Sumber: Twitter @crisp_v
Last October, Netflix premiered the Korean drama ‘Start-Up’ for the first time, which soon to be the next social media frenzy. Just a few weeks into the drama, social media was full of people taking sides between the two main leads, Han Jipyeong and Nam Dosan. Due to the fame, hashtags were trending on Twitter and Instagram. More than 50K Twitter users were tweeting using the hashtag #TeamHanJipyeong and #TeamNamDosan every night when the drama was airing. Following the euphoria of the drama, businesses were seen taking opportunities by creating content and marketing strategy using the viral ‘Start-Up’ drama.
Holywings, a fast-food chain also a bar in Jakarta, was viral due to their marketing strategy of putting a big sign in front of their branches. Team Han Ji Pyeong in Senopati and Team Nam Do San in Kelapa Gading branch successfully attracted the attention of passersby. This phenomenon is what Marketers called ‘Viral Marketing’. So, what exactly is Viral Marketing?
A marketing strategy that reserved for content that spread like wildfire across the internet. Something that gets people to talk about you, and so you need to give something that they’ll be excited to talk about. Hence, the ‘Start-Up’ reference! You could actually apply two kinds of Viral Marketing; ride on others’ waves or create your own wave. What Holywings did was riding on the ‘Start-Up’ waves, so what does it mean by creating your own wave?
Another example is SECONDATE, a beauty local brand founded by Titan Tyra and friends. Hiring many influencers posting edited pictures of places with their logo in certain places got sparked curiosity. This marketing strategy got trending among the community and the results were extraordinary: products were sold out on the first day of launch. Instead of riding on others’ waves, they were creating their own.
Viral marketing might work better than others, depending on your business vertical, and choosing the right appeals. Hence, what are the keys to get viral?
Nothing is expected to be viral, but if you target the right audiences with content that is able to spread organically, then you definitely could go viral! Holywings targeted those Korean drama lovers who at that time were fighting over the two main leads on social media, while SECONDATE targeted the beauty community, mostly women.
Secondly, be unexpected! Who thought that a big fast-food chain and bar could actually put Korean drama references in front of the restaurant. Last but not least, be bold! Grab the attention of the public. SECONDATE posted edited pictures, but they were going bold and they did catch the public attention.
The ultimate question is, does viral marketing make sense for your brand? Like any other marketing strategy, this approach is risky and requires testing, growth, and calculations. Holywings had trended before with their Indomie Martini and other alcohol-flavored Indomies. Even though it sparked some criticisms from people on social media, but it got viral anyway.
Thus, choosing the right appeal and the right strategy will be an important first step, but you can also use other tactics to improve the likelihood of success. We want to hear from you, though. Ever successfully gone viral?
