Marketing Viral: Comedy as a Tool

Comedy is the most compelling tool in a viral marketing plan's aresenal, according to a late 2005 study on the topic, adminstered by Sharpe Partners, involving 1,071 respondents. Eighty-eight percent of the survey's participants said they forwarded jokes or cartoons. Compare this to the next most well-known kind of forward, news, at 56%. Wow. Comedy wins, no question about it.

And let's face it: this is the reality of the circumstances. People are bored at thier job and pass things around to their companions and coworkers to make them laugh. And let's be clear- the funny has to actually be funny. There are viral campaigns that have died once they were launched. The reason? Unoriginal, unfunny, generic crud was produced. Review Saturday Night Live's current viral video triumph with "Lazy Sunday." Now Saturday Night Live has a reputation with people in the know for being, well, unfunny. Then comes this video. 2.5 million individuals watched it and loved it and passed it around. It was humorous. Majorly humorous. And it probably woke up a few SNL-haters and made them take a second look at the show they grew up with.

And based on the survey, only five percent of the respondents would not share content with a marketing message attached. Five percent. So let's do the math here. People prefer the funny. If a marketing message is attached, few people will refuse to forward the media. Hmmm... Sounds like a clear case for putting your viral marketing budget towards some comedy.

Let's examine how frequently these participants send forwards. 25% do it daily or almost daily and 63% do it once a week. So if you can get your viral campaign into the hands of those daily forwarders you're gold.

Just imagine all those bored souls sitting in their offices at a daze, wishing they were outdoors. It's a captive audience waiting for some entertainment. They're looking forward for your very own "Lazy Sunday." Get to it!