Everyone knows how to create a viral campaign
But it doesn't come as easily as it might seem. Luck plays a very small part in the equation. Most success comes down to insight and creativity.
It's a common misconception that spending enough money will eventually make a campaign successful. There may be some companies that are able to do this, but in the end their efforts will be in vain. Intrusive and annoying campaigns only serve to alienate the public.
The Real Secret of Viral Campaign Success
So what are the secret ingredients? How could a company gain widespread attention and organically occupy the news, if luck and money aren't the key? Well, the answer is 'simple' - creativity and insight.
Hectare Agritech is a UK startup specializing in agricultural solutions. Its online livestock trading platform, SellMyLivestock, has had decent success in the UK, but the company wanted to raise its profile, and more importantly, it wanted to confirm whether there was international interest in its product.
Both objectives were achieved with one campaign. A 'fake' app was created that worked in a similar way to Tinder, but for cattle. 'Tudder' was successful in the area of romantic and dating apps. Users could swipe through profiles of cows and bulls. Liking them triggered a mooing sound effect before taking users to the animal's SellMyLivestock profile.
A creative Valentine's Day
The journalists received Valentine's DayThey were also invited to take part in media briefings, telling them about the campaign. These were accompanied by a humorous press kit.
Farmers in the UK and around the world were the main audience, but the campaign became a viral sensation. It appeared in the world's biggest and most influential media outlets. The "cow dating app" also infiltrated pop culture and trended on social media, garnering 157 million hits on Twitter.
The sector's media followed the story, which, combined with public interest, led to a large number of visitors to the website and new registrations on the platform.
The campaign used the principles of good comedy: it was simple and clever. They took familiar themes from everyday life - Valentine's Day and dating apps - and creatively combined them with the company's activity.
Today, the viral sensation is just a memory, but the new customers and global attention within the industry are still lasting. Which brings us to another important point: not only do we need to know how to create a campaign viral, but also why we want to do it.