This article has been contributed bySri Hari Cuddapah, Chief Business Officer, GenY Medium
Viral marketing is the powerful form of advertising that uses social networks to quickly propagate messages about the brand. It is about producing a particular type of content which is so appealing that it invites sharing among the target audience in their respective networks. The key to any successful viral marketing is the creation of content that will grab people’s attention and encourage them to share it, turning these people into brand supporters.
Why is Viral Marketing Important?
When compared to traditional promotion, viral marketing can reach a large audience at a minimal expense, which makes it important. If the strategy is viral, brand popularity rises, consumer contact levels rise, and brand loyalty is cultivated. This occurs when two individuals purchase the product and, as a result of sharing without any advertising, exchange information. Given the consumer behavioral paradigms of the present as well as the anticipated future trends, global brands have already taken to viral marketing for reaching prospective customers.
Leading Practices in Viral Marketing
The scope of viral marketing defined, several leading practices have come out that resonate well with the target audience and lead to brand advocacy. Finding an emotional appeal is always one of the essential components from which the brand advocates earn. But it is also important to realise that viral campaigns do not happen at will.
In the recent past, Mama Earth celebrated its accomplishment of planting over 3 lakh trees by focusing on two distinct groups of people: those who complain about change and those who bring about change. A man planted a sapling during this campaign, but when he woke up, he saw the pot had fallen by the side of the road. A young girl waters the plant and replaces it while he gripes that no one who crossed it cared to do so. The man sees this and decides that rather than whining, he might have done the same.
#Gymshark66 Campaign
Another apparent case is the #Gymshark66 campaign, where the brand encouraged all gym-goers to make new year resolutions and post their transformation for the next 66 days. Not only did this campaign reach out to the audience but it also recorded 45 million views on Tikok in just 3 months, revealing the power of collaboration in terms of marketing the brand.
Mountain Dew’s 3D Hologram Campaign
In India, Mountain Dew focused on 3D holograms of everyday heroes made with real-time technology as part of a promotional campaign. This innovative concept did not only emphasize courage, but it also enabled the brand to differentiate itself from other market players by not using superstars.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
In 2014, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was one of the most successful viral campaigns, which brought the problem of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to the public eye. Everybody who participated in the campaign recorded videos in which ice water was poured over them. They then dared other participants either to do the same or to donate to ALS studies. How this technique was able to galvanise people around the world for a charitable cause was unprecedented and incredible.
Conclusion
Viral marketing is a unique combination of the creative side of marketing with a strategic approach in the online environment. Learning its core concepts, examining effective campaigns, a brand can attract the interest of the audience and tell the desired story in different forms across social media platforms and times. To make something go “Viral” is not easy. In hindsight, we can attribute certain patterns that have made a campaign go viral but every campaign with those attributes has not gone viral. So to summarize, there are some fundamentals that may increase the probability of a campaign going viral but no one can guarantee a viral marketing campaign.
This article has been contributed by Stuti Singh, Founder & Director, Stack PR.
In an era which is completely dominated by digital platforms, the future of marketing campaigns is often linked with their ability to go viral. Content that resonates deeply and spreads rapidly is not just a chance but a result of leveraging psychological principles. These principles impact people’s thinking, feelings, and behaviour by shaping their decisions to engage with the shared content. By understanding psychological stimulations which drive human behaviour, marketers can craft compelling campaigns that connect emotionally, inspiring actions, and create lasting impact in the digital landscape.
Key Psychological Drivers Behind Viral Marketing
Social Proof: Following the Crowd
Humans often rely on others’ opinions and behaviours to guide their actions. Social proof motivates people to follow trends, products, or ideas that seem popular, building a sense of trust and popularity. When individuals see others engaging with or endorsing content, it creates a follow-on effect, motivating them to follow suit. Viral Marketing often leverages this by highlighting user likes, shares, and comments to build trust and support for more join-in, helping ideas spread rapidly.
Emotional Contagion: Spreading Feelings
Emotions are contagious. Whether it is joy, surprise, happiness, sadness, or even outrage, feelings spread quickly through social networks. Viral campaigns that elicit strong emotional reactions—like empathy, laughter, anger, or awe—are more likely to be shared. For instance, stories that are humorous, heartwarming, or profound connect with the audience on a personal level and make them keen to express those emotions.
Cognitive Biases: Mental Shortcuts
Cognitive biases like belief biases play a crucial role in content sharing. People are attracted to information that matches their beliefs or supports their experiences. Viral campaigns often use relatable narratives that touch audiences’ pre-existing viewpoints, motivating engagement and delivery.
Social Identity Theory: Defining Ourselves
People often derive a sense of identity and familiarity from the groups they are partnered with. Viral content often draws from common experiences, shared viewpoints, values, and cultural touchpoints, nurturing a sense of belonging. For example, campaigns that celebrate community pride, women’s empowerment, or address global issues motivate individuals to share the content as a reflection of their identity.
