Over the past year Viral Videos have gained more and more interest from brands. With the likes of the Old Spice Man changing what we think of celebrity sex symbols, it was only a matter of time before brands fully embraced the possibility that viral commercials and tv commercials are both necessary for a true branded campaign.
For instance, the mobile technology category (including smart phones, tablets, e-readers, and MP3 players) boasts some of the world's most savvy marketers and has been a true battleground for consumer attention, and choice, over the course of the past several quarters as seen above.
Apple is the category's current leader, though it hasn't always been this way. In Q4 2009, Apple didn't have any official presence in social video. Instead, Verizon led the industry with over 90% Share of Choice. It wasn't until Q1 2010, with the launch of the iPad, that Apple developed a dedicated strategy for capturing consumer choice in social video. However, despite Apple's new approach and the iPad's popularity, Motorola rose to the top of the industry in Q1 on the back of a Super Bowl campaign featuring Megan Fox in a bathtub.
But as dominant the Verizon and Motorola campaigns were, they faded in subsequent quarters. Apple, on the other hand, continued releasing new content on a regular basis in support of its major product launches, helping to build its relative share.
Brands that make the Top 10 Viral Video Ads Chart are moving in the right direction, but as the mobile technology example shows, fortunes can change quickly. And when consumer choice, preference, and, ultimately, purchase intent is on the line, brands need to know where they've been, where they stand, and where they're going in social video.
