact that some brands ensure their videos go viral by enlisting major celebrities, the success of videos made for as little as £50 shows they don’t have to blow a business’ budget.

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Examining successful viral marketing campaigns: A case study

23 January 2024 - Marketing Tools

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Examining Successful Viral Marketing Campaigns: A Case Study

Viral marketing has become a phenomenon in the digital age, catapulting brands into the spotlight with unprecedented speed. In this case study, we’ll explore several successful viral marketing campaigns, unraveling the strategies that led to their triumph. Additionally, we’ll delve into the world of SaaS (Software as a Service) products that played a pivotal role in shaping and executing these campaigns.

Unveiling Viral Triumphs: A Case Study

1. blendtec’s “will it blend”.

Blendtec’s “Will It Blend?” series took the internet by storm, showcasing the power of their blenders by blending unexpected items like iPhones and golf balls. The success lay in the unexpectedness and the engaging content, propelling Blendtec into the limelight.

2. Dollar Shave Club’s Debut Video

Dollar Shave Club disrupted the razor industry with a witty, low-budget video that went viral. The clever script, charismatic founder, and a subscription model that resonated with viewers contributed to its success.

3. Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

Old Spice revitalized its brand with a humorous and visually stunning ad campaign featuring the “Old Spice Guy.” The campaign not only went viral but also significantly boosted sales, showcasing the impact of a well-executed viral strategy.

4. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

While not a traditional marketing campaign, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge spread like wildfire, raising awareness and funds for ALS research. Its success was fueled by user-generated content and the ability to connect a social cause with engaging challenges.

5. Squatty Potty’s “This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop”

Squatty Potty utilized humor and a unique concept—a pooping unicorn—to showcase the benefits of their product. The quirky and memorable campaign resonated with audiences, earning widespread attention.

The SaaS Tools Behind Viral Triumphs

Successful viral campaigns often leverage SaaS tools to streamline processes, analyze data, and enhance creativity. Let’s explore some SaaS products that could empower your viral marketing endeavors:

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite allows seamless social media management, enabling marketers to schedule posts, track engagement, and monitor brand mentions across various platforms.

Canva simplifies graphic design, helping marketers create visually appealing content for their campaigns without the need for extensive design skills.

3. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo aids in content discovery by analyzing popular topics and trends. Marketers can identify viral content in their niche and tailor their strategies accordingly.

4. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a robust email marketing platform that facilitates communication with your audience. Successful viral campaigns often include strategic email marketing to maintain engagement.

5. Google Analytics

Understanding campaign performance is crucial. Google Analytics provides in-depth insights into website traffic, user behavior, and the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Strategies Unveiled

Analyzing successful viral marketing campaigns unveils valuable insights into audience psychology and effective marketing strategies. Leveraging SaaS tools enhances the planning and execution of such campaigns, ensuring a more efficient and targeted approach.

Empowering Your Viral Journey with Subscribed.FYI

For marketers seeking to optimize their SaaS stack, Subscribed.FYI is your ally. Sign up for free today and explore exclusive Subscribed.FYI Deals , unlocking savings on 100+ SaaS tools. Propel your marketing endeavors with tools that align seamlessly with your strategy.

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Viral Marketing Case Studies: What Made These 5 Campaigns Successful and How You Can Apply the Same Ingredients to Your Marketing Strategy

Viral marketing is a strategy that uses social media, email, and other online platforms to spread a message or promote a product, service, or idea. The goal is to create content that people want to share with others, resulting in exponential growth in reach and engagement. In this article, we will examine five case studies that exemplify viral marketing campaigns, analysing what made them successful and what lessons we can learn from them. Often misunderstood, viral marketing at its core is a social interaction and engagement between a brand and its audiences –intended or unintended.

In India, many brands engage in what we refer to as moment marketing, or responding to a particular moment or trend with content that’s on-brand, i.e. ties in with the brand’s positioning, or communication style. 

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a fundraising campaign that went viral in the summer of 2014. Participants were challenged to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads and donate to the ALS Association, a nonprofit that funds research and support for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The campaign was successful because it tapped into people’s desire to do something fun, silly, and for a good cause. Participants were encouraged to challenge others, creating a sense of friendly competition and social pressure to participate. Celebrities and public figures also got involved, amplifying the message and creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) among their followers.

Dove Real Beauty Sketches

The Dove Real Beauty Sketches campaign was launched in 2013 with the goal of redefining beauty standards and promoting self-esteem among women. The campaign featured a forensic sketch artist who drew portraits of women based on their own descriptions and then based on descriptions given by others who met them briefly.

The campaign was successful because it tapped into people’s emotions and desire for self-improvement. It resonated with women of all ages and backgrounds who had experienced self-doubt and negative body image. The campaign also leveraged social media and earned media, with the video going viral and being featured on major news outlets.

Dollar Shave Club

The Dollar Shave Club was launched in 2012 with the goal of disrupting the razor market dominated by major brands like Gillette and Schick. The company offered a subscription service that delivered high-quality razors and other grooming products to customers’ doors for a fraction of the cost 

The founder, Michael Dubin, starred in a video that went viral, showcasing the company’s quirky personality and value proposition. By using humour, the company was able to showcase its offering and connect with audiences that were accustomed to big brands selling razors on the merits of manliness, and other selling points. Refreshing as a take, the campaign also leveraged social media and influencer marketing to reach a wider audience.

Oreo’s Lights Out Super Bowl

During the 2013 Super Bowl, there was a power outage that caused a delay in the game. Oreo seized the opportunity and tweeted a picture of an Oreo cookie in the dark with the caption “You can still dunk in the dark.”

The campaign was successful because it was timely, relevant, and clever. It demonstrated the brand’s quick thinking and agility in response to unexpected events. The tweet went viral and was retweeted over 10,000 times, earning the brand significant media attention and brand awareness.

Back in February 2015, there was a viral image on social media that caused a lot of buzz. The image was a picture of a dress that people couldn't agree on the colour of – some saw it as blue and black, while others saw it as white and gold. This caused confusion and curiosity, and the phenomenon quickly spread. The viral sensation generated millions of views and thousands of tweets from people all over the world who wanted to weigh in on the colour debate. Interestingly, some brands even took advantage of the situation to join the conversation and use the viral moment to their own advantage. Overall, the dress picture was a simple but highly effective way to generate a lot of engagement and get people talking. It just goes to show how powerful viral marketing can be when something as basic as a dress can create a global sensation.

While there was no brand associated with it, many brands used this as an opportunity to jump into the conversation and leverage the conversation to piggyback on the subject. 

What makes these 5 case studies universal benchmarks of success?

These five case studies are benchmarks of success due to reach, engagement, and brand awareness they generated through these campaigns. They tap into people’s emotions, desires, and values, creating content that people want to share with. Many well-known brands tapped into these moments and essentially established themselves into a moment of pop culture that is immutable. Social shareability, conversation building and simplicity of the idea is what drives virality of the campaign. 

Is there a measure for viral marketing campaigns? 

The single best measure for a marketing campaign’s effectiveness off social media [apart from the mentions, hashtags impressions, and reach of the content] is the direct, and organic traffic spike you might see on your website, or app. One such example was when WhatsApp was faced with rumours of privacy issues, the new platform Signal was inundated with traffic. This started on Twitter, but soon the surge crashed the servers till the small team was able to add extra traffic. This surge is never a delta but in fact a seismic shift in the brand’s perception. Thanks to the earned media, any brand that is able to leverage viral marketing gains more in organic SEO, domain ranks, page links and much more as a result of one possible campaign. 

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Viral Video Marketing: Top 10 B2C & B2B Case Studies

• 18 January 2023
• | Case Study , Content Marketing
• | Nicolas Lekkas

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Every viral video has a lesson to teach. Each one of the videos below has one or more elements that helped it make an impression, stand out, and go viral.

So here they are: our favorite viral video marketing campaigns, beginning with the top B2C case studies and then moving on to B2B.

1. Dollar Shave Club – Our Blades Are F***ing Great

The now-famous Dollar Shave Club (DSC) was a “club” that no one had heard of before the release of the video. But that changed quickly. In the first 48 hours of the release, the DSC took 12.000 orders. At one point, the company’s server crashed due to the huge amount of traffic.

DSC’s video, has first and foremost, originality. It’s original both in its humor and its overall aesthetic. This didn’t happen by mistake, as DCS’s founder Michael Dubin had a 10-year long experience in improv comedy before taking a shot at business. And, almost 10 years later, the ad has aged pretty well.

It’s also important to remember that DSC’s ultimate success didn’t lie only in its viral video marketing campaign.  This was only the beginning. DSC had created a highly converting growth marketing funnel . From the Awareness stage with its viral video to a highly-converting landing page, to its Retention strategy, DSC made all the right moves to become a successful brand in a market where only big multinationals would dare to compete.

2. Sakeru Gummy vs. Long Sakeru Gummy (Long Long Man)

Although not as popular as most of the other viral video marketing ads on this list, this one is a personal favorite. If you have no previous experience with Japanese commercials, hopefully, this one will be your ‘getway ad’ to the Japanese ads world .

Back to our video, Long Long Man is an 11-part series created in 2017. It tells the story of a couple that loves Sakeru Gummy, a Japanese gum, but there is a conflict with a mysterious man who enjoys the longer version of the same candy. This longer version was what the company wanted to popularize in the first place. Over-the-top, unpredictable, memorable, the series managed to achieve its purpose: to create a more mature image for the gum in order to counteract its previous childish image.   

After its release, the commercial series won a number of important awards, including a Silver Lion at the 2018 Cannes, and the Bronze Award at the 2019 AdFest.

3. Old Spice – The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Old Spice is one of the true classics. It just can’t be left out of any viral video marketing discussion. Do you remember the Dollar Shave Club in position #1? Well, it’s very possible that it took some cues from this classic.

The video ad itself brought something new. In contrast to the familiar fast-paced commercial editing that involves a cut every few seconds, Old Spice decided to take a different approach: the long take. A continuous 30-second shot, albeit with more action than a Hollywood action movie. And it was a success.

In addition to its virality, Old Spice was awarded a Gold Cannes Lion for Creative Effectiveness for this particular ad. And, a few years later, it was awarded another one for “Smellcome to Manhood” a few years later.

4. PooPourri – Girls Don’t Poop

‘Girls Don’t Poop’ by PooPouri explores a taboo topic: pooping – and the way to make it less unpleasant. To disarm such a taboo topic, the minds behind the toilet spray used the best tactic one can use in these situations: humor.

The cute redhead protagonist in pearls and an electric blue dress shares her little bathroom secret. To achieve getting the message across, the video uses effectively contrasting visuals, irony, and a sh*tload of puns.

In the year it was released, 2013, the video was the #5 most-viewed ad of the year from an unending number of different ads on Youtube . As of today, more than 40 million people have watched ‘Girl’s Don’t Poop’ and most of them loved it.

5. Dove – Real Beauty Sketches

Real Beauty Sketches is part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty , the campaign which is also responsible for Dove – Evolution . In this ad, which has the form of a short film, Dove explores the contradiction between how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. The purpose of the video has the same purpose as every Campaign for Real Beauty: to build self-confidence in women and young girls.

The insight of this viral video marketing ad was inspired by the statistic that only 4% of women describe themselves as beautiful, according to market research. What’s more, around 54% of them believe that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic.

Just one month after its release, the video ad had garnered more than 114 million total views (25 different languages, 33 Dove YouTube channels), making it the most viral ad video of all time.

