Design Studies: What Came First, The Viral Or Design?

While YouTubing my weekend away as it's too dark and miserable outside to contemplate socialising, I came across this:

It's everything I've been looking for. It's for The Conran Shop, and it's a Viral advert that promotes designers.

Rubber Republic are a UK based company, whose sister site - Viral Ad Networks - provide viral marketing. Above is an example of their work. 

Established in 2001 they have gathered quite an extensive and impressive list of clientele; including the likes of Channel 4, Nokia, Hewlett Packard, O2 and PlayStation.  They "seed" your campaign online, by "infecting" popular pages - so to speak. For example, they may post links in forums based around a similar topic, where people who tend to read the related threads would then click on the video out of curiosity.

They also have a blog, which I from now on will be following as I'm hooked! 

Below is another good example, by Viral Agency for FedEx:

I initially selected this topic as a derivative from the Airwalk Casestudy, which was brought up in The Tipping Point, where Lambesis came up with a marketing strategy to promote Airwalk in an entirely new radical way. I have since researched into this, and intend to research further, with respect to deriving how viral ads can aid design. So far, from the examples I have shown here in my blog, and from the many, many more examples I have seen myself, I am currently at the conclusion that viral marketing can promote any product or service. This means means it is suitable for design, as some design is in the form of a product ( product design, textiles, jewellery, etc.), whereas other aspects of design come in the form of a service (architecture, interior design etc.).

What I have also come to realise however, is that viral marketing itself is in fact - design. It can be film. It can be graphic design. It can be an installation. It can be a product itself that gets distributed to promote something entirely different. 

It's limitless and infinite, and I fear I have only touched on the tip of the iceberg! 

Design Studies: Airwalk, Virals - And An Afro Ninja

As I chose to go more deeply into the Airwalk Case Study section of the book, and as I had quite a keen interest in that field of advertising anyway - here is my related poster in response to the first part of Assignment 2, as documented in my "Design Studies: Storms a' Brewin'" post.

After our brainstorm and subsequent discussion afterwards, I looked more deeply into what starts of a word-of-mouth type viral advert. Firstly, to explain, a viral advert is an advert that does not necessarily depict the product to which it intends to sell, however gains popularity for it's funny/interesting/off the wall content. Via this, it gains momentum - often these days through the internet, and subsequently acquires  attention and publicity for the related (or quite often non related) product - thus selling high quantites as a result. Bingo! Easy really...

Well. The issues (as Airwalk and Lambesis found out) can be that it is very difficult to kick start something like that. I included an example of a successful Airwalk advert in a previous post. 

These days the world is littered with YouTube "stars" - off the top of my head I can name at least 10:

Sneezing Panda

Leave Britney Alone

Tay Zonday - Chocolate Rain

Laughing Baby

Worlds Greatest Freakout

Numa Numa Guy

Star Wars Kid

Afro Ninja

You Dun Goofed Up!

and most recently: Bed Intruder Song

Out of all of these my favourite is still Dramatic Look .

Now I am not for one second saying any of the above are talented, or indeed entertaining (well maybe a few) but for one reason or another they gained notoriety, thus becoming an "internet phenomenon". People often parody these, which although can also be entertaining, only add to the original's popularity all the more. These are exactly the types of things advertisers aim to replicate in order to gain publicity for their products. A few notable examples of this are:

Cadburys Gorilla Ad

 - with follow up Eyebrows Ad

T-Mobile Flashmob Ad

None of the above have any examples of the product, they purely feed off entertainment. They do however, come in more forms other than video marketing. There have been Viral Ad Campaigns in the form of various other media, such as promotional games, websites, images, and obviously videos laced throughout the internet, which then are picked up on by unsuspecting viewers. Subtlety is also an issue, as sometimes it works in a brands favour to allow it to seem like an unrelated source, to which it builds up and is released as the advert. Clever, huh? 

Time is another aspect to which is crucial in making these work. For example, websites that are only online for a set length of time, with for example a count-down timer to release etc. builds interest as it is limited - you have to get on quick to know whats going on. This works well for films. Websites that are quirky and unusual are also known to be successful - such as willitblend.com which tests BlendTec's blending power - by blending whichever product the public request. Engaging the public works well, as if the status of the advert is to progress, people are often enticed to return to catch up with the latest. 

