Let’s Go Viral

“Let’s Go Viral”

By Hermilo Bravo, Lei Chen and Xochitl Ledesma

We learned that viral videos is a quick way to engage with current and possible consumers on social media. However, a new type of viral video has emerged, it is the single-shot, easily digestible, and emotionally provoking cousin of a video – a meme. Memes have taken over main stream social media as mutually shared emojis among today’s digitally connected population. The way that it works is that a single image is used to represent an underlying feeling or meaning behind the text that will be superimposed on the image.

For example, you have the meme of the baby gripping his right hand which represents success. Many times the meaning of success is used ironically, when words, such as “Final Exams finished, now to party,” are written over it to show the irony of the event and the lack of success achieved. So the question is how can event managers use these images to promote their events? Well that is simple there are three key ways which I will go into deeper detail about - “I do not always give advice for free, but when I do it is excellent advice!”

#1 Create Your Own Branded Meme

This option requires the highest level of development because you will be starting from scratch and must put

a lot of strategic thought into what image will engage internet goers to not only like, but reuse your image. With that said, there are brands that have done this successfully such as Dos Equis and Old Spice. If the meme is able to go viral it will gain more impressions of your brand to consumers than Facebook, could offer!

#2 Adopt a Meme Image

Why rebuild what is already working! In this option, the aim is to leverage an existing popular meme and update the content to promote your event appropriately with the meaning of the meme. That is to say that you must be very careful that you understand what the meme image represents within the social web to ensu

re you do not send the wrong message with your meme. As mentioned above, sometimes memes can be used ironically, though harmless in general, for a brand this could cause more harm than good, especially if that ends up going viral due to the wrong messaging. So the lesson with this option is to make sure you have expert 15 year olds on staff to ensure you understand these complex messaging tools and avoid a Mcdonald-sized mishap when they added the lines “I’d hit that” to a meme.

#3 Integrate a Meme into Your Original Marketing

Probably the best option when it comes to minimizing backlash from the social media gods. This involves creating your own event marketing images or videos that integrate popular memes, such as adding the “Y U NO” stick figure in your marketing campaign video. This form of meme integration relies on the properly using the associated feeling internet users have given a specific image or action to create that sense of familiarity between clients and your marketing material.

 

Each option presents benefits and challenges when it comes to integrating these illusive, yet popular forms of marketing into event campaigns. Fortunately, these tools will not be going anywhere any time soon and you still have time to learn, enjoy and integrate this growing form of standardized emotional response mechanisms.

Y U NO TRY?

References:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/blog/4-highly-viral-digital-trends-to-supercharge-your-event-marketing-ds00/

https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33197/10-Popular-Memes-Masquerading-as-Marketing-Campaigns.aspx#sm.0001xihxsbmzzdk4wa71v8frsy9lx

http://thinkdigital.co/blog/memes-marketing-good-bad-ugly/