6. Always – Like a Girl (#likeagirl)

‘Like a Girl’ by Always, the popular P&G brand, pondered a certain question “When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become an insult?” . To demonstrate the answer to this question, Always hold a fake casting call, a form of social experiment, where girls and young women, boys and young men would answer this question themselves.

In conclusion, to ‘fight like a girl’ or to ‘run like a girl’ was an insulting phrase for every group but the girls themselves. According to the girls, to do these things ‘like a girl’, means giving everything you’ve got because that’s what they do, as girls.

Some of the results that Always shared and the impact of the campaign include:

• Twitter followers tripled in the first three months
• YouTube Channel subscribers grew by 4,339%
• 70% of women and 60% of men claimed that “The video changed my perception of the phrase ‘like a girl”

7. Volvo Trucks – The Epic Split feat. Van Damme

A Swedish automotive manufacturer hires a Belgian martial artist actor for a B2B commercial for trucks. And together they conquer the internet. Volvo Trucks ad is the proof that there is no recipe when it comes to viral video marketing.

In less than 10 days, the video, known as “The Epic Split”, reached 40 million views. And the song playing in the video, “Only Time” re-entered the Billboard Top 100, 13 years after its original release.

This video marketing campaign was a financial success as well. The production of the campaign cost $3–4 million and generated $170 million in revenue for Volvo in a single year, according to a Swedish source .

8. Range Rover Evoque Stunt – Speed Bump

Coming out a few years after Volvo’s Epic Split viral video, Range Rover’s ‘Speed Bump’ video never became as popular as Volvo’s but it was a huge success nonetheless.  For the needs of the ad, Range Rover set up a humongous speed bump in the middle of a street in South London. Then, they let the cameras roll to film the reactions of everyone encountering the bump; from car drivers to bicyclists to pedestrians. As you can imagine, most of them were surprised and some of them were a little annoyed – and rightfully so.

“ Every driver hates speed bumps. So what better way to demonstrate the capability of our most city-focused vehicle, the Range Rover Evoque, than to pit it against the biggest speed bump anyone has ever seen?” said the CCO of the agency behind the video ad.

The ad builds suspense for the entirety of the video until a Range Rover Evoque rises to the occasion and rides the bump.

9. Metro Trains Melbourne – Dumb Ways to Die

There is no shame in admitting that public service announcements are the epitome of dull.  And Metro Trains from Melbourne knew that well enough to try to change that. Enter Dumb Ways to Die.

Dumb Ways to Die is a music video with cute animation and a catchy tune where fantastic creatures tell their little stories about a dumb way they died. From sticking a fork to a toaster and getting electrocuted to dressing up like a moose in hunting season and getting shot. In the last verse of the track, some of the dumbest ways to die are related to trains and the video ends with the message to be safe around trains, which was the purpose of the video along. All of that, of course, is delivered in a comedic manner and a light-hearted approach.

Besides its massive virality as a video, Dumb Ways to Die managed to chart on iTunes in almost 30 countries.

10. IBM – A Boy And His Atom: The World’s Smallest Movie

Yet another brilliant B2B viral video marketing campaign. IBM Research wanted to advertise its data storage services and explore the limits of data storage through the movement of atoms. The movie was made by moving actual atoms – frame by frame. It’s also the movie as The World’s Smallest Stop-Motion Film ever made, as certified by Guinness World Records.

The ability to move single atoms is crucial to the company’s research in the field of atomic memory and IBM showcased how good it is at it. To make this stop-motion animated film possible, the IBM team and its researchers had to move thousands of carbon monoxide molecules (two atoms stacked on top of each other), one at a time. To achieve that, they used a scanning tunneling microscope, a device that can zoom in 100 million times.

If this particular video ad piqued your interest, you can watch this short behind-the-scenes documentary about how they made this movie, and learn more about their research.

Viral Video Marketing – Conclusion

Like we said at the beginning, there is no recipe for making a video ad viral. You can’t wake up one morning and say “Today I’m going to create a video ad that will go viral”.

However, most viral video ads share a few characteristics; most of them do at least one of the below:

• Trigger strong positive or negative emotions
• Make you sympathize with the protagonist/ their situation
• Make you realize something about yourself/ your reality
• Have a ‘wow factor’
• Tell a story

I write for GrowthRocks , one of the top growth hacking agencies . For some mysterious reason, I write on the internet yet I’m not a vegan, I don’t do yoga and I don’t drink smoothies.

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What is Viral Marketing, and Why Does it Matter?

Viral marketing refers to marketing techniques that seek to spread information about a product or service from person to person as a virus spreads from one host to another. It leverages the power of social media, email, and other digital channels to achieve exponential reach and exposure.

As people increasingly rely on technology and online networks for information, viral marketing has emerged as one of the most potent, cost-effective strategies for brands looking to supercharge their growth. This guide will explore what makes viral marketing campaigns tick, spotlighting some of the most spellbinding examples while unpacking the psychology underpinning their success.

Table of Contents

The Anatomy of Virality: Key Ingredients for Potent Campaigns

Viral marketing campaigns succeed when they incorporate specific emotional and psychological triggers that motivate people to engage and share with their networks. These include:

• Surprise/unexpectedness: Content that subverts expectations piques curiosity and interest
• Positivity: Feel-good, uplifting messages resonate more widely.
• Humour: Laughter transcends barriers and makes ideas stick
• Controversy: Ideas that stir debate tend to spread as people take sides
• Utility: Useful, practical content drives shares by providing value
• Emotion: Stories that make people  feel  inspired engagement
• Social currency: Content seen as conveying status often goes viral

Skilfully incorporating these ingredients can spur ordinary people into unpaid brand ambassadors as they eagerly share posts that make them look intelligent, in-the-know or generous to their peers.

Key Virality Triggers

• Surprise/unexpectedness 
• Controversy
• Social currency

But viral success doesn't happen by chance. Brands increase their odds by strategically seeding content to amplify and direct the spread.

Seeding for Scale: How to Strategically Kickstart the Viral Process

Releasing a viral marketing campaign into the digital wilderness without a distribution plan is like throwing a party without sending the invites. For campaigns to explode, brands must proactively seed content within relevant networks. This stimulates the sharing momentum and word-of-mouth buzz vital for exposure and traffic growth.

Potential seeding strategies include:

• Influencer marketing:  Get influencers or industry leaders to share posts with their followers
• Owned media:  Share new campaigns prominently across owned sites and social channels
• Employee activation:  Mobilise staff to communicate content within their networks
• Paid amplification:  Run targeted ads linking to the viral content to widen its reach
• Community outreach:  Activate brand advocates and loyal customers to kickstart organic spread
• Email marketing:  Deploy to current subscriber lists to build initial momentum
• Cross-promotion:  Feature the campaign prominently on on-site pop-ups, banners and tooltips

The exact combination of seeding tactics depends on budget, owned assets, influencer relationships and campaign goals. But the focus should be on igniting that initial spark to get people engaging and fuel sustainable viral momentum.

Case Study: Dollar Shave Club

Dollar Shave Club launched in 2012 with a viral product demo video that exploded, triggering 12,000 orders within 48 hours. The  irreverent, mock-infomercial style ad  resonated widely thanks to humour, novelty and an innate understanding of internet culture.

Dollar Shave Club's Initial Seeding Tactics

• Shared by founder Michael Dubin to his social followers 
• Sent to a small list of friends and family to kickstart momentum
• Embedded on the startup's essential website to capture visitor shares

This strategic approach meant the video didn't emerge and die in obscurity. Instead, it steadily accumulated social chatter before crossing the threshold for rapid sharing. The rest was viral history.

Psychology-Driven Design: Crafting Contagious Content

Viral content doesn't spread itself. To inspire epidemic levels of sharing, brands need to bake viral triggers into their creative strategy and campaign architecture.

The CASE Framework

Developed by Harvard researchers, CASE offers a blueprint for engineering viral sharing. It asks creators to consider four key questions:

Currency:  Does the content offer timely, helpful information that people want to stay updated? Trending topics and news-jackable moments often trend online.

Altruism:  Does it make people seem kind or generous for sharing it? We share to make ourselves look good.

Social:  Does the idea resonate with groups and relationships? Network-oriented content spreads faster.

Emotion:  Does it capture attention and imagination through powerful feelings? We share what we  feel.

Thinking through CASE when conceptualising campaigns encourages viral thinking from the start. But psychology should inform design, too…

Applying Social Psychology

Powerful sharing triggers are woven into our collective behavioural DNA. Calls-to-action can activate them.

• Reciprocity – ‘Share this, and I'll share your page.'
• Social proof – '87k people shared this!
• Scarcity – ‘Limited time only!' ‘Only three remaining!'
• Authority – ‘As featured in…' logos and citations
• Liking – Images/spokespeople people find attractive or relate to

These principles subtly yet profoundly impact sharing behaviours at scale. By strategically highlighting them, brands inspire faster, more frequent viral spread.

Optimising for Shareability

Beyond psychology and strategy, campaign construction matters hugely for contagiousness. Formats should remove friction from engaging and sharing, putting virality on autopilot.

Shareability Optimisation Tips

• Lead with intriguing headlines/questions 
• Use captions/subtitles to preview content
• Front-load key moments  
• Add clickbait thumbnail images 
• Include forward-facing calls-to-action  
• Make sharing frictionless with social plug-ins

With creativity and intelligent UX design, campaigns can practically share themselves.

Mastering the Art of Storytelling

Stories represent the underlying dialect of human connection, and ideas spread stories. That's why narrative-driven marketing tends to tear through networks. But great yarns don't just happen. Skilful story architects intentionally engineer narrative tension, empathy and resolution into their tales.

The Hero's Journey: A Blueprint for Viral Stories

All compelling myths and legends seem to share a fundamental structure. Joseph Campbell called it ‘the hero's journey' in his seminal text  The Hero with a Thousand Faces . He noted that ‘go viral' memes often echo this universal storytelling roadmap.

The hero's journey unfolds as follows:

• The Ordinary World:  We meet the hero pre-transformation in their everyday environment.
• Call to Adventure:  The inciting incident/opportunity that kickstarts change.
• Refusal: The hero initially hesitates, afraid to embrace the journey
• Mentorship: A mentor arrives to convince the hero to take action
• Crossing the Threshold: The hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure.
• Tests + Trials: Obstacles and challenges arise to frustrate the mission
• Approach to Crisis: The journey culminates in an ultimate ‘do or die' showdown
• Reward – Victory! The hero's efforts pay off as the goal is achieved.
• The Return: They return home transformed by the experience
• New Equilibrium: Life resumes, but it will never be the same again…

This narrative arc taps into timeless storytelling patterns etched into our minds. Emulating it makes viral content feel richer, more compelling and ‘share-worthy.'

Crafting Relatable Characters

The hero represents us. They express our hopes, dreams and struggles. That's why we catastrophise over their fate like they're old friends. To inspire viral engagement, brands should craft messages starring everyday protagonists their communities can connect with.

Relatable Character Tropes

• Passionate Mavericks  
• Quirky Misfits
• ‘The Zany One'
• Aspiring Learners
• People who look like your audience

Relatability, vulnerability and imperfection – not polished celebrity tropes – forge bonds with audiences that turn them into receptive viral vehicles.

Storytelling Through Multiple Formats

Baking virality into modern campaigns requires matching formats with moments to drive narrative tension and resolution through touchpoints.

