Press Release Author: Gary Bolton (VP Marketing and PLM)
Industry: Marketing
Press Release Summary: "It's all about the moo-money," the film's leading cow explains to viewers in this video pitch - whimsical in nature, but offering a formidable marketing message on target with the company's branding.
Press Release Body: If viral videos are not in your arsenal of tools, it's time to join other companies, large and small, who have reaped substantial marketing clout with these incredibly popular film snippets.
The term "viral video", which was coined by a Harvard professor in 1996, refers to video film content that gains popularity as it's shared on the Internet, through e-mail, IM messages, blogs and other media-sharing Web sites. As people see certain films they like or dislike, they share their findings with others, who tell others and so on, while the film is shared countless times over.
Historically, viral videos were produced primarily by amateur filmmakers taking advantage of inexpensive cameras and camera phones, and easy-to-use editing and publishing tools. And most early viral videos consisted of more personalized and humorous content that was shared with friends and family.
But with the proliferation of this new media, a number of companies stepped up to the plate and began using viral videos in their marketing strategies. Kodak, Trojan and Ford, for example, were among the first corporations to experiment with viral videos.
Now, more business-to-business marketers are leveraging YouTube to reach their market. Consider Hatteras Network's "Cash Cow" viral video. The video features a mooing cow talking about the benefits of delivering Ethernet connectivity of copper wire, with a wonderfully pink nose and a deep, comforting voice. "It's all about the moo-money," the film's leading cow explains to viewers in this video pitch - whimsical in nature, but offering a formidable marketing message on target with the company's branding.
Not surprisingly, a number of marketing firms have since capitalized on the viral film fervor and dedicate at least some of their services to creating or marketing viral video for clients who value this new means of communicating with the masses.
And there is an abundance of prospective viewers on the receiving end. It's estimated that more than 6 billion people around the globe use the Internet. And according to recent research, more people surf the net than watch TV. In other words, Internet surfing has surpassed television watching as the largest recreational activity in the world.
If those figures aren't impressive enough, YouTube currently hosts 78.3 million videos, and 150,000 are added every day! The site hosts 64 million visitors a month and the site is a near perfect representation of all Internet users, meaning that it doesn't sway heavily to a specific demographic. Based on findings like this, the future for viral videos as a marketing tool is ripe, very ripe.
Last year, Cadbury's gorilla drummer video scored more than 5 million views on YouTube and was ranked the number one viral video ad in the world by the agency GoViral, based in London. Second-place honors went to the Smirnoff's Green Tea Partay film, with 3.4 million views. For companies looking for a new and exciting means of marketing themselves, viral videos offer a very cool possibility.
Sure, household consumer brands like Smirnoff, Cadbury, Sony and Apple still have a strong YouTube presence, but successful companies are promoting everything from commercial real estate, to enterprise software to Mid Band Ethernet access on the popular site.
"The Cash Cow video is a light hearted way to connect with our audience," Gary Bolton, Vice President of Marketing for Hatteras Networks, said. "It's funny and cute, but it's also on message with the Hatteras value proposition."
The film concludes with the phrase: "I'm the New Cash Cow and I approve this message", an entertaining takeoff of the political campaign ads that have bombarded viewers in recent months.
Web Site: http://www.hatterasnetworks.com
Contact Details: Address: 523 Davis Dr., Suite 500; Durham, NC 27713
2025
