This is exactly what I am talking about, and why Social Media is so important. No longer are our “real” and “online” lives separate, they are so intermingled that we can’t live without the online part. This is one of the most effective viral videos I have seen in a while (sadly Justin Bieber is also up there…).
This story isn’t one about great advertising of a product, it’s one of the promotion of a person. Human beings want to know the fact that talent is appreciated in society, and we are focused on being entertained. Think about how much more people now know what we are thinking about because we have Social Media. We can read people’s thoughts, and the best marketers are people able to sell themselves in the brand.
Ted Williams (no, not the baseball player) tells his story on tape. You can’t help but feel like this guy has been dealt a tough card, you want him to win. Mashable has the story about how he gets a job after this video takes off. People wanted to watch it, they shared it through Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and a whole host of other websites. This spread can only be imagined by some marketers.
The way the video is so great is because:
1) He sells himself (without selling himself)- His story makes you wonder if this could happen to you, and if you could come back from it.
2) It’s short– It’s about 6 minutes long. People want short stories, no longer are people looking for long things to pass the time. This is a fundamental shift.
3) He has a talent– Talent is valued in society. People want to be amazed, they want the entertainment. It’s the same way (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) that fans idolize Justin Bieber.
4) Someone can profit off of it- His voice is a talent like mentioned in #3. Both Williams and whoever he decides to work for and with will be appreciated.
I think video is a great way to get your brand out there, but it has to be done well to be real.
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