To start things off, let me just explain a bit about what the term "Viral Video" & "Viral Marketing" means.
According to Wikipedia (2011),
"Viral videos are videos, often containing humor, shared through an online social networking platform such as YouTube and has gain its popularity in a short period of time."
"Viral marketing is a buzzword referring to marketing techniques that uses social network platforms to increase brand awareness or achieve other marketing objectives."
In the show, they talked about a user generated video of a "Fake Skittle Commercial". The clip has gone Viral and received more than 3 Million hits in less than a month through YouTube and Vemeo. In the clip it also mentioned that the video has nothing to do with "Skittles", therefore making it a fake ads spreading across the internet. Check out the video below.
Note: (I am really sorry for the inappropriateness of this video ><", but it is the actual video that was shown on Gruen Transfer (Half Censored - This one is Original Version) and made me want to blog about!)
Apparently, in the Gruen Transfer show, it mentioned an interesting point about how "Viral Videos" are normally taken down by the companies due to the image and contents that social media users generates about the brand. However, this video hasn't been taken down just yet. Why is that?
The experts mentioned that the video is actually helping "Skittles" to increase its brand awareness through its attention catching content. Moreover, many viewers also suspect that this is an actual "Skittles" banned or leaked video, where the experts in Gruen Transfer also mentions that it has all the characteristics of a real branding commercial. However, it is mentioned that it has nothing to do with "Skittles" at the beginning clip, which makes it interesting in the fact that "Skittles" has not taken any action to this particular "Fake Ad".
Should "Skittles" take any action on this viral clip? or should they keep it on there since it is somehow beneficial their brand?
In my opinion, I guess because it is beneficial to the company, may not be the right image to convey but definitely did a great job in increasing brand awareness, Skittles should not take any action towards this clip. However, the image and content of the video in my opinion is quiet inappropriate, since Skittles is a candy brand targeting children.
What would you do if you were Skittles, and what do you think about the Viral Video? Comments :)
PS. I couldn't post the "Gruen Transfer" Video in here, if you would like to watch the show, you can follow this link. It is at the "Ad Cruch" part at around 19:20. Enjoy!).
As Todd Samson mentioned - it may not be appropriate, but Skittles havent got this sort of exposure EVER and certainly not for free. Is it damaging to their brand? Would someone not buy skittles because of it? For me - it has brought it to the forefront of my 'sweets consideration set'and probably has done for circa 2,148,000 viewers... They probably hate it, but potentially seen a huge spike in sales, so have made the business decision to keep it.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't take it down. All consumers know it has nothing to do with skittles because it is mentioned, so skittles won't get a bad wrap for the type of ads that they put out there, yet the awareness something like this raises (especially being free) is amazing.
ReplyDeleteRoss
That's an interesting case, Chun! I agree with Rhonda. The video could be inappropriate, but Skittles is a serious company and they should have done an analyses to determine to let this online. Maybe its sales have increased...However, this could affect what people think about Skittles' product quality and the concepts associated to its brand.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder about brands "distancing" themselves from supposed "unofficial" virals. Is there a chance that they were actually involved in the creation of this, just to give their brand (a) a bit of "character", and (b) some additional WoM?
ReplyDeleteIsn't ?any publicity good publicity??
@Wags it does somehow feel like Skittles is invovled however in the video it is claimed its not. But i am very surprised on how this video is still on Youtube. Like you said, i think it sure did skittles a favor ofbgenerating additional WOM.
ReplyDeleteSuch unofficial virals if it was done badly may affect the brand, so i think that is why many firms monitor its social media in order to take out the unintendedor unneeded messages that may harm the company. Although it leads to a higher WOM for skittles, but wouldnt thisbbe giving too much character to the brand skittles?
Yeeeouch, can't imagine passing a skittle, let alone multiple skittles?!! It's certainly achieving global reach and it's interesting that some online viewers seem a bit put out that the Gruen watchers found it after seeing the show. I always thought that getting 5 skittles for 20c out of the slot machine was a bit unhygienic, this for some reason reinforces that!
ReplyDeleteThis video left me feeling really weird hahahaha anyways, I agree with Ross. I don't think the video's doing any harm to skittles' sales.
ReplyDelete