E.g. Awareness > Interest > Consideration > Action

Viral Storytelling Formats  

• Video trailers and product demos
• Interactive polls, quizzes and games 
• Daily email journeys and challenge sequences 
• Serialised cartoon strips and comics
• Multi-part blogs, vlogs and podcast episodes 
• Augmented reality try-ons and engagements
• Phygital experiences blending AR, VR and real-world moments

Formatting content for episodic consumption keeps audiences leaning forward, awaiting the next instalment. This strings out attention while multiplying touchpoints to convert viewers into evangelists who corral others into the journey.

Growth Hacking: Unconventional Marketing for Exponential Reach

Growth hacking represents the building and executing of rapid experiments across platforms to supercharge viral adoption. It provides rocket fuel for early-stage startups looking to gain traction fast by any means necessary.

The Four Tenets of Growth Hacking

• Product Marketing – Optimising product virality triggers 
• Creative Marketing – Producing viral content for amplification  
• Analytical Marketing – Data-driven optimisation and testing  
• Tech Marketing – Automation and strategic integrations

While the lines between growth hacking and marketing blur over time, the emphasis remains on aggressive testing and non-traditional tricks to kickstart exponential growth.

How Growth Hackers' Hack Growth

With an entrepreneur's risk tolerance and hunger for scale, growth hackers commandeer the entire marketing stack to find cracks where viral momentum hides. Tactics stretch far beyond the realms of conventionality, including:

• Referral program testing – Experimenting with discounts, tiers and rewards to maximise conversion and sharing
• Social channel testing – Trying multiple platforms to uncover the most viral content/messaging fit
• Influencer experiments – Getting creative with equity offers, collaborations and co-marketing deals
• Syndication and aggregation – Repurposing and licensing content to third-party sites
• Algorithm manipulation – Reverse-engineering platforms through rapid testing to increase visibility
• reviews and integrations – Making it ultra-easy for fans to share and spread the word
• PR stunts and exclusives – Pitching newsworthy stories to grab attention and social heat

Where traditional marketers see boundaries, growth hackers see hurdles to overcome however possible. Every platform and channel represents a potential launchpad for exponential takeoff.

Hustling > Budgets

Growth hacking thrives on hustle over hefty budgets. With enough drive and creativity, it's surprising how dramatically startups can boost traction through unconventional experiments.

Legendary examples include:

• Airbnb using election night Obama/McCain cereal to spark early PR
• Spotify incentivising sharing by enabling listeners to access playlists
• Uber surprising users with UberKITTENS and UberPUPPIES on demand
• The Skimm incentivising readers to act as brand ambassadors and content co-creators

Scrappy startups willing to take risks and leverage their networks creatively gain early footing. This momentum unlocks access to capital that funds increasing-scale future experiments and platform testing.

Viral Marketing Case Studies

The following case studies showcase viral marketing campaigns of differing shapes and sizes that took the world by storm. They offer a window into the strategy and execution factors driving breakthrough success.

Blippi Videos for Kids: Viewed Over 8 Billion Times

Blippi , the wildly popular children's educational YouTube channel, understands better than anyone how to engineer videos to trigger algorithmic amplification. With almost 200 million subscribers, Blippi (aka Stevin John) invites toddlers and preschoolers into fantastic worlds blending music, physical comedy, and skills-based learning.

Virality lessons:

• Ultra-frequent video output sustains visibility
• Videos target trending kid topics and themes
• Maximise watch time and engaging moments throughout
• The upbeat tone keeps toddlers transfixed
• Family-focused collaborative consumption model
• YouTube data-driven topic selection and optimisation

Blippi's formula for consistent, copious engagement continually wins algorithmic promotion, compounding an astronomical view count into the billions.

The Ice Bucket Challenge: From Zero to $250 Million for ALS

The 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge remains the poster child for viral fundraising campaigns. It began with former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. To raise awareness, he created a campaign where participants filmed themselves getting doused in ice water before nominating others to repeat the stunt.

This sparked a chain reaction on social media, with celebrities from Oprah to Lady Gaga embracing #IceBucketChallenge. Views exploded into the billions, securing millions in donations for ALS charities.

Virality Lessons:

• The nomination element baked into social sharing
• Unexpected spectacle tapped into voyeurism
• Involved celebrities droves amplification
• A tight feedback loop maintains momentum
• Easy to replicate and participate

By blending entertainment, mobility and social competition, the Ice Bucket Challenge won hearts and headlines and opened wallets en masse.

Will it Blend?: 79 Million Views on YouTube

When Blendtec founder Tom Dickson began uploading grainy videos showing his industrial blenders pulverise iPhones, glow sticks and other household objects, few could've predicted their viral ascendance. But the “Will It Blend?” series exploded, demonstrating how niche product marketing can flourish in the internet's untamed waters.

Virality Lessons

• Short runtimes fit viewing habits
• Shock factor/unexpectedness
• Serialised episodes build anticipation
• Interactive channel community rewards engagement
• Vital visual payoff/money shot

Will it Blend didn't try to mimic the slick corporate video. Instead, it embraced the medium's raw, unscripted feel while leaning into shareable moments week after week. This authenticity struck a chord with 79 million curious viewers and counting.

Leveraging Influencers for Maximum Impact

Influencer marketing represents collaborating with personalities who wield sizable social clout to expand campaign reach. It hinges on the psychological principles of liking and social proof, with audiences more receptive to ideas trumpeted by voices they know and relate to.

The Anatomy of Impactful Influencer Partnerships

Successful influencer collaborations blend brand needs with influencer strengths to craft something resonating authentically for both sides. Core elements include:

• Complementary values + aesthetics – Ensures conceptual alignment from the start
• Multi-platform seeding – Leverages owned, earned and influencer channels
• Co-created + customised content – Resonates more genuinely with persona-specific communities
• Performance metrics + analysis – Provides a blueprint for campaign optimisation and expansion

The most effective partnerships feel less like mercenary commercial transactions and more like strategic friendships. This leads to long-term wins as creativity flows and communities unite behind collaborative viral visions.

Influencer Archetype Examples

Brands seeking maximum amplification should scout influencers spanning archetypes that engage distinct yet similarly valuable audiences through differing viral currencies.

Key Influencer Archetypes

• Celebrities – Followers: Vast. Virality: Very High 
• Macro-influencers – Followers: Multi-million. Virality: High
• Power Niche Micros – Followers: 100k-500k. Virality: High 
• Hyper-Engaged Nano Influencers – Followers: <10k. Virality: Moderate
• E&E's – Employees & Enthusiasts. Followers: Small. Virality: Low

Layering multiple tiers gives campaigns the best chance of resonating widely while retaining niche depth where it matters most. Micro and nano influencers drive credibility and engagement efficiently when strategically activated.

The Rise of Virtual Influencers

CGI influencers with fictional identities, backstories and values are exploding in popularity across platforms from Instagram to TikTok. Mirrored on real-world role models, these “virtual humans” wield disproportionate sway thanks to their idealised (and tirelessly optimised) existence.

Top examples include:

Notable Virtual Influencers

• Lil Miquela – 3 million IG followers   
• Knox Frost – 1.8 million TikTok followers
• Shudu – 245k IG followers  
• Imma – 367k IG followers

Free from the constraints of reality, virtual influencers represent the frontier of fabricated virality. They also raise intriguing questions about disclosure and ethics, given the inability to discern real from fake identity in the digital domain.

Harnessing the Power of Going Viral

Once unleashed, viral content can take on a life of its own – spreading far beyond campaign KPIs. But exponential growth doesn't happen randomly:

Preparing for Turbulence: Managing Campaigns That Go Super Viral

When campaigns explode faster and broader than expected, brands can be overwhelmed by the influx of sudden attention. Without contingency protocols, infrastructure strains under the load. Customer experience suffers. Opportunities get missed.

To ride unpredictable viral waves smoothly, marketers should:

• Stress test site capacity – Use load testing tools (e.g. Loader.io) to find and fix bottlenecks
• Line up extra creative assets – Have additional images, gifs and videos approved and on standby
• Prepare CRMs and sales teams – Scale support capabilities to handle spikes in inquiries
• Automate where possible – Set up chatbots, email nurture streams and basic feedback handling
• Get leadership aligned – Ensure decision-makers are briefed and ready to go

With the stability to withstand flashes of intensity, brands transform internet brushfires into catalysts driving exponential business progress.

Case Study: Exploding Kid

In 2007, Utah teenager David DeVore Jr accidentally became an early viral icon when his dad uploaded a video of David emerging from anaesthetic. His woozy, meme-worthy reaction spawned hundreds of musical remixes and parodies.

Unprepared for the spotlight, David retreated from public view despite coveting fame. He later reflected:

“ It was too much attention for me to handle. I didn't know how to control it. I made some mistakes. I'll be ready if I ever get another chance at fame. “

Monetising Memetic Moments

Lightning traction brings commercial possibilities. But brands must strategically strike before momentum melts. Potential revenue streams include:

• Merchandise – T-shirts, mugs, and socks featuring viral slogans/images
• Advertising – Monetize site traffic spikes via Google AdSense
• Donations – Add payment integrations while urgency and eyes accelerate generosity
• Transactional Conversions – Offer special promotions to capture sales
• Licensing content – Let media companies compensate for redistribution rights
• Crowdfunding – Launch projects while public awareness and goodwill peak
• Selling data assets – Consumer data gains value from virality
• Paid content subscriptions – Offer exclusive materials to paying members

With creative commercialisation, brands transform social currency into economic currency before invisible internet points disappear back into the ether.

The Risks of Going Viral

Despite the headline-grabbing hype and hockey stick growth charts, viral launches can boomerang if strategy neglects broader imperatives around safety, ethics and brand building beyond clicks.

The Pitfalls of Prioritising Virality Above All Else

While tentpole viral marketing campaigns can break through the noise, focusing too narrowly on explosions often obscures broader business fundamentals still required for sustainable success.

Potential Downsides Include:

• Forced gimmicks – Trying too hard for novelty backfires
• Budget burn – Expensive campaigns fail more spectacularly
• Attention displacement – Fleeting spikes undermine long-term metrics
• Infrastructure overload – Platforms crash under the weight of their success
• Community misalignment – Reach exceeds relevance
• Exposes blindspots – Sudden scale stresses expose operational cracks

Like an inferno burning through cash reserves and public goodwill, chasing viral pyrotechnics risks spectacular collapse unless ignited carefully and grounded in business basics beyond the hype.

Safeguarding Reputation Amidst Rampant Misinformation

Virality favours sensationalism over truth. Inattention allows misinformation and conspiracies to metastasise rapidly amidst potent outrage. Psychological blindspots impede self-correction. This necessitates added vigilance.

Brands should:

• Rapidly issue clarifications – Don't let false claims gain traction
• Contact platform admins – Report verifiably fake or misleading content
• Moderate communities tightly – Keep discussions constructive
• Avoid knee-jerk reactions – Carefully evaluate the validity of critiques
• Prioritise transparency – Proactively share processes and data

While neutralising disinformation entirely may prove impossible, facts hold power. Even limited reach helps inoculate audiences against the viral spread of lies.

Preserving Organic Authority Over the Long Haul

Gamed trends and engineered moments seed doubts over authenticity. Once magic wears off, engagement falls back to earth. This necessitates balancing top-down orchestration with organic community connection.

