Web PR Techniques

Brett Atwood

Web Distribution

• Web news sites• “Viral marketing” • Direct-to-consumer marketing• Blogs and social networking sites

“Viral” Marketing

• One of the most effective “new” marketing strategies uses “viral” techniques that spreads through “word-of-mouth” among “infected” audience members

Goals of Viral Marketing

• Get people talking about your product, service or campaign

• Let “word-of-mouth” spread your message• Build trust and awareness through low-key

product/message placement

Viral Marketing: Pros

• Inexpensive– Others do the distribution

• Increased Credibility– The audience is more likely to believe something

from their peers over something originating directly from a sales person

Viral Marketing for “Unconventional” Products

• Viral marketing can be used to promote unconventional products and ideas

• Example: Philips “Bodygroom”– Shaver for body hair– Embarrassing topic for many– Too “explicit” for mainstream media

Success of Campaign

• Philips launched a micro-site • Uses humor and even explicit language to pitch

product• Small marketing budget• Sales increases• Mentioned in over 1,000 blogs

Success of “Fred”

• Fred is a character created by a teenager on YouTube– One of the first

instances of a YouTube artist attracting the attention of a sponsor for product placement

• At one point in 2008, this was the # 1 – Most Subscribed (All Time) on YouTube

Viral Marketing: Cons

• Control – You don’t control the distribution – Randomness to who gets the message

• Context– The context of the message can be distorted since

others are distributing it

Example: GM “Chevy Tahoe”

• General Motors invited Internet users to create or remix their own “advertisement” for the SUV truck “Chevy Tahoe”

Viral Marketing Campaign Misfires

• A Web site was created with various elements of video that the user could use to arrange the commercial

• The user could also add their own “text” over the video

Goal of the GM Viral Campaign

• The goal was to let users interact with the product in a fun, unique way

• They would then distribute their creation and the message to friends and via their blogs

• GM hoped to build brand awareness of the new truck

Success? Or Not?

• 21,000 user-created ads were submitted• 2.4 million page views• 80% of the ads were positive• However, 20% of ads were critical– The media coverage focused on the negative

Lack of Control and Context

• Many Internet users decided to create commercials that complained about the environmental impact of the gas-hungry truck

• A negative association between the truck and the environment was created

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai-RMD39aos

Backlash?

• In early 2007, Boston officials mistook “real world” viral campaign materials for terrorist-planted bombs!

Effective Ways to Use Viral Marketing

• To increase brand awareness without selling anything.

• To sell products and services that usually include discounts, giveaways or other incentives

• To communicate simple messages that share positive or negative experiences or interesting thoughts, jokes, funny videos and other observations.

Effective Ways to Use Viral Marketing

• Embed messages with programs such as games that entice the user to get involved

• Entice individuals to get involved in recruiting others in return for incentives.

• Recruit others as new customers to share products

Successful Delivery of Viral Marketing

• The message should be credible– Credibility increases when the message is

delivered by a known friend or associate• The message should be compelling– The content must be interesting enough for

someone to want to pass on word about it• Timeliness is key– Viral messages have a limited life span– Interest will decrease quickly after an initial burst

“Online Street Teams”

• Boston-based Alt Terrain arranges “alternative media” marketing campaigns

• “Online street teams” infiltrate chat rooms, bulletin boards and blogs to post positive information on clients

• They pose as fans expressing spontaneous opinions, but they are really paid promoters

“Astro-turfing”

• Use caution in executing this technique• The online community is skeptical of obvious

and aggressive sales techniques• The process of online eavesdropping has been

given the nickname “astro-turfing”– The name refers to a brand of artificial grass– This is because this form of marketing is an

artificial attempt at gaining “grassroots” support

“Astro-turfing”

• “Astro-turfing” techniques have been used beyond marketing attempts to sell a product– They have been used to

simulate “grassroots” political momentum

Dangers of Viral Marketing

• Consumers will get upset if they discover that they have been manipulated

• A backlash could occur toward your campaign

Example: “Lonelygirl15”

• In the U.S., there was a scandal involving an actress who was paid to keep a video journal online– “Lonelygirl15” gained millions

of followers– She was exposed as a fake– Aspiring filmmakers developed

her “character” to build interest in their movie

Blogging and Marketing

• Many companies are adding blogs to their Web sites to communicate directly with their customers

Example:

• Retailer Wal-Mart has been criticized by the media for the way it treats employees– Low wages– Poor medical benefits

• In the past, Wal-Mart would offer a “no comment” to many journalists

• The company suffered negative media exposure

Wal-Mart Woes

• Wal-Mart initially decided to go directly to the public with its own Web site: WalMartFacts.com– That site now redirects to the corporate Wal-Mart page– The site was used to post responses to media attacks and to

tell its side of the story

Corporate Blogs

• Even McDonalds has a blog• The company is responding to criticism over the

healthiness of fast food

Open Issues?

• As more corporate blogs open, there is a question about how “open” they should be for public feedback

• Should they allow for bulletin boards?– Lack of control = negative comments– Censorship = criticism from opponents

Marketing to Social Networking Sites

• Social networking sites are growing

• “Circle of friends” concept• Examples:

– Facebook– Instagram– Twitter

Trends in Social Networking

• “Viral” trends and marketing– These techniques are effective because they come

from trusted sources– Customers “let in” the company and interact with

them