memes: the creative circus digital trends class: heddy lunenfeld

MEMES & VIRAL

Marketers generally forget how to be interesting because they're so interested in

shaping messages.

Doc Searles “The Cluetrain Manifesto”

a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one person to another by non-genetic means (as by imitation) "memes are the cultural counterpart of genes"

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Meme

Inside joke that evolves over time by chance or through commentary, imitations and parody. Spreads swiftly and can go in and out of popularity in just days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_(Internet)

Meme

The term was coined by Richard Dawkins in the 1976 popular science bestseller, The Selfish Gene

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_(Internet)

Meme

Content:SayingJokeRumorAltered imagesWebsitesVideo clipsAnimationOffbeat Newstories

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_(Internet)

Meme

Propagation of digital files through:emailblogssocial networking sitesinstant messaging

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_(Internet)

Meme

4,344,750 viewsUnruly Media

192,813 viewsYouTube

Political, advertising or PR campaigns formally planned by an organization but are disguised as spontaneous, grassroots behavior.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

Astroturfing

“Piecemeal storytelling is completely counterintuitive to traditional marketers, whose instincts are to tell stories as efficiently as possible, to reveal everything they know about a topic at once.”

Chip Heath, Professor, Stanford University

How They Did It:•Create interest with 1998 Bravo Special: “Blair Witch Truth or Myth”•Put up websites and message boards for tiny fan base•Feed fan base elements from myth (missing students’ diaries)•Sci-Fi one-hour pseudo documentary on Blair myth including trailers•Let the rumor mill take over

“What's this narrow target market going to embrace and absolutely

make its own?”

Mike Monello, Campfire

The Sound Bite

That's just not our brand, people drink Diet Coke, they don't play with Diet Coke.

234% from 2005 to 2006

AdAge September 24, 2007

User generated content:

We're tired of listening to Mr. Advertiser. But when we get the chance to speak, it's not going to be about brands. It's going to

be about us.

Rob Walker, Fast Company: October 1, 2007

Curiosity Gap

The addictive pull people experience when their preconceived ideas are challenged. For the gap to work the audience needs enough backstory and a sufficient flow of detail to keep it guessing.

George Loewenstein

•Be interesting – always •Capitalize on the “curiosity gap”•Take time to establish a story•Create more gaps•Never slide into low-grade fiction•Be believable•Allow for participation•Get people motivated to figure it out for themselves•Allow people to have ownership over an idea.