Tips to Sustain Engagement Authority 

❏ Encourage user-generated content and co-creation  

❏ Cultivate niche community conversations

❏ Gradually decentralise publishing power  

❏ Maintain candid dialogue amidst critique

❏ Invest in relationships beyond transactions

Marketers must toggle between pouring rocket fuel on embers while fanning flames bottom-up through lasting human relationships that turn ephemeral excitement into movements with meaningful momentum.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is viral marketing.

Viral marketing refers to branded content and ideas designed to spread rapidly from person to person on digital platforms through techniques that trigger high levels of organic sharing and engagement.

What makes a campaign go viral?

Viral campaigns tend to incorporate specific ingredients like humour, surprise, controversy and intense emotions that motivate people to share content with their networks, exponentially amplifying reach.

How do you make viral content?

To make viral content, identify critical psychological sharing triggers to bake into your campaign narrative and presentation strategy. Craft relatable stories starring everyday characters. And strategically format and structure content to remove friction from engaging and sharing.

What is an example of successful viral marketing?

Classic examples of viral success include the Will It Blends YouTube videos (79 million views) and the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised $250 million for ALS charities. Both leveraged unexpected spectacles and potent social dynamics to achieve exponential amplification.

How can I make my business go viral?

Boost your chances of viral success by obsessing over shareability and social currency signals when crafting content. Proactively seed campaigns within your existing communities and networks. And don't hesitate to experiment with unconventional guerrilla marketing tactics if growth remains elusive.

Viral marketing represents a unique chance to spark movements through messages that sell themselves. Campaigns take flight on their momentum as people eagerly spread ideas offering value, entertainment or meaning.

Yet manufactured memetic moments mean little without lasting substance grounded in human connection and business fundamentals beyond the hype. Great campaigns balance orchestration with community collaboration to sustain liftoff beyond initial explosions.

The rest comes down to understanding social psychology, embracing creativity and taking bold risks to produce sparks amplified by networks ready to watch campaigns soar higher and faster than imaginable, even in today's hyper-connected cultural landscape.

So, are you ready to architect ideas built to spread? The world awaits whatever viral visions you're prepared to unleash…

Stuart Crawford

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4 Case Studies Of Real-Time Viral Marketing Responses

Table of contents, showing off your brand in real time.

With the help of the Internet, everything's so much faster: we can message friends from the other side of the world in less than a second, video chat with families away from home, and even check what's happening internationally in real-time. For marketers, it means that every single event can now be an opportunity to improve the publicity of their products.

Advertising is no longer just about putting up a commercial on TV or designing a billboard, but being able to respond to real-time events, which provides brands a chance to demonstrate the true "who is" of their brand.  In this blog post, Hollywood Branded shares 4 examples of real-time viral marketing responses and provides insight into 4 case studies of successful viral campaigns.

How to Make Real-Time Viral Marketing Responses?

To be able to respond to viral topics, companies need to stay on top of social media trends. There are four ways to do that:

• Twitter trends : On the left side of your Twitter homepage, there is a section called "Trends for You". Pretty simple. It tells you what's trending on Twitter;
• Buzzsumo : a paid app that shows you the hottest trends in your industry;
• Trending section on TODAY : Sometimes the easiest way to figure out the trend is to read some news! Here's TODAY's website:  Today.com/trending
• Keep up with your competitors' accounts : Of course, no one wants to plagiarize anyone else's idea, but sometimes a little conversation between you and your competitors can benefit both of you. This worked pretty well on the IHOb campaign which is discussed in more detail below.

This seems easy, but real-time response means it's more likely to make mistakes.

Often, controversies on trending social media posts emerge when companies try to make a real-time response without scrutinizing the message. For example, Wendy's has always been known for giving sassy responses on Twitter. However, in January 2017, Wendy's posted a meme featuring an anti-Semitic hate symbol, Pepe the Frog (as shown below). Although Wendy's immediately deleted the post after it backfired, it still caused some unnecessary chaos, if its social media team did a little research on Pepe the Frog.  It IS hard to keep up with everything on the Internet, especially in our politically correct environment. Therefore, marketers need to be careful when they give a real-time response.

Here are two quick tips to avoid making mistakes:

• Google your messages and images before you publish. It never hurts to double-check your content before it's too late.
• Check your ideas with your team or preferably a diverse focus group (we all remember what happened to the Pepsi commercial featuring Kendall Jenner, don't we?) before you post your content. 

1. Banksy-Inspired Social Media Posts

On October 6 th , 2018, the mysterious British street artist Banksy was at it again. His work, “Girl With Balloon”, a spray paint made in 2006, shredded itself right after it was auctioned for $1.4 million at Sotheby’s “Frieze Week” evening contemporary art sale.

Banksy then posted a video on his Instagram showing that he had built a shredder into the frame of that painting. "A few years ago, I secretly built a shredder into a painting, in case it was ever put up for auction." The video soon hit 2 million views. Many marketers quickly hopped on this viral marketing train and created social media content related to the shredded painting.

As Banksy once again impressed us with his creativity, many marketing-minded creatives also shared their pieces inspired by the street artist. 

One of the first to get on this trend was McDonald's. The agency that it often works with, DDB Vienna, posted the following image on its Facebook page about 2 days after the incident.  This image cleverly incorporated the shredded painting with McDonald's beloved French fries coming out of the frame. 

Millennial-focused insurer Lemonade had a different way to relate itself to the conversation. Destruction? We've got you covered!

In case your art starts self-destructing… #banksy #banksyed pic.twitter.com/ASRkn5mu2I — Lemonade (@Lemonade_Inc) October 9, 2018

Perrier, on the other hand, tweaked it into a visual metaphor to illustrate the natural quality of its own product.

No need to break the bank for a work of art 😏 #PerrierLemon #GoForTheExtraordinaire pic.twitter.com/hCf2epASez — Perrier (@Perrier) October 9, 2018

2. IHOP Became the Center of the Conversation

IHOP tried to re-brand itself as a burger house as a publicity stunt. As someone who had never been to IHOP then, I really thought I could never say I've been to IHOP anymore (seriously, they ACTUALLY changed the signage in some IHOP locations). The whole thing started on June 4th, 2018, when IHOP announced on Twitter that they were changing their name from "IHOP" to "IHOb". Although the whole thing about changing its name to "IHOb" - International House of Burgers - was later revealed to be temporary in the light of promoting their burger menu, it became the trending topic on Twitter during its 7-day campaign.

At first, IHOP didn't specify what "b" stood for in "IHOb", which not only let its fans wonder but also created an opportunity for other brands to participate in the conversation. 

For 60 pancakin' years, we've been IHOP. Now, we're flippin' our name to IHOb. Find out what it could b on 6.11.18. #IHOb pic.twitter.com/evSxKV3QmT — IHOP (@IHOP) June 4, 2018

Chiquita Bananas joined the fun by saying it stood for "International House of Bananas".

It only stirred up the conversation more when IHOP announced that "b" stands for burgers and invited its burger competitors, such as Wendy's, White Castle, and Burger King, into the conversation.

White Castle "threatened" to rename to "Pancake Castle."

Wendy's response to its new competitor was rather sassy: "Not really afraid of the burgers from a place that decided pancakes were too hard."

Burger King, on the other hand, changed its profile picture and Twitter handle to "Pancake King" for a day. 

 3. Tide Tackled The Tide Pod Eating Challenge

In 2012, P&G released a new form of detergent, Tide Pods. The combination of stain remover, color protector, and detergent all in one little pod is such a life-saver for millennials. It saves so much time from pouring out the right amount of detergent and trying to figure out the ratio between that and other fabric conditioners. However, at around the beginning of 2018, a weird Tide Pod eating challenge went viral on YouTube. 

The Tide Pod challenge became a video trend involving people popping the detergent pods and chewing on it. Many teenagers posted videos of them doing the challenge, even some major YouTube influencers. This viral trend, however, led to major health issues. According to the American of Poison Control Centers, in the first month of 2018 alone, at least 86 cases of intentional misuse of laundry detergent were reported among teenagers, while there were only 53 in total in 2017. It was so bad that YouTube had to delete all the Tide Pod Challenge videos. You'd think kids are smart enough to not consume laundry detergent, something that's used in washing clothes. Naturally, the moment inspired a meme world that went crazy about the challenge as well. Some people even concluded that people eat Tide Pods because the color combination reminds them of candy. 

Instead of burying its head in the sand and waiting for the negative publicity to pass, Tide created a meme-like video featuring Rob Gronkowski exclaiming that Tide Pods are not for anything but washing clothes. 

What should Tide PODs be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else. Eating a Tide POD is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @robgronkowski to help explain. pic.twitter.com/0JnFdhnsWZ — Tide (@tide) January 12, 2018

4. ASOS Responded To Their Misprinted Bags

Unlike the examples we mentioned above, social media also enables brands to respond in real-time to their own mistakes. ASOS was able to respond to their misprinted bags with a sense of humor. Their fast response gave them a chance to laugh at themselves before everyone else made a comment about it. It also allows them to establish a brand personality that's more relevant to their customers.

This tween received more than 500 comments, 8,400 retweets, and 49,000 likes. 

Brands like Wendy's have even captured new fans and followers through unique social media marketing that is more about finding humor in trending events than it is about their own industry. Social platforms are not just a way to promote your brand through paid advertising but to connect organically with a sense of humor, proving that effective social media marketing isn't just about your product or imaging but your brand's ability position itself in a world of constant inter-connectivity.

Want to learn more about other forms of viral brand marketing? Check out some other blog posts we've written about digital marketing...

• 10 Social Media Marketing Tips For Small Businesses
• 4 Social Media Platforms You Should Use That Your Brand Probably Isn't
• 5 Ways To Make Your Brand Stand Out To A Social Media Influencer
• 5 Tips For Social Media Marketing In The Wellness Industry

Want to learn more about promoting your brand through social campaigns and the entertainment industry? Check out our free Product Placement & Promotions e-book!

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Table of Contents

Spotify Wrapped: A Viral Brand Campaign Case Study

Music shapes emotions, amplifies joy, soothes pain, and paints life’s moments with vibrant hues. It unites, inspires, and speaks when words fall short, fueling memories that last a lifetime.

Music connects us in ways we can only imagine. To give the listeners a seamless experience, the creators of Spotify created the app. Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon founded and developed Spotify to tackle the industry’s growing piracy problem. 

Since the launch of the music streaming platform, Spotify has made every possible marketing effort to woo its audience. 

The platform’s success lies in its seamless interface, diverse music catalog, and innovative features like playlists, discovery tools, and the much-anticipated annual “Spotify Wrapped” feature. In this case study we are going to discuss how the introduction of “Wrapped” made the brand go viral on social media. 

About Spotify

Spotify is one of the leading music streaming platforms across the globe. Founded in 2008, Spotify now has more than 574 million users including 226 million subscribers. Spotify has made a place in the lives of music lovers from all over the world. 

Their quirky ads and smart use of consumer psychology have added to their massive fame in earned in recent years. When you join and start using Spotify, it learns your music preferences. The more you use it, listening to music and podcasts, the better it understands you.

Using this data, Spotify recommends songs and crafts playlists just for you. People cherish this personal touch, finding new favorite tunes based on Spotify’s intelligence.

Working and Recent Trends

Smooth experimentation.

When a music-focused business comes into play, imagine the huge number of people it tries to reach. Spotify, in dealing with this vast audience, maintains a remarkably polished approach to its marketing strategies.

The key lies in Spotify’s adaptability; they understand the rapid boredom of today’s generation, thus constantly experimenting and providing new ways to connect over music.

