Viral Marketing.

Anyone who actively uses social media is exposed to viral marketing whether they are cognizant of it or not. We've all seen it: Scrolling through our feeds on whatever platform, and we come across content that was not originally created by one of our connections, but shared by them. They encountered someone else's content online and enjoyed it so much that they felt the need to share it with the world on their own social platform. This is viral marketing. As we discussed in class, viral marketing exists to encourage others to pass it along. The consumer does the heavy lifting so the company does not have to. It is a smart way to cut corners and save advertising costs, but must be executed in a timely way that creates a successful campaign rather than a dud.

A key component of viral marketing is creating a conversation. I've seen viral marketing used in a unique way among late night talk shows recently. Today, it is all the rage for Hollywood to reboot and revive older, nostalgic film properties. As prime examples, two of this year's biggest hits at the movies will be Jurassic World and Star Wars Episode VII, both resurgences of older franchises. They click with audiences because they ignite fond memories of childhood for older viewers and the opportunity to create new childhood memories for the younger generation. We see this on television, as well. Older shows are being brought back in different forms, like The Muppets and Fuller House. How does this relate to viral marketing and late night talk shows? Well, seeing the fondness that the public currently has for nostalgic reboots, several late night talk shows are combining that love for old franchises with the power of viral marketing to create immediately widespread advertisements for their shows. Jimmy Kimmel reunited the cast of Friends for a skit on his show last year. Of course something like this is going to go viral---everyone will want to share the playback video of the reunion of the long-lost cast of one of their favorite old shows, and this creates instant exposure for Jimmy Kimmel's show. Jimmy Fallon does this, as well. Just last month he had a skit of the popular '90s Nickelodeon movie Good Burger. His skit reunited Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchel for the first time ever. Of course something as special as this, especially to '90s Nickelodeon viewers who are now all grown up, is going to create a viral surge. It creates a conversation as everyone chimes in of how much they used to love Kenan and Kel and prompt them to share the video so that others can enjoy it for their own nostalgia.

This is much different from even ten years ago, when YouTube was not mainstream and these same late night talk shows might strategize their marketing in a radically different way. Traditional methods such as billboards, commercials, and magazine/newspaper ads were more crucial to spreading the word about the shows. That is not to say that these outlets are not still used today, but they are certainly used to a lesser degree with viral marketing tossed into the mix alongside them. To me, it is fascinating to see the way companies will creatively push the boundaries of their marketing to cultivate something intended to go viral.

Fair Use.

An artist is entitled to his or her work. As the creator of a work of art, they (or a company) has creative control over its use, but as we saw in the Remix documentary, fair use is a challenging subject to navigate through.

I thought it was interesting in the documentary how the filmmaker mentioned the parallel between editing mash-up music and writing a research paper. In a research paper, the author can paraphrase and quote someone else's work all day long as long as they use proper academic citations. The original "artist" is credited for their work, but the new author is still allowed to incorporate that first work to create something new, no questions asked. It is considered ethical and even admirable. The same is not true when it comes to multimedia. The original owner is very possessive of the material and when it is used without permission by another artist, such as Girl Talk, it becomes an issue of copyright infringement.

However, there can sometimes be a distinction between the owner and the artist of the work. A record label be more inclined to want to uphold copyright law to uphold a legal standard, while an artist may not care at all. I watched a YouTube video last week from someone whose videos have gone viral, Todrick Hall. His latest video was a music compilation of Taylor Swift songs. He mashed up many of Swift's hits into an a capella rendition that created a new medley. It got millions of views, and eventually he got a compliment on Twitter from Taylor Swift herself. In that case, Hall probably did not have permission to use Swift's music, but Swift did not mind. In reality, the video just boosts the popularity of her songs anyway. Additionally, Hall does not sell the track as an MP3. It's just a video. He gets money from advertisements on his videos, yes, but not directly from selling any copy of the medley. The real question is: Does Swift's record label mind, and would they bother to do anything?

