In
the world of viral marketing, the Kony 2012 video broke all the rules. Most
successful videos tend to be short – the Kony video was long, at over 27
minutes. Most popular videos online make people laugh – Kony 2012 made people
cry. In defying conventions, Invisible Children did something that all social
media marketers dream of doing: had their message break through the clutter to
reach tens of millions of people almost overnight. Which ingredients did
Invisible Children put in their production pot to produce such a viral
marketing marvel? We’ll try and find out.
There
are three main aspects of the video that persuade viewers to click the share
button on Facebook: it’s extremely emotional, it has a dead-clear call to
action, and the campaign already has a strong and recognizable brand. Of
course, the actual message was crucial, but let's just focus on the delivery of
that message.
AN
EMOTIONAL APPEAL
If
you were anything like me, when you watched that scene with Jacob from Uganda
(the boy hiding from Joseph Kony) crying and saying he doesn’t want to stay on
earth, you felt something. It hit you deep and you kind of wanted to cry a little
too. The process that was at work here is called emotional contagion. When
humans see others in pain, feeling joy or any other emotion, they are compelled
to mirror those emotions and feel those same feelings. This empathy, this
emotional mirroring, is a powerful motivator when it comes to donation dollars.
They say the easiest way to a person’s wallet is through their heart.
Perhaps
you may have noticed as well that in those emotional moments, the camera was always
focused on the young boy's face. This is a technique long used by The United
Way and the Christian Children’s Fund in their Saturday morning donation
drives. Focusing on the victim's face allows for strengthened feelings of empathy,
and greater feelings of empathy translate into greater donation dollars for
charities. In fact, a facial expression displayed on camera and in print is a
critical determinant of charitable giving. Consumer behavioural researchers
have found that in studies, people donated over twice as much to a charity when
the charity's commercials focused on unhappy people’s faces vs. happy people’s
faces.
Also,
videos that elicit a strong emotional response – like Kony 2012 – are the
videos that are most likely to go viral, according to a study out of The
University of South Australia. This is especially true if these videos evoke
positive emotions instead of negative ones.
THE
CALL TO ACTION
In
marketing lingo, a call to action is the part where the advertiser states what
the consumer should do next. For example, in a TV ad for a car dealership, they
might end the commercial by saying, “Come visit our dealership!” In the Kony
2012 video, this call to action was simple and extremely clear – sign the
online pledge, get a bracelet, sign up to become a monthly donor, and spread
the word via social media. Four simple ways to bring Joseph Kony to his knees –
and you didn’t even have to get off your chair.
A
great call to action needs an even better setup. Infomercials do this perfectly
when they first establish a problem, present a product that will solve this
problem, and then finally, show an easy way to purchase this product. In the
same way, the Kony 2012 video sets up their call to action by presenting an
evil child killer, revealing a plan for catching him, and then gives viewers
instructions on what they should do next. This deliberate and well-placed call
to action is one of the main reasons viewers actually pressed that share button
of Facebook or retweeted #KONY2012.
THE
KONY 2012 BRAND
From
its carefully crafted logo, to its charismatic spokesman, Kony 2012 has branded
itself poignantly. It has become an easily identifiable campaign, with a personality,
an image, and even a tagline – “Stop At Nothing” – all of which mean to trigger
strong emotions in viewers and prompt them to donate to the brand.
Careful
branding isn’t new with non-profits – look no further then the Pink Ribbon
campaign you see on the back of cars and on Canadian quarters which signify
supporting breast cancer research. Having a well-branded non-profit helps
people immediately recognize the charity and know what to expect from them.
When people see the pink ribbon, they know it symbolizes breast cancer
research, and they know to expect a organization that is trying to find a cure.
This astute branding has helped the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Raise
close to $20 million annually. If Kony 2012 can maintain this strong brand,
they may be able to tap into funding for many years to come.
There
are many other clever techniques that Invisible Children use to persuade
viewers: the video features emotional, target-market-friendly music to heighten
feelings of sympathy and relatedness; uses the tool of celebrity endorsement to
add trust and credibility to their organization; and it offers exclusive
products that you can only get by joining their club (the bracelets and action
kit). All are techniques long-used by marketers to garner support and a buy-in
from consumers.
So,
if you're trying to go viral with your video, make sure you follow these three
rules:
→
Make your video evoke a strong and positive emotion.
→
Have a clear call to action.
→
Brand your campaign by using logos, taglines, and a charismatic spokesperson.
It’s
unclear yet whether Kony 2012 and Invisible Children non-profit will change the
world, but it is certain that their video changed the way social media
marketers look at viral videos. Kony 2012 is the first real successful merger
of social media and advocacy groups, which is a great step forward for these
organizations. Besides, every little lesson helps if you're trying to bend the
power of social media to your will.
//Jeff Maertz, columnist
//Graphics by Karen Picketts
//Jeff Maertz, columnist
//Graphics by Karen Picketts
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