This agility in their marketing endeavors attracts consumers, turning them into paying members or what they usually call “the premium members”. Leveraging consumer psychology elegantly aids in retaining customers. 

With segments such as “Made For You”, “Your Time Capsule”, “Recommended Stations”, “Discover” and the most anticipated “Wrapped”, Spotify has been successful in retaining its audience and even increasing its number of listeners. 

Recent Growth Trends with Consumer Behaviour

At Spotify, artificial intelligence and machine learning play a significant role. They understand your music listening patterns, using every input to recommend the next song.

These inputs are crucial at Spotify HQ. The motto here is ‘Listening is everything.’ 

As you enjoy their song selections, Spotify tracks your listening habits, creating a pattern to predict your mood and preferred music genre ahead.

Now on to the main aspect of this case study. The execution and impact of their annual and highly anticipated segment “Wrapped”.

Spotify Wrapped

Spotify orchestrates the viral marketing campaign known as Spotify Wrapped. Launched yearly since 2016, this December event empowers users to explore and share their platform activity from the past year on social media.

This personalized roundup showcases users’ top five artists, most played songs, and preferred music genres. Content creators also receive their version, featuring the streaming statistics of their content. 

Alongside individualized data, Spotify Wrapped offers insights into broader platform activity. Notably, the data spans from January 1st to an undisclosed date in the last two months of the year.

Every year, Spotify Wrapped floods social media, turning millions into brand ambassadors for Spotify. Usually dropping in early December or late November, it arrives with billboards and TV ads, often lifting Spotify’s app store rank. 

This campaign’s ability to generate free advertising for Spotify has sparked both praise and critique, sparking debates on data ethics.

Beyond its impact on the music industry, pundits compare it to rival streaming services’ offerings, igniting industry discussions.

Objectives of the Campaign

• Spotify Wrapped: Originally a marketing initiative to boost Spotify’s visibility.
• Encourages Social Sharing: Users share their Spotify activity, enhancing the campaign’s reach.
• Sets Spotify Apart: Distinguishes itself from competitors like Apple Music.
• FOMO Effect: Coined by Spotify’s marketing head, it describes how Wrapped lures users to Spotify over other music apps.

Strategies of the “Spotify Wrapped” Campaign

Spotify Wrapped unpacks insights into your music preferences, top artists, genres, and interesting stats. Here’s an overview of Spotify Wrapped’s key features:

• Listening Personality: Your habits shape a “Listening Personality” based on genre variety, listening duration, and preferred time for music.
• Artist Insights: Discover your top 5 artists, their songs, and when you listen most. Stats include total listening time per artist.
• Top Songs & Genres: Unveil your top five songs and genres with stats on minutes spent and top artists within each genre.
• Artist Messages: Enjoy personalized messages from top artists in Wrapped, such as Arijit Singh and Drake. Use Blend to compare music with friends and delve into AI DJ insights.

Results: Spotify Wrapped 2021

• Wrapped drove an increase in Spotify’s Daily Active Users from 145.40 million to 146.16 million in 2020.
• 461% increase in the volume of tweets about Spotify “Wrapped” from the year 2020 to 2021.
• 131% boost in user engagement with Spotify Wrapped tweets in 2021.
• 4,25,000,000 tweets relating to Spotify Wrapped in the first three days of the launch in 2022.
• 17% increase in total engagements from 2021 to 2022.
• 22% increase in unique authors post the 2022 “Wrapped”.

Note: Stats Source – Sprout Social

Things to Learn From “Spotify Wrapped” Campaign

1. connects by building human touch.

Spotify Wrapped’s success lies in its ability to transform user data into a personalized narrative, creating a profound impact on both the audience and Spotify’s marketing strategies.

Everyone adores personality tests, and Spotify knows it well. Their latest addition, the Listening Personality feature, taps into this fascination.

Psychotherapist Dr. Dana Dorfman, PhD, notes that personality tests offer a unique perspective into our self-awareness and foster a feeling of belonging.

Drawing from the renowned Myers-Briggs model, Wrapped introduces personas identified by a four-letter acronym.

This isn’t Spotify’s initial venture into cultural trends. Previously, with its Music for Every Mood campaign, Spotify cleverly delved into meme culture, prompting introspection among its users.

2. On-Point Execution

Brands frequently conceive exceptional ideas, but their execution often falls short.

Wrapped isn’t just interactive and intensely personalized; it’s incredibly shareable. Users can effortlessly share it across various platforms like Meta, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, email, and text directly from the app.

A dedicated landing page is crucial for a successful campaign, a facet often underestimated. Wrapped exceeds this, offering a comprehensive microsite brimming with content.

It features top tracks, editor’s picks, and best-of compilations, catering to both curious users and journalists. 

Brands that assist time-strapped media professionals in crafting compelling stories tend to gain more coverage.

3. User-generated content Improves Engagement

Brands such as Spotify really get how important it is when their users create content.

When your audience joins in and helps tell your story, your marketing feels more real, human, and trustworthy.

Surprisingly, 96% of people don’t believe ads. But interestingly, 92% of people trust what others share. This shows how powerful user-created content can be in your marketing strategy.

Spotify Wrapped is made for sharing, and that’s exactly what millions of users worldwide are doing. They proudly share their Wrapped reports and personalities on social media, almost like a symbol of pride.

When brands’ campaigns become a part of jokes or references in pop culture, that’s a big win.

Wrapped is making its mark in pop culture too, appearing in memes all over the place.

4. Customer-Centric Campaign

Each year, Wrapped celebrates memorable moments (even the quirky ones) users had with Spotify. It’s a strong marketing move, thanking loyal users and highlighting their shared journey.

Wrapped reaches across digital, social, and out-of-home (OOH) channels. It’s a smooth, global campaign that’s well put together.

In 2023, the focus is on self-expression and playfulness. These themes shine through in how things look, what’s said, and how it’s all put together.

Spotify’s foremost principle centers on personalized experiences, and understanding how it fosters customer loyalty. The “Wrapped” feature echoes this belief. By tailoring experiences for every Spotify user, they anticipate driving substantial sales and revenue growth.

This achievement owes much to cutting-edge tech like machine learning and adept user data management. This viral marketing gem has resonated deeply with music enthusiasts.

Moreover, it serves as a pivotal incentive for selling Spotify subscription plans. The saying “Data is 21st century’s gold” rings true, particularly for companies offering personalized services. Spotify stands as a prime example, handling data in a remarkably promising and considerate manner.

In today’s digital era, marketing relies heavily on digital strategies, and marketers are becoming increasingly tech-savvy. Are you curious about what digital marketing can offer for your business or career growth? Take a look at our highly insightful Certified Digital Marketing Master Program .

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Your users refer other businesses, and both sides get rewarded when the referred business upgrades to a paid plan. (With conversion tracking)

Create a referral waiting list before you launch to get early adopters and market validation.

The more successful referrals your users make, the better rewards they unlock. (With conversion tracking)

People sign up and refer friends to win a free ticket. If they don't win, they get early access to the pre-sale.

People join the waiting list, refer their friends to climb the queue and get early access to the tickets or the event.

A referral giveaway with a social element—people see a leaderboard of who's winning the giveaway.

Create an in-email referral program to reward your newsletter readers for inviting more subscribers.

Your existing audience refers their friends to increase their chances of winning a prize.

Find early community members with a referral waitlist where people refer friends to climb the queue and get exclusive access.

People get early access to your product when they reach the top of the waiting list by referring friends.

Your users referer their friends, and both sides get rewarded when the friend makes a purchase.

Set milestones with a tiered referral system, offering better prizes as they reach each milestone.

Create an ongoing referral program using our Shopify App to reward your customers for referring friends.

New and existing customers refer friends to increase their chances of winning a prize.

Create a referral waiting list for your upcoming store to collect email addresses.

viral loops case studies

How revolut grew 150x with referral marketing—a case study..

Read an in-depth case study of Revolut’s referral programs and strategy that help them grow exponentially.

Understand the tactics behind the 5 kinds of referral campaigns they use to: - Grow their customer base via their existing high-quality customers. - Increase the adoption rate of new features. - Launch in new markets.

Table of contents

Revolut company review

Marketing strategy

Referral marketing & word-of-mouth

Goal: Acquire similar customers

Goal: Promote a new feature

Goal: Launch in a new market

1. Revolut company overview

Revolut is one of the first Fintech companies that disrupted the banking industry, and it may be the largest in the market.

It started as a solution to the hefty fees one must pay when traveling and transferring money internationally. However, their current product offerings include many more solutions such as commission-free trading, cryptocurrency investing, and budgeting tools.

As of 2019, they offer bank-only products like credit after getting an official bank license in the European Central Bank. In terms of growth and marketing, they are a prime example of hyper-growth with minimal to no paid advertising based around Word-of-Mouth and referral marketing—from which we can learn a lot.

Founding story

The founder Nikolay Storonsky, came with the idea while working as a financial trader for Lehman Brothers. His job embraced the expat lifestyle, which required him to travel a lot and live in many different countries—where he got familiar with spending and transferring money abroad.

During his travels, he grew frustrated with the fees he had to pay for every transaction. His financial knowledge made him realize that he was being overcharged, which he tried to solve by opening multiple accounts on large bank groups like HSBC—it didn’t work.

In 2015 he decided to build a product to travel without spending a fortune on banking fees—the outcome was Revolut. They managed to create the first prototype with a small team within two months, later describing it as “childish and buggy”.

However, as the company grew, they started identifying more problems on the banking system that gave them ideas for the features they offer today. According to Nikolay, the goal was to “offer a complete set of products that are 10x better and 10x cheaper than what’s offered by (regular) banks”.

After that, the ambition is to become a global bank that allows anyone to open a bank account within 1 minute.

2. Marketing strategy

Their overall marketing strategy is centred around their product, with the aim to provide something so good that customers will do the marketing for them—aka word-of-mouth.

"If you build a great product that actually solves real painful problems customers will come along, our job is to make it easier for them to recommend it to their friends, family and colleagues”

~ Revolut’s ex Head of Growth, Val Scholz

As a strategy, it proved to be beyond effective as most of their growth until 2018 was done with no paid advertising. To achieve such growth through word of mouth, Revolut's plan uses two tactics:

• Product with built-in virality
• Referral marketing campaigns

The focus of this case study is the latter—how Revolut grows through referral marketing. But since virality works as a catalyst of referral marketing, let’s see some examples of how their product embraces this.

2.1. Creating a viral loop

Being a banking solution, Revolut’s customers interact with the company on an online and offline basis. One might use their digital card to buy a guitar online, their trading platform to hold crypto, but they will also use their physical card to buy coffee at their local cafe. With that,

Revolut's marketing focuses on creating an offline/online viral loop, where both physical and digital aspects of the product bring new users.


A better product with more users (network effects)

The first example of Revolut’s product virality is that the user experience improves if their friends are also on the platform. 


Two features that illustrate that are the Bill-Splitting and Group expenses. Imagine a couple of friends, most of whom using Revolut, eating together at a table. In the end, the bill arrives, and it’s time for everyone to pay their share.

The Revolut users of the table can quickly settle their expenses by sending payment requests to each other within the platform. The rest, however, who have to settle the bill in an old-school way, will see the convenience of using Revolut, and they’ll want to take part too.

That’s where the referral program comes into play. With the motivation to join the platform, the non-users only need one little push to make the leap and sign up.

The existing users then have the incentive to get them to sign up as soon as possible since they’ll get a monetary reward in return.