This is somewhat of a stretch, but a similar technique can be seen in reporting. I love theme parks, and many of the websites I frequent report on news and construction updates from theme parks around the country. Many of these sites are not owned by the theme park companies, but rather passionate enthusiasts. The more popular websites' owners have made a career out of updating their sites, yet their success would be obsolete without the existence of those theme parks. The webmasters are making money off of advertisements on their sites and the use of their services by users. The theme parks get nothing directly from these profits. However, one could argue that these unofficial websites still direct more online users to want to visit the theme parks anyway. So while the webmasters aren't giving any money to the parks, the parks still get more money because of the free publicity. It acts in a cyclical way, despite the fact that technically there might be some fair use issues at play. Neither side will ever decide to do anything about it, though, because they both benefit from the other.

Interactivity

Consumers today are no longer limited to simply intaking information. Elements of mass media can (and should) go much further beyond simply presenting information for a consumer to take in. It is not enough for the consumer to be an onlooker of the media he or she perceives. They can actually be part of it, playing a role in what information is presented to them and how that information becomes accessible. They may even have a role in creating that content. This idea of interactivity brings the digital age into a new era of measuring the success of media platforms. Interactivity is such an integral quality to any given work that if it is absent, the entity practically digs its own grave in its ability to connect with its audience. 

Hongkiat, a website specializing in technology, design, and inspiration, demonstrates the applicability of interactivity online in an article titled "Importance of Web Interactivity: Tips and Examples." The post show instances from around the web of all different sorts of companies and initiatives that utilize interactivity, including some we discussed in class, such as Starbucks and Monoface. These websites are not sterile. They become a different experience for each and every user because they allow the user to create, to change, and to choose.

As stressed in class, the design of a website it essential in its success, and in exploring the article's list of best interactive websites, it became clear to me that design is not its own separate aspect of creating a website. It is not interdependent of the interactivity. In fact, if anything, it is the catalyst of that interactivity, the thing that opens the doors to infinite creative possibilities in terms of how the user can engage with the content. If the website has a certain theme that the designer can run and go crazy with, there will be more availability to make different elements within that theme part of the interactive aesthetic of the website. For instance, one website the article shows is a prospective employee's portfolio. The website is depicted as an aerial view of a cluttered desk. The user can interact with different objects on the desk to see different qualities of the person's skillset and experience.

Clearly, interactivity is a key component in not just retaining a user for a longer period of time, but allowing them to connect with the website instead of their experience being a passive one. To celebrate our accomplishments in learning about interactivity, please enjoy this video of a surfing pig. I bet he's ready for a fun Hawaiian luau.

Info and Networks.

With the click of a button, at the tip of our finger, is the ability to communicate. To pass along. To share. Now more than ever, the sphere of influence each person with Internet access has can be wider than ever, exponentially so. I identify with Reed's Law, a summation of Web 2.0, which states that a network that has "n" members increases its utilities by 2 raised to the power of "n". This is essentially exemplified in anything that goes viral today: a piece of media that is shared so many times that countless people know about it insanely quickly. It might even become part of popular culture.

One such example is “Bad Luck Brian.” An unknown boy named Brian had an awkward school yearbook picture, which was shared so many times that it came to have an identity of its own. It was dubbed “Bad Luck Brian” and became a meme used in various situations as a humorous response to unfortunate, awkward, or disappointing news. If you show the picture to any given person, they are likely to at least recognize it, even if they do not know its full origins. Bad Luck Brian’s fabrication into our culture is an example of Reed’s Law.