Alternate Reality Games (ARG's) have also been used numerous times as viral adverts in order to promote several things, however they often relate to film and video game release. Cloverfields - which was released in 2008, had clues throughout their trailer that you had to work your way through their sister ARG at 1-18-08.com. 

I've linked in the trailer and related ARG site - so feel free to have a go!

I could honestly talk about this aspect of adverts for hours, but I shan't bore you all with my endless examples I have come across in my time. As viral ad's are not restricted to displaying or conveying the product in question it is entirely possible to use these as a way to attract attention to your project/company. Throwing boxes and boxes and boxes of stickers of your company's logo from above Times Square for example would work in the same way - aim attract confused attention. People immediately question what is going on and as we are inquisitive creatures, approach the commotion to find out what it's all about. I would however of course suggest contacting the local related authorities before clambering up the sides of buildings in the name of advertising.

So thats it really. Cause a stir, a commotion, a ruckus - and people will come flooding.

And well, the rest is history I guess! As easy as that!

Design Studies: Think BIG!

After it being commented on during the lecture that everybody had posted their Design Studies work during the night before the deadline - I thought I would take the opportunity to get my work up early. As keen as it sounds, my previous work for Design Studies had in fact been posted for a few days, but as a draft - so I hope you are reading this, Jonathan! Yeah!

That aside, myself, Ross, Fawn and Esther decided to begin Assignment 2: Think Big! We took over a small section of the gallery outside the I&ED studios. Stupidly - it was decided to do this during the Bomb Project, which was chaos. Probably not the best idea we've ever had. Fret not however, as we ploughed into it all quite keen to get it done none the less! The fun atmosphere around us actually helped rather than hindered, as I had suspected it may at first.

This was when we realised that the task itself was not as easy as first thought - due to our initial topics discussed. Esther and myself had both covered the "Airwalk" section of The Tipping Point, which as a group we decided to tackle first. Viral advertising is essentially what Lambesis created for Airwalk - so it was questioned how we could relate this to design. Viral-ad campaigns are becoming increasingly popular, so it is highly likely that we will come into contact with these in our line of work.

The remainder of our brainstorming will be completed and updated tomorrow - as one must dash.

I have work y'know.

Design Studies: The Tipping Point

As previously mentioned two posts ago (in My Tipping Point), there are some things I need to add in order to complete my tasks for Design Studies.

The tasks are as follows (all relating to Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point"):
Read the book
Mind map the book as a whole in small groups
Mind map an area of interest individually
Harvard Reference the end notes of your area of choice
Annotate your references
Highlight said references within your area of choice
Tie the references in to your mind maps
Post as a blog post

Jonathan had also warned us that merely ticking the above boxes would only gain us a pass at a D level. In order to increase our grade we must take things further, which I suppose is reasonable.

I have chosen to reference the entire book, as I don't like having just bit's of something like that done. I suppose normally it would annoy me but, since it will hopefully aid my final grade, I guess I don't mind so much.

As I have read the book, and posted my joint mind map previously, I will cut to my individual mind maps. I chose to map the whole chapter of "The Law of the Few". I subcategorised these into the subtitle of the chapter Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. The assignment had stated we do not need to do a whole chapter, just a selected area of interest, but as I couldn't decide I have done all 3. I have also chosen to map out the Airwalk case study and the Baltimore Syphilis outbreak.

Below are my mind maps of Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen respectively (including their references). Click to enlarge:

Connectors

Mavens

Salesmen

Above, in the Salesmen map, I have added in some well known salesmen that I have come up with, as I felt my map was not as full as the others.

My mind map of the Airwalk case study:

Airwalk Case Study

and finally, my Baltimore Syphilis outbreak map:

Baltimore Syphilis Outbreak

Below are my references by page they occur throughout the book. I have annotated the references used during "The Law of the Few" and the "Airwalk Case Study" in blue. References for the entire book can be found on my page entitled "Tipping Point Bibliography".

CHAPTER TWO: THE LAW OF THE FEW
Page 30:
Fischer, D. H. (1994). Paul Revere's Ride. New York: Oxford University Press.
This reference is used throughout the book to put Paul Revere into context as not only a Connector but also a Maven.

Page 34:
Milgram, S.(1967). The Small World Problem. Psychology Today. Vol. 1, p.60-67.
Relates to how are humans connected. Six degrees of separation test. 160 people from Omaha, NB to get their letter to a stockbroker in Sharon, MA. 24 made it, via the use of a Connector.