Shareable offline experiences

‍ The physical side of Revolut’s product is their cards. They realize the importance of design in creating sharable experiences, and that reflects in their product.

The first interaction with the card is when the user receives one in the mail. The packaging of the card is something unique and playful—it has an interesting sliding mechanism that’s like no other packaging out there—the card slides out the left as you pull to the right.

Besides that, it also has a very slick design that is nothing like that of a traditional bank. It’s an interesting item that makes one much more likely to share it with a friend and play around with it.

3. Referral marketing & word-of-mouth

In doing this research, it appeared that Revolut has a very controlled and targeted referral marketing strategy where different campaigns are targeted at different customers, different times, and in different countries. Thus, the cases discussed below may differ from where you’re reading this.

Revolut has word of mouth as the center focus of their marketing—as their ex-Head of Growth said, “...customers will come along, our job is to make it easier for them to recommend it to their friends…”.

65-70% of Revolut’s traffic is through word of mouth

Let’s see how they accomplish that.
Over the years, the company has used referral programs in many different ways to accomplish various different goals, so it’s more than a single referral campaign that we’ll discuss.

The overarching objective of every referral campaign is, of course, user acquisition. To better understand the strategy, we can categorize Revolut’s referral programs by these (sub) goals: Feature unlock, launch in a new market, acquire similar customers.

4. Goal: Acquire similar customers

Acquiring more of your best customers is the most straightforward objective behind a referral marketing campaign—incentivize your best customers to invite their friends, who will most likely be similar customers to your best ones.

4.1. Campaign A: Invite friends and get 60€

How it works.

Revolut offers a referral link to their customers, which they can share with their friends, family & colleagues.

If the referred person, also called invitee, signs up through that link and performs certain actions, it is registered as a successful referral. In this case, the person who invited the new customer gets their reward.

Revolut offers 60€ in a 1-sided referral campaign, where the reward is only given to the inviter. The invitees, those who sign up through the referral links, receive nothing tangible for joining.

Requirements for the referrer:

Their friends have to successfully sign up through the referral link to receive 60€ per referral.

Requirements for the invitee:

Revolut has a fairly tedious task list to be done by the invitee before the referral is considered successful:

• Sign up to Revolut using the unique referral link.
• Verify their identity (KYC checks).
• Add money to their account.
• Order a physical Revolut card (they have to pay for delivery fees).
• Make 3 separate purchases of at least 5€ with the digital or physical cards.


Strategic twists

We identified three creative ways or growth hacks that Revolut uses to further boost the performance of this referral campaign.

• Time pressure : Users have a time limit in which they can invite friends and get rewards. This FOMO-creating hack should increase their successful referral rate by putting pressure on users to convince their friends to sign up and perform the required tasks quickly.
• Controlled eligibility : Ιn the T&C of their referral program, it is mentioned that such promotions are only available for selected users at a time. Indeed, during some of these referral campaigns, only paying users were given the option to get rewards for inviting friends.
• Potential earnings : If the user proceeds on the screen where they can invite their contacts, they will see an estimate of how much they can earn if they invite the selected contacts. Such a tactic, though a tiny detail, can intrigue and further motivate users to invite more people to Revolut, thus fuelling the growth loop.

The invitee page

After clicking the referral link, the invitee is taken to a simple page where they can sign up. Revolut effectively informs the invitee about the core value they’ll get by signing up, and it establishes trust through social proof. All without cluttering theValue proposition page with tons of information on all their features.

We can break down the page into four attributes that fuel conversions:

• Liking ‍ The main headline, “You were invited to Revolut” reminds people that their friend trusts Revolut and invited them to join. Also, the phrasing gives a feeling of exclusivity like that of being invited to a private club.
• Social proof ‍ Without scrolling, the invitee is reminded through clever copy, above the fold that more than 15 million people use Revolut.
• Value Right below the main headline, Revolut promotes its main value proposition with subtle gray typography. Then with a single scroll, one can see the four main reasons people join Revolut for.
• Simple CTA The only thing needed is the invitee’s phone number, thus offering an effortless signup process. No name, no email.

4.2. Campaign B: Give a card

Around 2019 Revolut was running the referral program with a unique reward system that proved to work wonders for their daily user acquisition numbers:

2-3X daily user acquisition numbers

How it worked

Similar to the campaign discussed above, Revolut offered a referral link to their customers so they could share it with their friends, family & colleagues. If the invitee signed up through that link and performed certain actions, a successful referral is registered. The twist in this campaign is that the invitee receives the reward while the inviter gets nothing tangible.

Revolut offered a physical card in a 1-sided referral campaign, where the reward is given only to the invitee—the inviters get nothing tangible in return.

The requirements

This campaign seemed to be more lenient without requiring the invitee to perform any purchasing actions—all they had to do was follow the conventional onboarding:

• Sign up through the link
• Verify their identity
• Add funds to their account
• Order the free card

Strategic twist

Such a rewarding schema where the referrer offers something instead of receiving is fairly uncommon. It shows the importance of having a product so valuable that a brand’s ambassadors expect nothing for their work. 


Revolut presents the campaign with clever copy that makes users feel positive about themselves—“Feeling generous?” frames the act of referring a friend as something a generous person would do, a trait most people want to be associated with.

5. Goal: Promote a new feature

Another strategic use for referral marketing is when releasing a new feature. Not only do you acquire more users, the overarching goal of a referral campaign, but also you increase the adoption of that feature. As a tactic, it allows a firm to get insights on how much demand exists (and from whom) for a given feature before further investments are made.

5.1. Campaign C: Get a free premium card

Back in 2018, Revolut released their premium subscription “Revolut Metal”. It offered a high-quality metal bank card along with many premium features, like higher cash-back, airport lounge access, and more. It was quite a big deal at the time, as more challenger banks, like N26, had started offering premium models packaged in metal cards.

To boost adoption, Revolut deployed a referral campaign to upsell existing users into the premium tier by offering them a free metal card if they invited friends. asdfas

Once again, Revolut offered a referral link to users so they could share it with their friends. If that friend signed up through the link and performed the required actions, the referrer would get the reward—a free metal card subscription.

Revolut offered a 1-sided referral campaign, rewarding a free 12-month Metal subscription along with a free metal card (€135 in value) to the referrer. The invitee would get nothing tangible for signing up.


For the referrer:

They had to successfully refer 5 friends to get the 12-month free premium reward.

For the inviter:

To qualify as a successful, the invitee had to follow the regular onboarding process—it was not necessary to perform any purchasing actions:

• Order a physical card
• Aggressive-ish promotion: The referral program was promoted on the app’s home screen with a large banner, informing users that they can get a free metal card by inviting friends. Usually, Revolut houses its referral program inside the user's account page. It seems they wanted to get timely feedback and data on the demand for their new feature.
• Gamification: An interesting touch of this campaign is that Revolut added a space invaders game inside their referral dashboard, which users had to complete before receiving the reward. Such a tactic, alien to banking products, was aligned with Revolut’s playful branding at the time and made the product itself more approachable by the younger generation that is their target customer.

5.2 Campaign D: Cryptocurrency exchange feature unlock

For Revolut, 2018 was an incredibly productive year since they also launched their cryptocurrency exchange. With it, users can trade crypto easily without or at very low fees right from inside their banking app—a much-anticipated feature and timed perfectly with 2018’s hype on cryptocurrencies.

Similar to the Metal subscription release, Revolut’s strategy wasn’t to make the feature available to as many users as possible right away. Instead, they opted for a controlled release to premium users—regular users could get access by upgrading or by inviting friends.

In classic Revolut fashion, users got a unique referral link that they could share with their friends and family. If the invitees signed up through that link and performed the required actions, thus completing a successful referral, the referrer got access to the cryptocurrency exchange.

This campaign was a 1-sided referral program, where the inviter would get access to the cryptocurrency exchange feature. The invitee would get nothing tangible for signing up.

Requirements

For the referrer: To get access to the cryptocurrency exchange, one had to successfully refer 3 friends successfully.

For the invitee: In the referral dashboard, there was no list of tasks needed for an invite to count as a successful referral—only the requirement to sign up through the unique link. However, drawing from Revolut’s referral program T&C we suspect that some of the following were also required:


• Verify your identity
• Order a card
• Add funds to your account

An incentive to upgrade subscription: If you were a premium customer, you could get direct access to the new product, but if you were a standard user, you had to upgrade to premium or invite three friends to get it. This way, Revolut might have been able to upsell many customers to their premium offering since the act of upgrading requires less effort and time than referring friends, yet it’s not as accessible.

6. Goal: Launch in a new market

When launching in new markets, an extremely effective strategy used in the Fintech sector is that of a prelaunch campaign—a.k.a. a waitlist. The goal is to create hype and anticipation around the upcoming product while acquiring useful customer data. Let’s see how Revolut, founded in the UK, did it when it launched for the US market.

6.1. Campaign E: Prelaunch waitlist in the U.S.A

In March of 2020, Revolut launched its banking app in the United States of America. However, that was not their first interaction with the new market. In the months coming up to the launch, Revolut created a prelaunch waitlist campaign that grew to 30,000-40,000 participants in the first month. This allowed Revolut to run a beta program prior to launch and create a community ready to use their product even before it was ready.

The goal was to create a soft launch where Revolut would slowly onboard users from the waitlist into the beta version of the American app.


The main touchpoint of this campaign was the website, through which one could join the waitlist. After providing their phone number and email (the first steps of Revolut’s signup flow), they would be part of the waitlist. From there, they could see their position in the queue, which they could increase by inviting friends to the waitlist using the unique referral link provided by Revolut.

‍ Incentive

While there was no tangible incentive for the referrer or the invitee, this was a 1-sided referral campaign where the referrer would climb higher in the waitlist queue for every successful referral, giving them early access sooner.

For the referrer: To climb higher in the queue and get early access sooner, one had to successfully refer friends to the waitlist.

For the invitee: Join the waitlist through the referral link.

Revolut didn’t release their app to all waitlist participants at once, instead they slowly onboarded the top participants until the waitlist was exhausted—a beta program.

This tactic has two benefits:

• It allows for controlled adoption to avoid overloading the tech infrastructure and to get a deeper understanding of the upcoming users.
• It created a feeling of exclusivity among the beta program participants as they are the first to use the anticipated product—thus creating passionate fans before the launch.

Revolut understood that word of mouth could be their most powerful tool for growth. So, like most successful startups, they fuelled word of mouth by putting most of their effort into the product to make something so good that customers are happy to share with friends.


Their growth team ensured that all aspects of their product, both offline and online, create unique and shareable experiences.

From creative packaging to network effects embedded in its core features, Revolut’s product is made to be shared.


Revolut utilizes referral programs for many of its strategic goals to facilitate that sharing desire and ignite word of mouth.

They incentivize their best customers to refer friends in exchange for generous rewards to grow their customer base with more of their quality users.

They increase the adoption rate of their new features by offering them for free in exchange for referrals.

They acquire early adopters of their product in new markets before they even launch by creating tempting waitlists with the ability to climb in the queue if you refer friends.

Written by:

Nikitas Filosofof

Nik has launched products in many industries for himself and clients. He's responsible for growth at Viral Loops, and he has worked in marketing since he was 17. Passionate about applying psychology to marketing. Favorite number: 42. Let's connect on LinkedIn

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Research: The Emotions that Make Marketing Campaigns Go Viral

• Kelsey Libert
• Kristin Tynski

Heat maps of viral content show what compels us to share.