It is always difficult to predict the future of technology because it moves forward with such rapid speed. Five years ago, social media was an aspect of our lives but it was not an essential aspect of it like many people view it today. It was not a juggernaut force that it has since become. As new apps are introduced, existing ones see a shift in purpose. For example, many people still use Facebook today, but their reasons for using it are decidedly different from when it was first introduced. Personally, I use Facebook now as a means of networking for various groups or organizations that I am part of. Its purpose (for me, at least) as an outlet for sharing what I am doing at any given moment is now slanted more toward Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, depending on the type of medium I wish to use (text, photography, or video). Likewise, it is interesting to think about how some of those current apps might be either obsolete or hold different purpose to us over the course of the next five years. As we see trends occur in communication (like, for example, the current rise of multimedia-based communication more than just words on a screen), we will see each new app introduced as an attempt to improve upon the current atmosphere, the current pulse of communication.

To conclude today's post, please enjoy this video of an authentic Hawaiian tiki luau bird.

Generation Like.

"Weston Lawrence, Ben Peterson, and 4 others liked your photo."

"Your tweet was favorited by @brodyprice."

"9 people liked your status."

These notifications stream our many platforms of social media on a daily basis, informing us as users which of our connections "like" our content. The likes act as validity, as affirmation. On a surface level, they let us know our posted material is worthwhile, but when peeling back the layers, they are indicative of much more. They boost self-worth. They give us a sense of comfort, of security, of love. They remind us, in essence, that we are noticed in a saturated online environment vying for the attention of anyone and everyone. The documentary Generation Like explores this concept by examining both sides of the spectrum: those who like and those who are being liked.



1. Four key terms are important to the way users connect with each other online.

Interaction is a response of any kind. It is not necessarily metric. It can be stripped down to an individual level to observe how a user perceives a given piece of content. A YouTuber may peruse through feedback comments on a new video to gauge the tone of how viewers reacted to the video without counting how many comments were written or using the comment number as a means of direction.

Engagement is explicitly the number of people who interacted with a piece of content. It is a trackable, measurable slice of data that can be analyzed and evaluated based on an initiative's goals and growth. The Hunger Games campaign was able to track the engagements of its fan to determine a clear "top" fan based on a numerical value.

Reach is the number of people exposed to content. It does not necessarily mean each person noticed the content or interacted with it. It simply means that it was exposed to them in some way, whether they paid attention to it or not. A celebrity may hire a professional campaigner to design his or her website or online presence to widen the reach they are having. This may mean that the person is not even posting his or her own content, even if it appears that way.

Target is the audience for content. If a company or creator of content does not have an idea for whom it wants to reach  Companies often intentionally pay attention to what other things or people their fans "like" so that they can partner with those entities in order to have the most efficient target possible.


2. I typically like something on Facebook for one of three primary reasons:

• I agree with the content.
• The post makes me smile.
• To support the person who posted it.

I try not to like everything I see so as to allow my like to hold value, but I also want to be supportive of my friends. People post all varieties of content for many different purposes: some to share what's on their mind, others to say something comedic, others still to weigh in on a serious societal issue. Individual people are not exclusive to just one of these categories, and there is certainly a fair bit of grey matter in categorizing information. Usually, though, my choice to like or ignore something will pertain to one of the three reactions listed above.

3. There is definitely an influence in what I post and what I like if I am able to predict others' responses to it. People have a natural tendency to want to be affirmed and know that other people agree with them. And, for better or for worse, this can affect the content of what I post. If a certain post I share doesn't get a lot of likes, I might be hesitant to post something similar in the future or even be tempted to delete it altogether. Oppositely, if something I create gets what I would consider a "good" response, I'll be more likely to craft similar content.

4. An influencer is someone whose online presence directly impacts the users who intake his or her content. They buy in so deeply into the influencer's mindset, preferences, and hobbies that the influencer can be utilized by companies as a means of advertisement. Tyler Oakley is an example of a strong influencer on YouTube. His personal vlogs began to get so much attention that viewers wanted to purchase items that he featured, and now Oakley is a living, breathing ad for numerous products as companies give him things to include in his videos.

