Individual research into viral marketing

Viral marketing/advertising is a method used to to advertise something such as a video or message across to a large audience. It's usually put onto the internet and also shown on sites such as YouTube and Facebook to spread the video/message to many different people. Some examples of viral advertising  for films are:

The woman in black: Angel of death
This is a scare prank where the public walk up to a poster in which someone dressed as the woman in black is stood waiting to scare them inside. This was recorded and put onto YouTube but was also shared on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This is advertising the movie to the people who were there but as it has been recorded, it can be shown to a much wider audience. The video gives an idea of the genre of the product and has been done to intrigue the audience.

Carrie
This is similar to the Woman in black viral ad as it again is a prank for the public and was recorded to be uploaded onto the internet for people to watch and share. It shows a girl getting angry in a coffee shop and using her "powers" to move objects and lift people into the air. The video shows how the prank is done but as the audience have no idea what is about to happen, it demonstrates their shock and surprise. They look genuinely amazed, which signify's what the film will make the audience feel.

What makes a good viral ad?
Not all viral advertising works, so it needs to be interesting and draw the audience in. A successful strategy which will help create a good viral ad is to give away products such as offering the public the chance to win a holiday or even part of the product (e.g. a free coca-cola or movie tickets). There are many different methods that could pull in an audience.

The advantages of viral advertising:
This advertising strategy is a good way of making people aware of a product or brand. They can also communicate certain messages, and if it is delivered in an entertaining way people have the chance to share videos or photos online or with their friends. This increases the awareness of the product/brand and they also help get an understanding of which audience would be interested in their product, and who it should be aimed at.

The disadvantages to viral advertising:
Sometimes viral advertising doesn't always go right or isn't successful. It depends on how the product is marketed and who it is being addressed at/for. If it is seen in a negative way then people will share the video and discuss it in a bad way. If the public and target audience do not like what is being shown, then unfortunately the company have no power over what they think about it.