Why does certain marketing campaigns go viral? What is the logic behind this that puts content on numerous platforms and shared by so many? Kaplan, and Haenlin explain viral market as if it were a virus. You need a host. This host will share the content with a large contingency of followers on a social media network, or publish the content in the media if it is deemed newsworthy. This is called a market maven. The market maven manages a large amount of followers that cross lines between different cultures in society. (Kaplan, Haenlein, 2011) This maven, shares out content either found on accident or delivered to them through sponsorship and a paid advertisement on their social media platform. Once it is shared, this becomes a super spreading moment, and the followers of the maven will start to disperse the content on their social media platforms. This isn’t a sure shot formula, but it’s one with the best formula to create a marketing pandemic. You still need some luck, and of course good content. If the content isn't there the message can be lost. Let’s look at the ad campaign put forth by South Dakota when they teamed up with Broadhead Media.
In 2019 the State of South Dakota teamed up with Broadhead to build a multi dimensional cross platform ad campaign that spoke to the drug issues, specifically, Meth. The ad campaign built content for social media, television spots, print, and mobile advertising. The catch line; “Meth, We’re on It”. This phrase was viewed in a negative connotation across the media, but Broadway states that this campaign which was supposed to be regional, opened up the talk about drugs throughout the entire nation. (Meth, 2020) The SD Sheriffs department even stated that this opened up dialogue faster than anything they have ever attempted. (Meth, 2020) So how did this happen? South Dakota completed the content which consisted of average citizens, and senior citizens doing normal things such as spending time with family, or playing football, or working. The tag line in the corner is Meth, I’m On It. They shared videos out on their social media platforms and almost immediately the content was being shared globally. The waltz describes this as a homemade issue, where the intentions were good, but the messaging and the content backfired creating a lot of controversy. (Kaplan, Haenlein, 2011) While the messaging was being delivered, the people of South Dakota were embarrassed and ashamed that that’s what their state will be known for. IN this instance, the media maven was South Dakota social media hubs and then went viral as people shared. Kaplan and Haenlin discuss this and state that provocative messaging is tricky and could go both ways. In this case, while the information was dispersed and talked about, a lot of the content was looked at as humor and not as serious which put the state in a negative light.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2011). Two hearts in three-quarter time: How to waltz the social media/viral marketing dance. Business Horizons, 54(3), 253-263. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.00
Meth. We're On It. (2020, February 26). Retrieved November 5, 2020, from https://broadheadco.com/work/meth-were-on-it/