5. A clever tactic to sell a product is simply grabbing attention, and one way to do that is to tap into topical issues and current events in a way that does not really relate to the product itself, but places the product at the forefront of the public eye. It makes a statement that attracts attention in a shareable way. Oreo did this to support gay pride by making a Facebook post depicting an Oreo cookie with rainbow-colored filling. People who support the same movement may be inclined to share the post. In their mind, they're saying, "I support this movement." Inadvertently, however, they are also providing Oreo with free ads with each share they make, indirectly saying, "Buy Oreos!"

6. Companies must adapt to current technologies in order to remain relevant in the modern world and reach people where they're at. They can use social media platforms not only as an industry standard, but to infuse creativity into their marketing initiatives through the various mediums that social media allow. Vine allows a company to push themselves to relay a visual message in 7 seconds. Instagram challenges a company to communicate through a single image. They simultaneously remain relevant while also reaching the target in a creative way.

7. Marketers can use social media to build brand trust. If an influencer comes to have a steady amount of supporters, followers, or fans, other prospective influencers can use the trust associated with that person as a platform to boost their own self through collaboration. Trust is built toward the new person because the viewer already trusts the first person.

8. Celebrities can use social media as a way to market themselves. People want to follow celebrities they are fans of, and by building an effective online presence, celebrities can build their fan base to the point that when they have a new product releasing, users will want to purchase or experience it. A celebrity or chooses not to use online platforms denies himself or herself of an extremely effective tool to broaden his or her reach.

9. Corporate sponsorship is basically online product placement. An influencer has such a great impact on users that the users buy things that the influencer likes. The skater Baby Scumbag is an example of a YouTuber who utilizes corporate sponsorship. His skating attracted such immense attention online that clothing companies now give him gear to wear in his videos with the hopes that viewers will see the clothes and want to wear them themselves.

10. Marketers are transparent and invisible at the same time when using technology. They spur interactivity of their content through contests, sharing, and fostering a culture that gets people excited to tell others about their products and services. In a way, being so blatant about their motives makes them extremely transparent. They are directly telling consumers to participate and share their content. However, at the same time, do users realize the pawn they represent and the big-picture marketing plan they are part of? If they don't, then the marketers are, in a way, invisible, even though they also could not be more obvious. That being said, does it matter? If a user is willing to share the content and the company creates a healthy system of revenue, is it important if something is transparent or invisible? I would argue not, perhaps only not so in relation someone's personal values and what they deem to be behavior of integrity.

11. The Hunger Games involves contestants pitted in an arena and manipulated by forces beyond their control in a game of survival. If a contestant performs well, they are given resources from outside advertisers who support their game. This mirrors advertising using social media. A company, person, or group places content into the open with the hopes that it will catch on. If it does, other people or companies may support it or want to advertise with it, and only the successful will remain around at the end.

What an interesting documentary! To celebrate such a great film, please enjoy this video of a singing volcano. He sure is having fun at his own luau, wouldn't you say so?

Hello.

"Do not try to control it. Let the torch guide you. Its fire knows the way, knows all, knows life."
-Renowned Tiki Master Caleb Smith

My name is Blake. I study Electronic Media at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

Communicating through media has always fascinated me, whether through video or print. These interests have spurred hobbies in amateur video blog production and writing. Theme parks and animated films inspire me. The way both mediums are able to transport a guest to an experience of their dreams in a way that is delivered with excellence is something I strive to attain in my future career. I currently report Disney Animation news for Rotoscopers.com and travel advice for WDWRadio.com.

I love my church. Being part of Elevation App State has propelled my college experience to be  much more than I thought it could be. Being part of a team for a common purpose fuels a healthy, collaborative, rewarding environment to call home.

Hopefully this blog will act as a means to express thoughts and contribute value toward our class discussions in a relaxed, stress-free atmosphere that invites you to do like the tikis do. After all, you know what they say: Aloha means aloha, and if it's good enough for the volcano, it's good enough for me.