Viral Marketing Richard Rojo California State University, Sacramento Utah Presenters October 17, 2006.

Viral Marketing

Richard RojoCalifornia State University, Sacramento

Utah PresentersOctober 17, 2006

Presentation Website

Download this presentation at:

www.RichRojo.com

Outline

Background on The New Marketing Peer groups E-mail marketing Blogs Podcasts Social Networking sites Other tips

The New Marketing

Online marketing is now a mainstream part of marketing communications ($8.3 billion)

Online techniques are especially suited for viral marketing and guerrilla marketing, which are cheaper than traditional media

Internet marketing is typically more measurable and can be customized for an individual's interests

New media help you reach a younger audience, who may not respond to traditional approaches

Viral Marketing

What is it ?

Any technique that uses a pre-existing social network to spread a marketing message without additional cash expenditures

Acts like an epidemic, spreading quickly and efficiently

By using the product or service, an individual automatically spreads the virus, "infecting" others with the desired marketing message

First killer application of viral marketing was Hotmail

Viral/email marketing: Hotmail

The first dominant free email service

Founded in 1995 Grew to nearly 10 million

members in two years “p.s., I love you”

Viral Marketing Glossary Blog Click-through Rate Landing page .mp3 Online/offline Open rate p2p (Peer to Peer) Podcast RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Social Networking Streaming Text messaging/SMS

Tactics

Low-tech Viral Marketing

Mondavi Center Student-marketing Initiative:• Advertising

• Web

• email

Student Pizza Parties

Ran formal & informal student focus groups to test marketing ideas

Barriers: MC shows were “not for them,” expensive, sold-out, and foreign environment

One leading suggestion from RAs: free food

Student Pizza Parties

Bundled blocks of tickets with pizza/soda for $9

Reserved block of 200 seats with special access code

Local pizza joint agreed to half-cost Email blast, student website feature, RAs

distributed dorm posters

Student Pizza Parties

Sold out and had to open more seats

Students sprawled on lobby floors

Pizza place was so pleased they have stayed on

Student paper covered it Doing it each year

Street teams & volunteer networks

Low-tech form of viral marketing Perfect for spreading the word among

social networks May be time-consuming, but… Hard to control

California Shakespeare Theater’s Ambassadors

Goal: to attract people under 35 Funded by Doris Duke/Andrew Mellon

Foundations Core group of networkers called

“Ambassadors” “Shindig” events: $15 for wine, dancing

at performances www.calshakes.org

Partnership/Grassroots Tips

Use a creative brief to articulate objectives Identify partners who have an incentive to

help, get them to do the work Put someone in charge (preferably not you) Pace yourself Decide on evaluation Document

High-tech Viral Marketing

E-zines Blogs Podcasts & video

E-zines

Email newsletters with upcoming event info, background, links to further reading, etc.

Important to keep up regular contact (quarterly, monthly, weekly)

Subject line is everything: make it count Should be written to speak directly to the

reader Best ones make reader feel like an insider

E-zines

American Red Cross

Title: 1 Minute Update

Customized with my name

E-zines

San Francisco Opera

Dense, not readily apparent what this is about

E-zines

Mondavi Center subscriptions email

Topic is clear above the fold

Lots of additional content

E-zines

Mondavi Center Artsmail

As much payoff as possible above the fold

Context and fun reading in effort to keep the reader longer

“Buzz” email marketing

Specifically designed to create excitement and pass-along

Example from University Musical Society (Univ. of Michigan)

Related to text-message party promotions

“Buzz marketing”

Post-event e-mail invites those who saw the show to comment

“Tell a Friend – and Tell Us” flyers distributed as patrons leave the theater

Selected comments are used as testimonials in an e-mail blast the next morning

Tool for generating word-of-mouth for unfamiliar artists/programs

The Elephant Vanishes exampleSubject: Thank you for attending THE ELEPHANT VANISHES

Thank you for attending tonight's opening performance of THE ELEPHANT VANISHES at the Power Center. I hope your experience was entertaining, artistically rewarding, and intellectually stimulating – the unique combination that we continually strive for here at UMS in all of our theatrical presentations.

As we continue to work to develop an audience for this kind of exciting new work, it helps us to hear directly from you, the audience…

For me, personally, some of the most exciting nights in the theater have been those like tonight. I may not immediately be able to articulate WHY I was so moved by what I saw, but I knew that I had to rush to my computer and tell everyone I knew that they needed to see it as well. Because UMS presents so many events for only one night, it’s especially thrilling when we have a longer run and have the ability to get people talking about what they have seen and why they have found it so powerful.