We’re all well aware of the fact that marketing is shifting from a landscape where marketers can utilize mass media to speak at consumers, to one where marketers are simply part of the crowd themselves.  The bullhorn of radio, television, print and other one-way interruptive marketing approaches are quickly losing efficacy. So how do you get your brand noticed?

• KL Kelsey Libert is a viral marketing speaker and Director of Promotions at Fractl, you can connect with her at @KelseyLibert.
• KT Kristin Tynski is the VP of Creative at Fractl, where she spearheads countless viral campaigns, driving millions of views for clients.

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Case Study: The Dark Knight Viral Marketing Campaign

July 24, 2014 by mws6077 1 Comment

Introduction/Background

The Dark Knight is a 2008-superhero film directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. The movie is based on DC Comics Batman character, in which the newly elected district attorney, Harvey Dent, and Batman must combat “The Joker”. In the months leading up to the release of The Dark Knight, an alternate-reality game attracted more than 10 million unique players to real-time Gotham City. More commonly known as “Why So Serious?” the campaign was designed as a 360-degree experience that played out in the 15 months leading up to the release of The Dark Knight (Billington, 2008) . With people from over 75 countries becoming henchman to the Joker and obeying his every command, they began to scour the globe in search of more and more clues. From calling phone numbers written in the sky, to hunting down GPS coordinates to find mobile phones baked inside of birthday cakes, “Why So Serious?” was an experience like no other.

Warner Brothers wanted to put the fans of the film into the Dark Knight universe, to make them feel like a part of the experience. The Batman character had made the company unfathomable amounts of money over the years, and Warner Bros. knew that the franchise could do even better. From his first appearance on the big screen in 1989, Batman would go on to become the most successful film of 2008(Staff, 2012).

There were many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats when it came to the campaign. Warner Brothers is one of the most successful production companies in the world. For example, during the year of 2012, the company had a solid financial position with USD 12 billion revenues generated with more than USD 1.2 billion operating income (Cocozza, 2012). They have also had many other successful franchises including Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hangover. Due to the massive following and praise over these films, Warner Bros. is certainly a match to be made. Although they do not have many weaknesses, the company has had its fair share of problems. With an overdependence on the home market in the United States, Warner Bros. has a major weakness in global competition, which can lead to long-term problems.

The opportunities do abound for the company, though. There is an attractive profit maximization opportunity for them as they continue to introduce new installments/sequels to their most successful franchises. Also, with the expansion of digital distribution capabilities, Warner Bros. has been able to become a leader of technological changes in the industry. Now, certainly, there are some threats that the studio must face. Primarily, decline in the sales of DVDs, changing economic conditions, and piracy can get in the way of their efforts. Also, due to the decline in popularity of U.S. television programs, Warner Bros. needs to promote and present the TV world as one to watch and remain in tune with.

Identification of Strategic Plan

The “Why So Serious” campaign was a whirlwind and many factors went in to its ultimate success. In terms of research, Warner Brothers was well aware of the effects of social media and video games on consumers. They also needed to target the correct demographic which, for the Dark Knight franchise, was males in their late teens to early 20’s. With this knowledge, Warner Bros. wanted to put the fans of the film into the universe and become a part of the experience. Strategically, the next step was to contact an ad firm. 42 Media, which creates immersive entertainment that invites audiences to participate in connected experiences, was tasked to create a fictional Gotham City, invite Batman fans to become a part of it, but also extend the reach to the broader movie going public, especially women and non-comic book fans.

They began the campaign in 2007 by creating IBeliveInHarveyDent.com. The site contained a single image of Aaron Eckhart as Dent, which soon became an image seen on flyers, t-shirts and posters all over the globe. This move led many fans to post the image onto their Facebook sites, further inciting interest over this new campaign. In a stroke of genius marketing, Warner Bros. and 42 Media took over Comic Con ’07, one of the biggest gatherings of comic fans in the entire world (Staff, 2012). “Why So Serious” was released and became a puzzle that would enable the Joker to come alive and control his followers. “The goal was to extend the epic themes of the film beyond the screen and into people’s everyday lives,’ said Alex Lieu, Chief Creative Officer of 42 Media. “We gave people a chance to become a Gotham citizen and the response was overwhelming”(Billington, 2008).

Game-players completed tasks such as buying cakes from local bakeries, ripping them apart, and discovering a Joker phone within. This would enable them to stay in contact and to be ready for their next tasks. Real-life protests occurred in over 30 cities throughout the country, after Harvey Dent plead for support. All of these numerous tasks led up to the release of an exclusive trailer for the film but, unfortunately, the Joker had gotten there first and left his mark on the world. The results of this massive campaign were mind-boggling. By people sharing images, screenshots, websites, blogs, pictures, etc., the campaign maxed out every marketing channel known to man. Warner Bros. was going beyond its reach, attracting old men and girly-girls alike, indicating a major success.

For the Dark Knight campaign, Warner Brother and 42 Media used numerous social media sites and real-life gatherings to grab the attention of consumers. The campaign used a technique called cross media convergence in order to distribute the product. This result of joining more than one media together to form a new product meant that more than one person benefits form the campaign. The campaign distribution was designed to ensure that it reached the largest number of audience member as possible. Warner Bros also used a range of cross promotions such as social networking sites, screensaver for phones and advertisements. Once the campaign was fully under way, fans started to see other promotions for the films such as film magazines and front covers.

Current Information

Due to the mega success of the 2007-8 campaign, Warner Brother used a similar marketing strategy with The Dark Knight Rises. The company announced the trailer on its website, but told fans that, in order to see it, they had to help the Gotham City Police Department find Batman through graffiti. This artwork was scattered all over the world and, for every piece found and tagged on social media, a frame of the trailer would be unlocked. (Cocozza, 2012). This was such a clever marketing skill and the massive craze of fans led to completion of the task within hours.

Analysis & Evaluation

The Dark Knight case study was one of the most interesting things we have ever researched. It was unbelievable to discover how a company can, using simple marketing tools, engage audiences from all over the world and incite a real-life video game. By expanding Gotham City out into the real world, Warner Bros. built excitement and anticipation for The Dark Knight. There are many lessons that can be learned from the success of this marketing campaign. For one, social media is the most powerful tool to communicate and spread awareness of any topic. With over 1.73 billion users all over the world, there is no denying that the Internet is a powerhouse for communication (Radde, 2008). Also, we learned that ad agencies are critical for any campaign to gain exposure in various mediums. 42 Media, for example, turned out to be Warner Brother’s saving grace and it is very possible that the franchise would have been much less successful without them.

Corporations such as Disney and Pixar face many of the same issues that Warner Bros. dealt and still deals with on a daily basis. Due to their massive size and presence as media powerhouses, the companies must use specific strategies in order to appeal to a growing generation. For example, Disney has created multiple websites in order to persuade young viewers to learn more about Olaf and Elsa from Frozen. Pixar used similar online strategies to get Earth to Echo a bit more exposure (Chang, 2013). Ultimately, the three studios needed to attract a media-centered audience and have done a fantastic job of keeping people interested and excited for their upcoming ventures. There is no denying that media and the 21 st century is a match to be met and we cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Billington, Alex. “Why The Dark Knight’s Viral Marketing Is Absolutely Brilliant.” N.p., 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 23 July 2014. <http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/why-the-dark-knights-viral-marketing-is-absolutely-brilliant/>.

Chang, J. (2013, December 2). Why Disney’s Marketing Campaign Doesn’t Do ‘Frozen’ Justice. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://variety.com/2013/film/columns/why-disneys-marketing-campaign-doesnt-do-frozen-justice-1200908996/

Cocozza, K. (2012, February 6). Time Warner Inc. Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2012 Results. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130206005362/en/Time-Warner-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-Full-Year-2012-Results#.U9Bfu6Xk5G4

Radde, J. (2008, July 16). Marketing The Dark Knight: A Viral Revolution. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://filmschoolrejects.com/news/marketing-the-dark-knight-a-viral-revolution.php

Staff, Week. “The Dark Knight Rises’ Awesomely Complex Viral Marketing Campaign.” N.p., 1 May 2012. Web. 23 July 2014. <http://theweek.com/article/index/227422/the-dark-knight-rises-awesomely-complex-viral-marketing-campaign>.

“WHY SO SERIOUS?” N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July 2014. <http://www.42entertainment.com/work/whysoserious>.

[…] http://sites.psu.edu/spakleap/2014/07/24/case-study-the-dark-knight-viral-marketing-campaign/ […]

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Why Calvin Klein Needs More Than Jeremy Allen White to Grow

• Malique Morris

Calvin Klein may have gotten everyone talking about Jeremy Allen White’s abs in January, but it’s going to take a bit longer for that chatter to translate to a lasting sales impact.

The brand’s January campaign, which featured White in his underwear on a New York City rooftop, generated an astonishing amount of engagement on social media, and led to a 30 percent year-over-year increase in underwear sales in the week after it launched.

But on Monday, parent company PVH (which also owns Tommy Hilfiger) projected sales would decline 6 percent in the coming year, as weak wholesale demand and underperforming regions like Europe weighed. At Calvin Klein, fourth-quarter sales, including the month after the White ad ran, fell 8 percent in North America from a year earlier. The company’s stock dropped more than 20 percent on Tuesday.

The ads undoubtedly did their job, which was to bring some buzz back to a brand that was in need of a boost. The dismal sales figures are a reminder that turning around a brand as big as Calvin Klein takes time — and more than just one campaign.

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PVH first rolled out its plan to drive profitable growth and increase desire for its brands in 2022, and there’s signs that it is starting to pay off, even if the company’s bottom line hasn’t quite caught up. A March 2023 campaign starring BlackPink’s Jennie Kim wearing the brand’s underwear and jeans also went viral, and the items featured in that campaign sold out within three days, Calvin Klein’s global chief marketing officer Jonathan Bottomley said during BoF’s annual tech summit last month.

Those engaged consumers are also flocking to the brand’s e-commerce site, where sales have increased more than 10 percent in the last four quarters. That’s helping PVH’s larger goal of boosting its direct-to-consumer channels to counter the decline in wholesale. It plans to bring core women’s items sold at wholesale, which are currently manufactured through a licensing partner, in-house in 2025. PVH’s net income tripled in 2023 to $663 million.

“In 2023 we fully focused on and strengthened the desirability of our two globally iconic brands, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger,” PVH’s chief executive Stefan Larsson said on a Tuesday earnings call. “During 2023 Calvin [Klein] drove more consumer engagement than at any other time in the history of the brand.”

Where Marketing Can Drive Business

Calvin Klein has been synonymous with ads that generate conversation — and sometimes controversy — since the 1970s. But in recent years the brand mostly relied on under-the-radar social media campaigns that featured a barrage of familiar faces, such as skater turned actor Evan Mock or musician A$AP Rocky.

But the newer campaigns, which, beyond White and Kim, feature stars like Michael B. Jordan, Idris Elba and Kendall Jenner, have sent the brand’s online profile skyrocketing. The White campaign drove 40 million eyeballs to Calvin Klein’s Instagram; engagement with the brand on the platform was up 85 percent year over year in January, Larsson said on the earnings call. A campaign starring FKA Twigs went viral in January after a ban on the ad from the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority was met with backlash from both consumers and the artist herself. (The ban was ultimately revoked last month.)

