Post: Anusha Srikanth
Virals Deciphered.
There are some ads that go viral online almost instantly and others simple don’t. What makes an ad tick right away and others just go straight into trash? According to Harvard Business School Professor Thales Teixeira, inducing joy could be the single most factor that could get people to view a particular ad.
Prof. Teixeria adds that in the present day scenario ads made for TV don’t usually get noticed when viewers are flipping channels, the ads get viewed only in the beginning and viewers are not drawn into the ad to watch it till the end. He goes to suggest that the traditional storyline which carries a twist in the end be altered. That means, humour + an interesting draw within five seconds of opening will get maximum attention to the ad. Prof. Teixeria gives the example of Old Spice virals that bait the viewers with drama and humour. You can view the The Old Spice Man here.
Take 5 to make your ads watchable to say the least.
- Induce joy. Give people a reason to share.
- Make it interesting from start to finish and don’t leave the humour till the end.
- Add a lasting catch phrase/ tune while signing off. (This has not changed over the years)
- Do not hide content behind branding (A new study suggests that while people are happy to watch interesting ads, big branding or intrusive logo puts them off. Keeping branding to minimum reduces the pushiness of a campaign.
- People like to share to show off knowledge. The sharing has never been about the receiver but more about the sender’s pride. Give content that reason which makes a person sharing the ad look smart.
You could read more on The New Science of Viral Ads here http://hbr.org/2012/03/the-new-science-of-viral-ads/ar/1
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