The Tweet Seen Round the World and What Marketers Can Learn
The Oscars provided no shortage of social conversation, but what took the cake was a "selfie" from Oscar host Ellen Degeneres that featured several other celebrities including Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence and others. The photo was taken with a Samsung phone to help promote Samsung devices. The result was more than any tweet had ever achieved.
The photo received more than 3.3 million retweets and nearly 1.9 million favorites, killing the previous record of President Brack Obama's tweet after being reelected.
That's a high benchmark for any brand to achieve, but there are a few things to learn from this viral cocktail.
It was authentic. The tweet was not overt branding. It was content and Samsung became a part of the story but not the story. People retweeted a piece of content that felt authentic to the content creator. Had it been a blatant advertisement, fewer people would have shared. There was no logo. There was no branding. Still, Samsung became part of the story. Whether or not it achieved their desired objective is for them to decide.
Mass media provided the fuel. The tweet occurred during a major cultural television event. Many were watching all at the same time. People were primed and ready to engage and interact. Live events like the Oscars are social TV powerhouses. People want to share their thoughts and follow the people who are part of the event. Other viral successes like Oreo's Super Bowl tweet and even Old Spice's viral success started with massive TV audiences.
Influencers matter. A third party spreading brand's message is very different than a brand spreading its own message. There is power in identifying influencers, forging mutually beneficial relationships and giving them the reasons and means to share your brand.
It was simple. This was not an elaborate stunt by any stretch of the imagination. Create content for an engaged audience and let the magic happen. People were not asked to overcome several barriers to be part of the action. It wasn't even a great photo!
Viral content is not created by following an equation or checking off a series of boxes. It's the outcome of creating content people will care about (easier said than done). Not every piece of content will spread. Too many factors are out of marketers' control. However, marketers can learn from successful campaigns and consider what made them work. Don't duplicate a program. See what elements can be emulated and if there are elements to avoid.