If you’re so inclined, please reply to this e-mail and let me know what you thought about tonight’s performance. And then spend a moment thinking about your friends and acquaintances whom you think would also enjoy it, and pass the word to them as well.

UMS’s ability to continue to bring works like THE ELEPHANT VANISHES to Ann Arbor depends on people like you…I hope that you’ll take a moment to respond. Please note that we may use your comments for promotional purposes, so if you would prefer that they not be used, please indicate that in your message as well…

Warm regards,Sara Billmann, UMS Director of Marketing and Communications

The Elephant Vanishes example

The Elephant Vanishes example

Send to everyone on your e-mail list, board members, staff, ticket buyers to other performances

Post prominently on website

Support with print advertising if possible

“Buzz marketing”

Be Direct• Don’t be afraid to ask them directly for their help

Be Personal• People will share their feelings if they feel drawn into

the content Be Immediate

• Queue the message to arrive 45-60 minutes after the performance ends

Let them know that you may use their remarks for promotional purposes

Email marketing services

Manages your email list for you (bouncebacks, unsubcribes, vacation messages)

Compliance with anti-spam laws Advanced database features:

• Individualized naming

• Custom content

• Testing open-rates with different content

• Easy reports

Email marketing services

PatronMail• www.patrontechnology.com

Constant Contact• www.constantcontact.com

MailerMailer• www.mailermailer.com

Topica• www.topica.com

Challenges

Building a list Someone has to be responsible for the

mailings Generating content Tracking and evaluation

Blogs

eBlogger: the first dominant blogging service

Purchased by Google in 2002

Blogs

Way to provide exclusive or insider-feeling info to patrons

Great opportunity for pass-along and peer-to-peer effects

Challenges:

• Establishing your blogger(s)

• Promoting them

• Keeping up interest

Blogs

On the Boards www.ontheboards.

org/

Blogs

St. Louis Symphony

www.slso.org

Blogs

Mondavi Center student bloggers www.mondavistudents.org

Blog services

Google’s eBlogger• www.blogger.com

Search for them on Technorati.com• www.technorati.com

Look up a favorite blog and check out their service

Podcasting & Video

iTunes and iPods

Portable music players allow user to bring tunes with you

Podcasting

Also allows you to bring a “broadcast” with you for later listening (i.e. “Podcast”)

Online music stores (iTunes, Napster) now carry extensive classical, jazz, podcast streams

Spreading from blogs and messaging to music- and video-sharing

Podcasting

Podcasts can deepen the experience

California Shakespeare Theater

Podcasting

Podcasts can broaden your reach

UC Davis Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony

Video

You Tube has revolutionized digital video

Allows users to upload and share video with anyone

Highly addictive

Video

You Tube has revolutionized digital video

Allows users to upload and share video with anyone

Highly addictive

Video

Being used to market mainstream products (Saw III, Milwaukee’s Best Light)

Video

Remains to be explored by arts organizations

Requires that you have video (and the rights) to upload

Social Networking sites

Part of Web 2.0 Online social gathering places Spreading from blogs and messaging to

music- and video-sharing

Social Networking Sites

MySpace.com• Music and fraternizing

• Entertainment

Facebook.com• Similar to MySpace but school-based

Yelp.com• Local guide like Citysearch

MySpace

Dominant social networking web site

Founded in 2003 Purchased by Newscorp

in 2005 100 million members Focus on music and

emerging bands connecting directly with their audiences

MySpace

Increasingly used by fine artists/PACs:• Kronos Quartet

• Steve Reich

• Renee Fleming

• Pat Metheny

• Skirball Center

www.myspace.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com• Profiles are identified with your school,

college, or university

• Must have a valid email address from the school’s domain

• Cheap fliers, targeted advertising

Yelp

Similar to location guides like Citysearch Emphasis on user reviews, ratings User registers and creates a profile www.yelp.com

Search Advertising

Your three-line listing displays when someone uses your keywords in a search

Your listing displays free—you only pay when someone clicks on your ad

Pricing by bid: you set parameters such as $0.30 per click

adwords.google.com

Viral Marketing

Richard RojoCalifornia State University, Sacramento

Utah PresentersOctober 2006