The brand has also extended its campaigns’ impact beyond titillating imagery. White’s January ads were auspiciously timed to drop at the start of awards season, and Calvin Klein dressed the “The Bear” actor for the Golden Globes, where he took home an award. In November, the company held a surprise concert with BTS’ Jungkook in Times Square off the back of his viral denim campaign that August.

“We think really hard about the talent. Not just in terms of reach and engagement, but the opportunity to create a cultural character, and show them in a way that you haven’t seen before,” Bottomley said at BoF’s tech summit last month. “We put a lot of focus on creating stories and creating content that people are going to want to spend time with.”

Though it’s too soon to call the brand turnaround complete, Calvin Klein’s e-commerce site is growing, an important spot for growth as PVH is set to invest in its DTC channels and reduce the number of digital platforms it sells to this year. The company expects its DTC sales to grow mid-single-digit percentage despite a larger decline in the overall business.

“You have to be able to take advantage of that cultural moment … I’m not saying a brand needs to have a splashy viral campaign every six months, but how do they stay culturally relevant,” said Calla Murphy, senior vice president of digital strategy and integrated marketing at Belardi Wong, a marketing-strategy firm. “It’s definitely a longer play.”

Ban on Calvin Klein’s FKA Twigs Ad Revoked After ASA Climbdown

The ASA had originally said the ad presented her as “a stereotypical sexual object.”

Why Calvin Klein Ads Still Get People Talking

Steamy images of Jeremy Allen White and FKA Twigs pushed the brand — which has a well-documented history of courting controversy — to the centre of conversation once again, proving casting and timing plus a little bit of provocation can fuel relevance.

Calvin Klein’s New Strategy: Don’t Market the Dream, Market What Sells

As seen in its latest collaboration with skate brand Palace, Calvin Klein’s path forward is focused on highlighting its most successful categories like denim and underwear.

Malique Morris is Direct-to-Consumer Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. He is based in New York and covers digital-native brands and shifts in the online shopping industry.

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Western Wear Was Already Big. Then Beyoncé Released Cowboy Carter.

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With her new knitwear-centric label, Amiya, the influencer wants to create something with appeal beyond her “Song of Style” moniker — and that avoids the fate that has befallen so many brands led by internet personalities.

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The fashion communications company is buying The Sunshine Company, a consultancy and creative agency based in London and Los Angeles.

Fashion Executives Examine the Industry Swing From Performance to Brand Marketing

BoF and Ekimetrics brought together CMOs, CBOs and leaders from the New York fashion industry to discuss the shift from performance to brand marketing. Executives from Gucci, Givenchy, Versace, Estée Lauder, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus Group, Ganni, Artizia, Anine Bing and Vestiaire Collective shared their insights.

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Revolutionizing marketing workflows with Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

• By Jim Nakashima, Partner General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

In the ever-evolving landscape of generative AI, a copilot isn’t just a companion that makes tasks that you’re already doing at work easier, but it’s quickly becoming a transformative force reshaping the very core of how things are done.

After shipping 13 publicly available Microsoft Copilot features in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights that enable marketing teams to ask Copilot questions about their data, receive ideas for content from key points they want to make, define audiences and journeys in everyday words, understand their data quality, or get a summarized answer from multiple sources on how to use a feature within Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (to name a few), we realized that Copilot can help our marketing teams not just with tasks, but can completely change their workflow.  

This workflow in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights will enable marketers to deliver unparalleled customer experiences (CXs). This could encompass a myriad of scenarios, from a marketing campaign for a new product or promotion, to managing how companies interact with their customers in key moments at scale.

The new Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

The new Copilot in Customer Insights in now available in preview.

Take for example a theme park—as customers scan their tickets to ride attractions, they can receive personalized messages and notifications across their preferred channels be it: in-app, web, text message, or email. This not only enhances customer experience by making the most out of their visit but also enables the company to maximize customer spending.

Companies often spend a tremendous amount of time building these campaigns and experiences. With the growing demand for digital and mobile experiences, coupled with the need to use customer data from an expanding array of disconnected systems to personalize and trigger the experiences, the time and cost to deliver continues to rise.

Our conversations with numerous companies illuminated a common pain point—the process to deliver a CX project or campaign can extend from 12 to 15 weeks (about three and a half months). There are no signs this will decrease in length.

It’s not surprising why. The current marketing workflow resembles a complex team sport, requiring multiple contributors focused on different aspects—audience, journey, content, and the delivery channel.

Most teams create campaigns starting with a blank canvas; assembling, testing, and going live; then tracking the analytics to ensure everything is going well and any drop-off points are addressed. The complexity and coordination across people affect more than the time to market, it affects the quality and level of personalization delivered to the end customer.

Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights will completely change the game.

“At Campari Group, we’re excited by the opportunities these new Copilot capabilities will bring us to streamline our digital marketing processes—driving collaboration and enhancing our ability to deliver a truly engaging consumer experience, whilst staying one step ahead of the competition!” David Hand – Global IT Manager, CRM, Campari

Companies have data that ground Copilot in brand styles, tone, language, and imagery. Briefs contain a lot of key information about the intent, success, branding, and key points. Over time, data from prior projects or campaigns will drive the continuous improvement of business results.

Armed with this data, what if you could describe the outcomes you want, and Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights could take the lead?

Our vision has four key areas of innovation:

• We’re removing complex UIs that are difficult to navigate and use, instead Copilot will provide dynamic user experiences (UX) that come to you based on what you are trying to achieve . Examples of this are the dynamic project board and analytics.
• Instead of marketers having to start from a word or pixel for every element of the project or campaign, Copilot provides data-driven suggestions that allows you to curate your project instead of having to create every piece. Everything starts connected and Copilot keeps it connected and in sync making any downstream changes saving the marketer time and eliminating a class of errors due to partial changes. Choose from suggested images, emails, audiences, journeys, and more instead of having to create each element from scratch. We don’t believe any of the suggestions will be 100% of what the marketing team needs, what we do know is that even if it’s only 60% the way there, it will save 60% of the time needed to launch the project.
• We’re removing the constraint of resources limiting the quality of experience and depth of personalization. Instead of personalizing to four cohorts, Copilot will personalize to 64 cohorts or more. But then, you need confidence in what you’re delivering to customers. We are innovating in new UX and Copilot capabilities that will allow marketing teams to review and approve at Copilot scale where instead of having to review 100 variations across the journey, Copilot will tell you the key variations to review and tweak and make corrections on your behalf.
• Today, after a project or campaign goes live, you need to assign a person to track the analytics and find where customers are dropping off. That person then needs to work with the right people to improve the results. Now, Copilot can track the analytics on behalf of the marketing team and proactively notify of optimizations with suggested options that allow the team to curate rather than create and deliver business success.

We’re partnering with Typeface to deliver this vision, and it plays a key role in enabling scaling on-brand multimodal content personalization in ways that simply were not possible in the past. Typeface understands your brand in depth and utilizes that understanding to deliver text and images that align to companies’ brand guidelines enabling one-on-one personalization with on-brand images at a scale that wasn’t viable in terms of time and cost before.

“Copilot holds the potential to be a real game-changer. Its ability to seamlessly align our business goals with community values has the potential to save us valuable time on internal processes. This efficiency translates to quicker iterations and more frequent connections with our audience. It’s not just shaping up to be a tool but a strategic advantage.” Martin Nicholson –   D igital Engagement Manager,  Rare Ltd., Xbox – Sea of Thieves

This innovation is not years away, not months, not even weeks. Today , we’re happy to announce that our first public preview focusing on curation rather than creation is now available in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights in English, in all regions. Sign up to be one of the first to preview and experience the new capabilities.

We invite you to explore this transformative journey as Copilot takes the reins, opening a new era in marketing workflows. Join us in redefining how work gets done.

Learn more:

• Register and access Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights .
• Watch our latest webinar on Streamlining Marketing with AI in Microsoft Copilot!
• Watch the New Copilot capabilities in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights .
• Read the release note on Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights .
• Check the release W1 2024 video for Dynamics 365 Customer Insights .
• Discover more about Typeface .
• Read Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI .

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Opinion | Fact-checking’s impact on elections: A case study from Portugal

Elections are the ultimate expression of democracy and the prime metric for assessing the influence of fact-checking within democratic societies.

This commentary was published in commemoration of International Fact-Checking Day 2024 , held April 2 each year to recognize the work of fact-checkers worldwide. Filipe Pardal is chief operating officer of Polígrafo, a Portugal-based fact-checking group.

A study conducted by a Portuguese university revealed that the fact-checking website Polígrafo was the most viral Portuguese media outlet on X during the first week of the Portuguese electoral campaign in February 2024. Polígrafo also garnered one of the highest levels of interactions and reach on Facebook and Instagram. These data points are even more important when you learn that Polígrafo is the only Portugal-based news website that uses the fact-checking format as its core activity.

Fact-checking must be based on methodology and principles. That’s why organizations like the International Fact-Checking Network, on a global scale, and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network, regionally, play a pivotal role in bolstering the credibility of a community still navigating growing pains. The public is still learning about independent fact-checking and how it differs from traditional campaign news coverage.

The Portugal example shows that when it comes to project sustainability and social impact, local efforts are where the true difference is made. It involves breaking out of the bubble and tailoring content to the specific society in focus. It means engaging with audiences and crafting formats that instill trust in fact-checking work without patronizing, all while upholding one nonnegotiable value: facts.

That’s what we’ve been trying to do: with a website with daily fact checks, with a weekly television program that is the most watched (in the information segment) in all Portuguese television (more than 1.2 million viewers in each episode), and with digital communication, through social networks. We’ve fostered a unique level of engagement with readers, including those inclined to criticize us. We’ve, of course, identified classic criticisms echoed worldwide: Who verifies the fact-checkers? Who funds you? What is your political affiliation? How can I verify your sources? When we answer those questions publicly, it increases both transparency and trust.

One of the most iconic instances of the fact-checking of the campaign — from a fact-checker’s perspective — occurred during a nationally televised debate between the two main candidates for prime minister on Feb. 19. The Socialist Party candidate showed, at one point, a printed Polígrafo fact-check to try to demonstrate that his opponent was lying . In turn, his opponent (now prime minister of Portugal) asked, in an attempt to gain some time: “You’re showing Polígrafo, aren’t you?”

Indeed, he was. This small gesture, previously witnessed in past elections by other political protagonists, demonstrates our impact in local terms, but it demonstrates more than that: It makes very clear how important fact-checking can be in deepening democracy. On many occasions, it has been directly observable that politicians refrain from lying when aware of the presence of Polígrafo, which scrutinizes their statements on the same day they make them.

This is evident in references to our publication by opinion leaders, politicians at rallies, comedians, columnists and all other actors involved in the campaign.

This premise demonstrates the potential of fact-checking activities during elections. It also shows that it is possible to use digital strategies — without neglecting positive interaction with audiences — to combat disinformation/misinformation in increasingly challenging times.

Some have asked us: Is the truth enough? Absolutely! Truth stands as the cornerstone, a nonnegotiable principle. But, let’s face it, it would have little impact without strategies effectively reaching the average reader/viewer.

It is not yet clear to us whether the impact on audiences and recognition of fact-checking in Portugal is due to its presence on national television, its digital communication approach, or whether it benefits from the country’s small size. These are clues that deserve further investigation to find replicable models that can benefit the community around the world.

What is clear is that fact-checking in Portugal has come out of the bubble (the bubble burst!) and it is undeniable that if someone is holding a printed fact-check to prove an argument they are actually “showing Polígrafo.”

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