Viral Video Case Study

13 March 2012

Viral Marketing in Russia Adapts Foreign Lessons to a Local Environment

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• Rooted in email advertising (Hotmail), with other forms such as videos, SMS, images, games and e-books later additions

• Viral marketing is an established element of every company’s marketing strategy

• Viral videos are effects-driven and big budget as well as part of multi-channel marketing campaigns

• Most recent successes by established brands, e.g. Evian, VW, Coca-Cola

• Lower ROI than in the early stages as the novelty of viral marketing has worn off

US / Europe Russia

• Video is from the beginning the primary viral marketing medium, although interactive games are gaining in popularity

• Only few companies, and often only Western companies, use viral campaigns

• Viral videos are content-driven and play on novelty and edginess due to budget constraints

• Most recent successes by small start-ups, e.g. Travelmenu

• High ROI as significant brand awareness is achieved despite small budget productions

Medvedev’s New Year’s Speech (released in Dec 2011)

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• 6 million views on YouTube within 3 months• Site traffic increases 5 times within 48 hours• 90% new visitors• Order volume increases 2.5 times

• Winner of multiple awards on YouTube and in Runet

• Significant additional coverage in social and conventional media in Russia and abroad

A Scientific Approach behind the Creative Process…

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PROBLEM• The more prominent or intrusive the logo, the more likely viewers are to

stop watching – even if they know and like the brand• People seem to have an unconscious aversion to being persuaded

SOLUTION• Travelmenu only had the Logo at the end of the video, but creatively

played on the theme of ‘travel’ by imagining Medvedev on a beach holiday

Problem 1:Prominent

Branding Puts Off Viewers

PROBLEM• Keeping viewers involved depends on 2 emotions: Joy and Surprise

SOLUTION• 6 seconds into the video the Kremlin as a scenery is moved showing

Medvedev in fact giving his New Year’s speech while on vacation

Problem 2:People Get Bored Right

Away

PROBLEM• Ads that produce stable promotional states generally aren’t effective in

engaging viewers very long

SOLUTION• In the span of 1 minute, the video has 7 surprise changes, which keep

the viewer interested

Problem 3:People Watch

for a While But Then Stop

Note: Problems defined as per a Harvard Business Review article, dated March 2012.

...Ensured Travelmenu’s Viral Success

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PROBLEM• Shock may get people to watch an ad privately, but will often work against

their desire to share the spot

SOLUTION• Travelmenu’s parody of a well-known annual political event always

stayed light-hearted while still hitting the ‘Zeitgeist’ in the run-up to the elections

Problem 4:People Like an Ad but Won’t

Share it

PROBLEM• Research has shown that sharing depends on the personality type of the

viewers• Extroverted viewers and influencers are much more likely to share

SOLUTION• Travelmenu seeded the ad with key influencers and bloggers within

Runet to achieve maximum exposure early-on thereby leading to a critical mass of viewership within only 24 hours of release

Problem 5:People Still

Won’t Share the Ad

Note: Problems defined as per a Harvard Business Review article, dated March 2012.

Spasibo!

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Katrin Buckenmaier, Co-Founder and CEO

Corporate Twitter: @travelmenu_ruvKontakte: vk.com/travelmenu

Facebook: www.facebook.com/travelmenuEmail: pr@travelmenu.com

Katrin’s Personal Twitter: @theanimagroup