Take It Face To Face

Reaching that coveted 20 something demographic is getting tougher and tougher. They are watching less and less TV, they feel both entitled and superior, and they typically don’t trust any form of marketing unless they discover it themselves.

That is why I was impressed with found a video on CollegeHumor.com. The video is sponsored by Trojan Condoms and revolves around the sexual exploits of a promiscuous reindeer. The video is funny, timely and has a great message… it’s a natural hit.

The really great thing about this video is that it is 100 percent marketing. Sure, its selling a hip, need to have product, but it is still marketing. I personally sent this video to three or for of my friends just so they could see it.

Why is this important? One of the biggest cost in getting your message out there is distribution; be it radio, magazine, or TV the more people you want to get your message in front of the more you will have to pay. If you are able to sponsor a great viral video than the distribution is taken care of for you.

There are a hundreds if not thousands of sites that are producing great content out there that need a sponsor. Talk to some of your customers or clients and find out what they are looking at. I am sure they can give you some in site to a video that you could sponsor.

If you are feeling really daring you could try creating your own video. Don’t feel bad if it doesn’t get the traction you figured it would, it takes practice, but you never know.

Do any of you out there have experience making or sponsoring viral videos? Let me know.

Burger King has taken a good deal of flack lately about their new campaign Burger Virgins. The campaign is pretty simple, a film crew from Burger King went to regions of the world where people who have never seen a hamburger. They filmed the local’s interaction with the burgers and then asked them which burger they liked better, the Whopper or the Big Mac.

You can see the campaign here: http://www.whoppervirgins.com. The company that produced these spots is the same marketing firm that produced they ‘No Whopper’ campaign last year. Burger King is taking heat from groups proclaiming that BK is flaunting food to hungry people in impoverished countries.

Burger King went to great lengths, working with local governments, to find people who have food but who have never seen a hamburger. Still many groups protest the ad campaign and protest Burger King.

While people have the right to protest what they want, the protesters are actually helping promote Burger King’s new campaign. Burger King is getting a good deal of free press surrounding a campaign that in my opinion isn’t that bad.

I have been to close to 40 different countries in my life, have met plenty of people who have never experienced American cuisine. Am I some how denigrating them by putting a hamburger in front of them?

I don’t know, I might be missing something. What is your opinion.