If there is one thing that ShamWow Guy Vince Offer can comment on, beyond game-changing household tools, it’s viral marketing campaigns. The man is responsible for some of the most ingenious product demo ads on TV in the last twenty years. Below, Vince talks about some recent viral ads and marketing campaigns and what makes them so successful in spreading the word.
There is no doubt that viral campaigns are the Holy Grail for marketing teams but pulling them off isn’t so easy. Let’s look at what makes the winners so unique and effective and shine more light on this advertising phenomenon.
The ShamWow Guy on What Makes a Campaign Go Viral
Vince Offer notes that most viral marketing campaigns tick all the same boxes, but each does so in a way that is unique to their brand. When a company can harness these various tactical aspects required and get them all working together, it can create an ad that reaches out beyond its dedicated fanbase to draw in swarms of new customers.
Brands successful with viral campaigns:
- Choose their main platform carefully – one that’s been fully tested by the company already
- Use supporting networks to connect with a wider audience
- Know which influencers and celebrities to work with
- Create compelling hashtags and slogans
These are the baseline for a great viral campaign.
Using the Right Platform, the Right Way
According to Vince Offer brands need to use platforms that fit both their intended audience and their future objectives.
Many brands now are finding viral success on TikTok. This up-and-coming social media heavyweight is great for organic growth and allows you to create engaging content in a matter of minutes. Users do not expect the content to go above and beyond in terms of production value, so businesses can get started just by co-opting a trend to their product or services.
However, The ShamWow Guy notes that posting a video that stretches out with unnecessary, unengaging information will not perform well on this fast-moving demographic. You need to know what platform users expect and meet them at those expectations.
Connecting With a Wider Audience
Not only should a company know their current audience, but they should know the audience they are trying to tap into. This will impact what you can consider relevant for your audience.
Some campaigns, like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge a few years ago, did a fantastic job of reaching across all platforms and age groups. Why? Because it was simple enough that anyone could participate, and participants had something to share with friends to keep the trend, and campaign, going.
Other campaigns do better when they focus on their current demographic and anyone just on the cusp. Companies that cater to teenagers and their tastes do better sticking to campaigns on TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter, but those reaching out to the current workforce might have success tapping into LinkedIn and related professional networks.
Either way, keeping a campaign as generic as possible can help improve organic growth by reducing those alienated by the campaign.
Getting the Right People to Pitch
The ShamWow Guy points out that you need to choose the right people for your campaign. They not only need to be able to pitch the campaign well, but they should already connect to your audience and not have to learn on the job.
Whether using celebrities or influencers, companies should know who will bring the right kind of attention to the campaign.
McDonald’s knew what it was doing when it came out with the Travis Scott Meal in 2020. The rapper was socially relevant, and the restaurant created a TikTok trend using the song “Sicko Mode” to show people getting out and ordering the meal.
This helped the campaign go viral, and it was so successful that certain locations were sold out. McDonald’s solved this by making the meal only available on the app, leading to increased app downloads as another benefit of the campaign.
Hashtags
This may seem like the smallest part of a campaign, but creating the right hashtag is vital to viral success.
With the right hashtag a company can:
- Show up as trending on major platforms
- Increase brand recall long after the campaign has run
- Link various channels in the campaign together
Zoom did this in 2020 with its #MeetHappy Virtual Background Contest. While the contest itself was not the biggest campaign that year, the hashtag continues to thrive with Zoom posts. Vince Offer the ShamWow Guy notes that now the company can use it to increase brand awareness and keep customers up to date with news and events.
Final Thoughts
Viral campaigns are always the goal of marketing teams but yes, it’s easier said than done. If you put together the right message for the right people in the right place at the right time, you can bring a massive amount of attention to your product while minimizing out-of-pocket costs.
Beyond that, Vince Offer the ShamWow Guy wants to highlight that these campaigns keep companies relevant. They show that businesses are aware of the way in which the world works, and they are ready to participate and interact on that level. With the world shifting to authenticity, this is a trend that is not likely to go away any time soon.
