Get 8 Million Views of Pure Buzz
Where the hell is Matt Harding? And what does
Stride
long-lasting gum have to do with Matt and dancing around the world?
Matt's an average guy who used to call Brisbane, Australia, home. But one
day, he got this crazy idea. It was the kind of idea you'd laugh about with your
friends over one too many drinks. This wasn't a business idea. He wasn't even
trying to make money. He just thought he could make a cool home video if he
danced at every location he visited while traveling the world--all to make his
family and friends laugh. Matt is now quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on
the internet." You may have participated in a conversation much like this:
OMG! Did you see that video on YouTube of that crazy guy dancing? Oh, the guy who
dances to all those songs on stage? No, not that guy. The other one. What's his
name again? Ah, never mind, I'll send you the link. It's funny! You've got to
watch it.
And then you do. But you're in such awe that you don't just watch the
video and close your screen. You send it to a few other friends who you feel
just have to watch this video--it's too cool not to pass on. And so the buzz
begins. Now how does this relate to making money?
Enter Stride Gum
Stride must have some pretty savvy marketing executives. Somebody at Stride must have
received Matt Harding's video via e-mail, just like you and I did. Except this
time, a light-bulb moment occurred in this executive's head. And thus began the
saga of how Stride long-lasting gum gets more buzz than any other chewing gum
I've ever seen. Stride took advantage of the popularity of this viral video and
created a new media marketing campaign using Harding's creative dancing videos
around the world that has brought its brand more than 8.1 million views worth of
buzz to date. That's just for one of Harding's videos in just over one year of
having it on YouTube.
The company has sent him on another trip around the world, this time offering
you the chance to dance with Harding--another brilliant idea--getting people to
participate in the buzz marketing efforts, thereby increasing the number of
views and people talking about "Where the hell is Matt Harding."
And just in case you're not one of the 8 million people who have seen this
video, you need to know that there isn't one instance of Matt chewing Stride
long-lasting gum. That's a last-century marketing strategy.
This century, it's all about what's entertaining to the viewer, getting the
video spread to millions so that in the end, they get to see the Stride gum
brand and that Stride sponsored the video. Their website, built all around the
story of Matt, is far more interesting than any other site about gum.
So the next time you're thinking of how to use new media marketing, don't
think boring. Don't think traditional. Think of Matt Harding and Stride gum.
Deborah Cole Micek, an international speaker and certified trainer in persuasion and Self Influence, is president ofRPM Success Group Inc., a business coaching company. Her latest book,Secrets of Online Persuasion, is the definitive guide on getting more customers and cash using new media marketing strategies. She also writes the New Media Marketing blog.