Kochen, M. (1989). The Small World Problem. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corp.
Six degrees of separation.

Page 35:
Werner, C. & Parmlee, P. (1979). Similarity of Activity Preferences Among Friends: Those Who Play Together Stay Together. Social Psychology Quarterly. Vol. 42 (1), p.62-66.
Study showed 88% of people living in the Dyckman projects in N. Manhattan have their closest friends in the same building. People chose similar ages and races to them as friends. Univ. of Utah found people say they make friends with people who have "similar attitudes" when really it is that they live in a close proximity. 

Page 47:
Tjaden, B. Brett Tjaden Project. Available: www.cs.virginia.edu/oracle/.
"Six degrees of Kevin Bacon" game. Tjaden created calculations to work out most connected actor, at the Univ. of Virginia. 

Page 53:
Granovetter, M (1995). Getting a Job. Chicago, USA: University of Chicago.
Sociologist found that 56% of technical and professional workers found their job via a connection. Only 20% applied directly.

Page 60:
Inman, J. J., McAlister, L. & Hoyer, W. D. (1990). Promotion Signal: Proxy for a Price Cut? Journal of Consumer Research. 17, p74-81.
Examples of things Mavens take note of. Signage in shops advertising low prices, but not actually cutting the price. Mavens would notice that this appears as false advertising. 

Page 61:
Feick, L. F. & Price, L. L. (1987). The Market Maven: A diffuser of Marketplace Information. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 51, p83-97.
Linda Price of Univ. of Nebraska pioneered in Maven research. Videotaped interviews with several Mavens. 

Higie, R. A., Feick, L.F. &  (1987). Types and Amounts of Word-of-Mouth Communications About Retailers. Journal of Retailing. Vol.63 (no.2), p260-278.
Research into what how Mavens shop.
Price, L.L., Feick, L.F. & Guskey, A. (1995). Everyday Market Helping Behaviour. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. Vol.14 (2), p225-266.

Maven personality research, backing up the above.

Page 74:
Mullen et al, B. (1986). Newscasters' facial expressions and voting behaviour of viewers: Can a smile elect a President? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol.51, p291-295.
1984 Presidential election. Pro Reagan ABC anchorman Peter Jennings persuasive news casting. Survey conducted between ABC, NBC and CBS viewers showed ABC viewers voted more towards Reagan. Salesmen example. 

Page 77:
Wells, G. L; Petty, R. E. (1980). The Effects of Overt Head Movements on Persuasion. Basic and Applied Social Psychology. Vol.1 (3), p219-230.
How persuasion can be subtle. Headphone test - students told to nod/shake their heads while "testing" headphones that played messages about rising education fee's. Nodders were pro edu. fee rise, shakers were against. 

Page 84:
Hatfield, E., Cocioppo, J. T. & Rapson, R. L. (1994). Emotional Contagion. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Mimicry is how this book claims humans infect one and other with their emotions. Emotions are not inside to out, they can be "caught" from outside and work inwards.

Page 85:
Friedman, H. (1980). Understanding and Assessing Nonverbal Expressiveness: The Affective Communication Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol.39 (2), p333-351.
Univ. of California developed the "Affective Communication Test" which aims to measure ones emotional "contagiousness'. Also related to persuasiveness. Highest mark is 117. Tom Gau, example salesmen scored 116.

Friedman, H. & Riggio, R. (1981). Effect of Individual Differences in Nonverbal Expressiveness on Transmission of Emotion. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour. Vol.6, p96-104.
Further research into the above by Gladwell.

CHAPTER SIX: AIRWALK CASE STUDY
Page 196:
Ryan, B. & Gross, N. (1943). The Diffusion of Hybrid Seed Corn in Two Iowa Communities . Rural Sociology. Vol. 8, p.15-24.
Few famers were willing to take the risk with a new hybrid seed, however the when the risk paid off, the majority of famers followed suit. Example of "Early Adopters".

Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion on Innovations. New York: Free Press.

Continued research into the survey above.

Page 197:
Moore, G. (1991). Crossing the Chasm. New York: HarperCollins. p.9-14.
Further research into the workings of the "Early Adopters" and their incompatibility with the "Early Majority". High end technology is used here an an example of products that have not "taken off" yet.