Neuroplasticity: Reinforcing Habits
Frequent exposure to similar content or messages redirects the brain and reinforces behaviours. This principle is very evident in constant branding, repetitive hashtags, or challenges that create a habitual sharing pattern among the audience.
The Power of Visual Appeal
In the current digital world, visual content is supreme. Images, videos, and infographics outshine text-only posts in engagement. Visually striking campaigns not only attract attention but also increase the chances of being shared across platforms.
Emotion: Emotional stories or visuals trigger strong feelings, convincing the audience to share further.
Social Currency: Sharing unique, clever, or insightful content helps in showcasing knowledge and creativity enhancing their social status.
Stories: Memorable content sticks in people’s minds making it easier to recall and share.
Practical Values: Content that provides value, naturally attracts attention.
Surprise and Novelty: Unexpected elements or new perspectives grab attention and spark curiosity.
Below are the examples of marketing strategies applied by famous brands:
Red Bull Launch
In 1994, Red Bull GmbH faced an exacting challenge as it prepared to launch its energy drink in London. There were a number of challenges including market saturation with competitors and a lack of brand awareness. Their marketing team came up with a brilliant solution, ‘the empty can campaign’. They placed empty cans in crowded public areas, such as garbage bins outside clubs and on college campuses. This unique strategy was based on the principle of social proof as people are more likely to do something if they see other people doing it. Placing the empty cans at public areas created an illusion that Red Bull’s energy drink was the most popular one on the market. This caught people’s eye and sparked curiosity and a desire to try the product themselves. This campaign turned a simple object into a subtle yet powerful marketing tool, drawing attention to the brand without overtly selling it. It demonstrated how unconventional marketing can break through crowded markets and build brand recognition from the ground up.
McDonalds
Mcdonald’s Netherlands, in collaboration with its creative agency TBWA\NEBOKO took sensory advertising to a whole new level with a campaign taps into an often-overlooked sense in marketing i.e., smell. This Smell-O-Vision campaign celebrates the irresistible aroma of McDonald’s French fries bringing life to a billboard (the highlight of the campaign) and making people crave a cheeky Maccies as they walk past. This unique and big attention grabbing billboard installed on the streets of Amsterdam was painted in red and yellow. It features McDonald’s signature colors but there were no logos, texts, or branding, it was relying solely on the universal recognition of the color palette and the power of the product’s scent to draw people in. The functional design of the billboard makes this campaign truly stand out; the built-in slot where freshly baked McDonald’s fries are placed, and a vent system that disperses their mouthwatering aroma into the surrounding area, never fails to evoke hunger and spark curiosity among the people passing by. Here, the use of sensory marketing transformed an ordinary advertising medium into an immersive experience that not only makes the brand stand out but also reinforces its reputation for creating carve-worthy moments that connect with people in unexpected ways.
Amazon Prime Masters Moment Marketing
Amazon Prime took the spotlights in 2019 with its brilliant use of moment marketing- the art of riding the wave of trending topics to spark instant engagement. When Bollywood actor Rahul Bose created a buzz by sharing his experience about being paid a high cash price for two bananas at a luxury hotel, brands across industries jumped at the opportunity to showcase their affordability. But it was Amazon Prime’s sharp response that stole the show, captured attention, drove conversation and trended a trending moment into marketing gold. The brand used humor to showcase the value Amazon Prime offers i.e. competitive pricing. This example proves that a successful marketing campaign does not always require months of planning, sometimes, being quick and responsive on social media can lead to big wins.
Ariel India #SharetheLoad Campaign
Ariel struck a chord with hearts and minds in 2019 with their #SharetheLoad campaign. They released a compelling video featuring a mother diligently cleaning up after her son. This story took a thought-provoking turn when her daughter confessed she left her job because her husband refused to share household responsibilities. This revelation prompts the mother to reflect on the imbalance she has unknowingly reinforced and inspires her to take action by teaching her son to do laundry, this spreads a powerful message of gender equality. It resonated deeply with millions and the video garnered over 9 million views. Celebrities like Rajkumar Rao and Shifa Merchant also joined the movement. This video went beyond promoting laundry detergent – showcased a social issue in a relatable way, making it an impactful example of purpose driven marketing on social media.
Dove Redefines Beauty
Back in 2004, Dove launched a stupendous “Real Beauty” campaign, a bold move to redefine the society’s so-called beauty standards. The brand started showing ladies that real beauty isn’t just about being thin, it celebrated diversity by showcasing women of all shapes, sizes, and colors in its commercials. The message was clear: every woman is beautiful, just as she is. The impact was profound. For the first time, many women saw relatable representations of themselves on television. The campaign sparkled good talks about what true beauty means, challenging deep-seated notions and encouraging self-acceptance. Dove did not stop there, it expanded the movement through workshops, videos, and educational initiatives aimed at building confidence and promoting self esteem. Their powerful message, “beauty comes in every form, and it’s time to celebrate it” won many hearts.
Kinnary Nensee
