Do you have the Gangnam Style?
While watching prime time TV last night, I could not help but notice how popular PSY’s Gangnam Style has become.
In case you haven’t seen it, the Korean music star pops some hilarious dance moves while wearing his trademark sunglasses, tuxedo and loafers and has enjoyed global fame since his video’s release.
Before it became all the rage, I watched the video just a couple of months ago when my friend recommended it for its catchiness and cool moves. I watched it and was amused, but that was about it. It was out of my mind after a couple of hours.
In case you haven’t seen it, the Korean music star pops some hilarious dance moves while wearing his trademark sunglasses, tuxedo and loafers and has enjoyed global fame since his video’s release.
Before it became all the rage, I watched the video just a couple of months ago when my friend recommended it for its catchiness and cool moves. I watched it and was amused, but that was about it. It was out of my mind after a couple of hours.
Fast forward to today and the song is all over Australian television and is played at least once a day on the radio. What does that say about its popularity? How did it become so popular? I have seen numerous other equally amusing, if not better, music videos on YouTube, some of which were in English and some which weren’t.
This goes to show how much websites like YouTube are an integral part of our daily lives and just how volatile they are. Justin Bieber shot to stardom through it. So did PSY, who was previously only popular in his home country of Korea.
When it comes to businesses and marketing, YouTube is a powerful tool. It can be used to assess the popularity of your advertisements and see which ones enjoyed high view and share rates. The site functions like a virtual “word of mouth”, which is very successful in raising brand awareness.
In addition to that, users and viewers can comment, and like or dislike ads, so you have an opportunity to do some market research and find out what works for people and what doesn’t. It’s like having a massive research pool right there, waiting to be made use of!
Social media is very versatile, and therefore very easy to get wrong. If you play your cards right, your ad might just be the next best thing on YouTube.
When I think of a popular ad, the one that springs to mind is the Volkswagen’s “The Force” commercial, which has almost nothing to do with the actual car. Instead of focusing on the product, it shifts the spotlight to the motoring company’s values, targeting young families and professionals by connecting the Star Wars franchise to the ad to amuse viewers instead.
Here are a few pointers for a successful YouTube ad campaign:
1. First and foremost, your content matters. Your ideas should be catchy and give people something interesting to converse about with their friends.
2. Make sure that you do not forget your core values in an attempt to attract attention. They define what your business is about, - avoid deviating from them.
3. Connect with the viewers. They should feel that your ad is not trying to sell them something, but trying to share a message or tell them something. Nothing is more annoying than an infomercial.
4. Take the time to read the comments and reply to them if you can. Engagement is key in marketing, so avoid automated responses if possible.
To finish off, check out Jennifer Aniston’s attempt to make a bottled water advertisement go viral on the internet HERE.
Ashna Kaul is an intern at Marketing Eye.
This goes to show how much websites like YouTube are an integral part of our daily lives and just how volatile they are. Justin Bieber shot to stardom through it. So did PSY, who was previously only popular in his home country of Korea.
When it comes to businesses and marketing, YouTube is a powerful tool. It can be used to assess the popularity of your advertisements and see which ones enjoyed high view and share rates. The site functions like a virtual “word of mouth”, which is very successful in raising brand awareness.
In addition to that, users and viewers can comment, and like or dislike ads, so you have an opportunity to do some market research and find out what works for people and what doesn’t. It’s like having a massive research pool right there, waiting to be made use of!
Social media is very versatile, and therefore very easy to get wrong. If you play your cards right, your ad might just be the next best thing on YouTube.
When I think of a popular ad, the one that springs to mind is the Volkswagen’s “The Force” commercial, which has almost nothing to do with the actual car. Instead of focusing on the product, it shifts the spotlight to the motoring company’s values, targeting young families and professionals by connecting the Star Wars franchise to the ad to amuse viewers instead.
Here are a few pointers for a successful YouTube ad campaign:
1. First and foremost, your content matters. Your ideas should be catchy and give people something interesting to converse about with their friends.
2. Make sure that you do not forget your core values in an attempt to attract attention. They define what your business is about, - avoid deviating from them.
3. Connect with the viewers. They should feel that your ad is not trying to sell them something, but trying to share a message or tell them something. Nothing is more annoying than an infomercial.
4. Take the time to read the comments and reply to them if you can. Engagement is key in marketing, so avoid automated responses if possible.
To finish off, check out Jennifer Aniston’s attempt to make a bottled water advertisement go viral on the internet HERE.
Ashna Kaul is an intern at Marketing Eye.
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comments ( 6 )
Deidre
05 Apr 2016Interesting piece of writing, I managed to do this a couple of times, and so
ReplyI also came out on top once but then no longer. This is actually challenging as a dumbass
Appreciate your sharing a fantastic article , I truly
appreciated this read through!
Manon
15 Jan 2013It is very surprising the way that youtube videos connect the world. I think it is a very good tool to convey information.
ReplyLauren
17 Nov 2012It's interesting how quickly videos such as the music video "Gangnam style" can become so popular as a result of you tube and other social media networks.
ReplyI remember my friend showing me the video clip abefore it came popular and in all honesty I wasnt that excited about the clip itself. I found it funny but didn't think it would evolve into anything huge.
Since watching Big Brother, various tv shows and reading fb messages, youtube etc I am actually now excited by the song and it has become not just a popular song but a way for people to have fun and express themselves.
Amazing how media and large socia network sites can either make or break music clips such as Gangnam style. Word of mouth also contributes hugely to the promotion of such a song.
David
31 Oct 2012Youtube is such a powerful tool and very good at gaining awareness, it can turn the littlest idea into a world-wide phenomenon. Definitely worth uploading up a few videos myself.
ReplySayem Shakir
19 Oct 2012Youtube is not only is an essential marketing tool but also connects people all over the world. With the help of Youtube people can see the wonders that are happening or happened in different parts of the world. In this case, I had the same question as Mellissah why would this video get so many hits? There are few things to note. First of all, a person will view a video if it is of value. This video brings smile on people's faces, or it might make a person go like "what is he doing" which increases curiosity. People have seen previous music videos and they are aware what music videos might be like. What the viewers now want is something new and different. This video has a catchy tune that people can "chant" and also moves that are easy and fun to dance. Nevertheless, it simply shows how a Korean video can be so viral and there is a lot to learn from it as well.
ReplySayem, Marketing Intern at Marketing Eye
Edouard D.
18 Oct 2012Youtube is not only a tool of 'word of mouth', it's also a huge market where are implemented many talents, solutions and ideas for a new value of any 'intangible products'.
ReplyThis is a tool to building many bridges between different cultures. PSY has successfully his bet by means of a new way for the Pop culture. He uses his mother-length and believes in Audacity.
The most important for today's challenge, is to create an 'effect surprise', overlap different tools of word of
mouth eg. FB, Tweeter, Events as well.
Think about Red Bull with Felix Baumgartner, Red Bull hadn't used Youtube few weeks ago.
Cheers,
Edouard, intern at Marketing Eye.