Page 201:
Allport, G. & Postman, L. (1947). The Psychology of Rumor . New York: Henry Holt. p.135-158.
Explores the rumour surrounding the Chinese tourist in 1945 Maine who was soon mistaken as a Japanese Spy during World War II. Three aspects - levelled, sharpened and assimilated.

Page 204:
Valente, T., Foreman, R. K. & Junge, B. Satellite Exchange in the Baltimore Needle Exchange Program. Public Health Reports.
The needle exchange program provided drug addicts with a clean way to use. "Super-exchangers" of drug Mavens used their connections around town to sell clean needles 24/7, when the van was unavailable. Dual outcome: addicts made money (employment), and the service also benefitted as it was more readily available. 

Design Studies: My Tipping Point

Epidemics.

When most of us hear that word we think disease. Media induced mayhem. Catch it, bin it, kill it. Quick, you might catch something. Keep your children indoors and immediately phone round all your elderly relatives to make sure they aren't feeling a little "off".

Swine flu. Foot and mouth. Sars. Even in my relatively short life I have been exposed to several epidemics.

But, after reading Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" I have come to understand epidemics in another fashion. Not only disease, but society's behaviour is also susceptible to epidemics, epidemics of trend. Human nature after all, is imitation.

Contagious. There is another disease ridden word. Again though, after reading The Tipping Point I have come to understand that epidemics of trends are contagious. Not unlike a virus. It takes over, spreading through the population, working it's way through vast distances.

The kid wearing the shoes you don't think are "cool" anymore. What are they thinking? Well, 5 months later those same so called "uncool" shoes are on your feet. Trends start by special people, rare people. People who don't mind being out there, different. The thing is, these trends may drift by, unnoticed in the business world. A huge opportunity missed, as not only did they miss a chance of propelling their own product onto the stage under the beaming lights of mainstream, but they of course, and perhaps more importantly to them, missed out on profit.

Airwalk did not miss out. They spotted it. Trendy Southern Californian teens were wearing their brand. They were making a reasonable profit out of this but they were hungry for more. But how to catapult you're brand into the mainstream, yet keep it's underground original cool-ness? Mainstream after all, it not where trends are set. Mainstream is where the lingering dregs of trends hang out. By the time it's in you're local mall, it's not the newest, coolest thing out there.

This was Airwalk's issue.

So they hired a marketing company to create innovative adverts. Not unlike the viral adverts seen today, they created odd, off the wall adverts, that were highly contagious. But this took a lot of behind the scenes leg work to make sure the right topics were brought up via the adverts. They needed the topics that the underground hipsters were interested in, before it hit the fan of mainstream. This is where DeeDee Gordon comes into the picture, as she was another special type of person. Infact doubly special as she was two types out of the three types that The Tipping Point splits people into. Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. These are the three categories rare people fit into, and the types of people who are required in order to tip a trend over the edge and into an epidemic. She is both a Connector - somebody who collects acquaintances and knows many more people than the average person - and a Maven. A Maven is someone who knows a lot. She is somewhat of a fashion Maven. Somebody who has the power of knowledge and has the ability to know when something is going to take off. Due to these traits, she was able to keep tabs on underground trends and use them through Airwalks adverts, early enough that it was new to Joe Public, but cool to the underground scene.

Thanks to the series of ad campaigns, Airwalk seen their peak profit tip $175 Million a year.

Pretty clever really. All by expoiting certain personality traits. This line of attack is seen every day in todays marketing world, although done subtly enough, you probably are blissfully unaware. Yet I'll bet you trudge as I do like a robot and buy whatever has been made into a fashion must have. Be it technology, fashion or a number of other things. Some epidemics are a matter of fate, such as the Baltimore Syphilis outbreak, yet others are constructed to happen with the benefits for the tippers themselves exponential.

Airwalk is only one of several topics brought up throughout Gladwell's "The Tipping Point".  It puts several example epidemics into the context of Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen, and explains why some trends take off, while others sink. The drop of crime in New York City during the 1990's. The Syphilis outbreak of Baltimore. The Hush Puppy trend. The Suicide epidemic of Micronesia. Paul Revere during the American Revolution, the examples are endless.

For Design Studies - part of our task was to mind-map the book and then select an area in which to mind-map further. Below is my joint one with Ross, with my own one to follow shortly. I have selected Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen as I find that the most fascinating area.