BLENDING THE PERFECT VIRAL CAMPAIGN

The first time you watch a Blendtec video you wonder, “Is this for real?” “No way” you think as the nice goggled man in the white lab coat puts a golf club in a blender and grinds it down to fine dust. Throw in some funky 60’s music and a little psychedelic mood lighting and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for an award-winning viral campaign that has spread across the web like wildfire.

Since posting the first “Will It Blend?” videos on YouTube, Blendtec has logged hundreds of millions of hits and achieved cult status. They’ve also realized huge sales increases of 700 per cent in the last few years. Not bad for a previously faceless, small Utah-based maker of commercial and home kitchen blenders.

The folks at Blentec knew they had the best blender in the world, but people didn’t know who they were. They couldn't afford tens of thousands of dollars for a marketing campaign that uses traditional print or TV ads, so they went viral instead.

The segments cost very little to produce and Blendtec shares in ad revenue from Revver, the company that hosts the videos also running on Blendtec's Willitblend.com website. The videos were a way to demonstrate the power and durability of the Blendtec blender in a fun and memorable way. Blendtec’s videos have captured people’s imaginations because they show off the product’s core strengths without blatantly focusing on the brand. And they’re fun!

A great viral campaign takes on a life of its own and spreads in the same way a virus does. Though raising sales is the desired byproduct, the main focus of viral online marketing is on the creative content that makes people feel compelled to spread the word.

The success of viral campaigns like “Will It Blend?” have marketers wringing their hands in delight at the thought of reaching millions of potential customers for just pennies a head. In the fickle social media universe where even a whiff of blatant commercialism turns off users in droves, this is easier said than done.

Authenticity is the key to winning people’s hearts and minds. This kind of social marketing works because people don't think they are watching an ad. Just ask Blendtec’s competitor, which tried to steal the formula to promote their own blenders, only to have their campaign fail from the outset because they were seen as creative frauds.

“Will It Blend” is so popular that 210,000 people logged on to eBay to view the blending of an iPod and iPhone. The dust of each of these blended products commanded $800 and $901 respectively, which was donated to a sick children’s hospital in Utah. Blendtec also piggybacks on current events by shooting timely blending skits that coincide with everything from the Superbowl to the Hollywood actor’s strike and the unveiling of the latest trendy computer game.

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LANGUAGE OF SPEED CAMPAIGN

Loyal customers are the most valuable customers. This is the thinking behind the award-winning “Language of Speed” campaign created by DCC for Edmonton International Airport (EIA). The campaign is part of the ongoing effort to increase awareness of EIA’s fast, easy non-stop flights to destinations across the world.

To involve more supporters in the brand and lay the groundwork for relational marketing, DCC utilized social marketing media. Connecting the EIA messages to communities on Facebook and Expedia proved to be a great combination, with results that far exceeded expectations.

At the heart of the campaign was the online contest, which awarded a trip for two to anywhere EIA flies direct in the world. All media outreach drive traffic, including banner ads, encouraged click through to the to the contest website where participants answered questions about their knowledge of EIA, their experiences with the airport, travels, future travel plans and other entry form questions. Contestants were also encouraged to share the contest with family and friends.

Not only has the campaign built up awareness of services among target audiences, it has allowed EIA to develop their relational database which will improve market intelligence and delivery of enhanced programs and services. The non-stop speed campaign has been the most successful EIA advertising and marketing program in the company’s history, generating more than 9,000 unique contest entries, and high impressions and referral numbers.

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