By Peter Vaughan, Copywriter

On the eve of December 9^th VEVO took over New York City with a launch party that included celebrity musicians like Bono, Lady Gaga and John Mayer. At the same time, millions of internet users waited eagerly for the return of music videos, an art form that television networks like MTV and VH1 slowly started moving away from years ago. As the clock struck midnight and the site went live, VEVO’s traffic servers struggled to handle the flood of eyeballs that flocked to the music video revolution.

But make no mistake about it, this wasn’t some kind of happy accident. Red Bricks Media worked closely with VEVO to architect an effective social media strategy that included tactics on channels like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and even eBay. At the heart of our campaign were viral videos featuring popular musicians in an act of defiance against obsolete media, a sentiment that would come to embody VEVO’s brand message.

To help seed these videos online, Red Bricks Media contacted influential bloggers in the music world offering exclusive video access and b-roll footage. The result was over 300,000 combined views in just three days. Additionally, these viewers were prompted to check out VEVO’s blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts to engage in pre-launch discussions, trivia contests and charity events like an eBay auction of 3 signed copies of Adam Lambert’s latest CD.

In the end, the best indicator of our success came from the mouths of consumers themselves. On the night of launch we became a trending topic on Twitter, sharing the conversation spotlight with keywords like “Christmas” and “Tiger Woods” (one week after he dropped his now famous ball). Using Techrigy’s buzz tracking capabilities we could also react to real-time conversation trends like usability feedback and brand shout-outs in order to keep engagement levels high throughout the night.

So what’s our best piece of advice for brands wishing to achieve the same success? Harnessing the power of social media isn’t just about creative thinking and intensive strategic planning – it’s about a willingness to have an engaging, transparent and collaborative conversation. Until marketers understand the fact that they can’t control everything that’s said about their brand, they will never be able to truly reap the rewards of platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Listening to what consumers are saying and encouraging them to become partners in shaping products and services will create the best possible result.

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by Andy Leinicke, Media Director, PPC

According to Alexa, YouTube is generating more page views than facebook, myspace, and even Google itself. It holds an enormous inventory for advertisers that has remained largely untapped – until now.

Google recently invited me to one of its Advertiser Forums in Mountain View. There, I got to see all of Google’s new video advertising products firsthand, including exciting YouTube opportunities.

Getting Started
There are two questions you need to ask to get started with a Google video program. The first is which network to run in. Google has two: the Google Contextual Network, and YouTube (it’s important to note that YouTube now includes streaming premium partners).

The second question to consider is which format your ad will take. Google now has lots of exciting format options. I’ve listed formats and video networks below:

*InVideo ads are currently only available to advertisers with managed accounts.

Click to Play (CTP) ads have been around for a while. It’s possible to load these via AdWords and target across the Content Network in the same way as text or image ads.

YouTube Video Ads, on the other hand, run exclusively on YouTube and need to be arranged manually. They can be broadcasted for a mass audience on YouTube’s home page or targeted by category or by search terms. Here is an example of a video ad for Rolling Rock that plays on the YouTube homepage:

The ad directs to a cool, engaging microsite customized for this campaign:

Companion ads are 300X250 pixel units that appear next to your custom home page placement or beside videos on a YouTube Watch Page (the pages where you actually view videos are called Watch Pages). Here is Google’s mock up for a Companion Ad:

An InVideo ad is a dynamic flash overlay that appears on the bottom of a video while it’s playing. Google claims that this ad unit is much more welcome than other approaches such as pre-rolls or post-rolls. Users can expand or click on these ads and, unlike other YouTube tactics, the InVideo ad has direct response promise. In fact, Google claims that beta advertising programs have shown amazing click through and conversion rates using InVideo. Here is an example of a BMW Google InVideo ad at work:

The InVideo ad is completely controlled by the user. If the ad is good enough (Red Bricks Media can test for this), users will click through to an expansion and eventually a destination url:

YouTube’s social functionality gives users a brand new way to experience video. Another opportunity to advance your marketing efforts on YouTube is by utilizing their channel feature. Anyone can create a YouTube Channel for free. Channels are like an iTunes playlist and a MySpace page all in one. Here’s a Channel that some old friends of mine at Teton Gravity Research recently made:

TGR makes some of the best surfing and skiing movies out there. This YouTube Channel lets them build an online community that generates ticket and DVD sales.

But it’s possible to think even bigger with Channels. YouTube can create a custom Brand Channel with site-like functionality and special promotion features. Brand Channels have highly customizable interfaces, including a special logo area at the top. An example of this is the “Living Legends” Brand Channel:

This Brand Channel allows users to upload videos of themselves asking questions to legendary rock stars like Mick Jagger which Mr. Jagger responds with his own video post. Marketers can use similar technology to promote contests.

It’s easy to see that Google has introduced a vast array of ways to interact with audiences using video. Contact a Red Bricks Media rep to learn how Red Bricks Media can design a proposal that’s right for you.

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by Bain Smith, Lead Copywriter

Eight months ago the creative team at Red Bricks Media performed an experiment: we wanted to see if we could create a viral video on YouTube. There were a few videos that inspired us:

* OK Go: Here it Goes Again
* Teaspoon Slide Guitar
* My Hands are Bananas
* Tea Partay

It’s easy to see why each of these videos is viral, because they all contain one or more “viral” elements: humor, uniqueness, strangeness, and of course, undeniable talent in the form of musicianship, synchronized dancing, singing, and a well-written script.

So how does one get viral on YouTube without incredible talent, high production value, a great idea, lots of practice, or many thousands of dollars?

Red Bricks Media did it, in a modestly successful way, by creating:
* a catchy, impossible-to-avoid video title
* tags that cast a wide net for content seekers
* arguably controversial (taboo) content
* a video featuring an animal

The headline/title? Dog Attacks Polar Bear.
The tags? Rottweiler, Dog Attack, Polar Bear.
The content? Our own beloved Massimo, demolishing a one-foot high, paper-mache polar bear.

See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1CBXGp9s9Y

What were our measurements for success? They were modest: 100 views a day, and at least 100 comments, over the course of a year.

The results?
143,000+ views in 250 days = ~570 views a day, and 144 comments so far. Success!

We don’t deny—especially considering the recent indictment of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for dogfighting—that the video can be construed as controversial or taboo, and perhaps this is the main contributor to its viral nature.

In our opinion, however, and being semantic professionals, we believe the most important viral feature of the video is the video title. People are tempted to watch the video because it says, “Dog Attacks Polar Bear”, and they want to see if the video delivers on what the headline promises, because obviously the headline creates a sensational, titillating idea that YouTubers just can’t help but watch. Apparently, people really do want to see a real dog attack a real polar bear.

Addressing the very opinionated comment section and any outlying concerns from our readers, I can only say this: Massimo is the most loving dog you can ever hope to encounter, which is more than I can say for the rabid population of YouTube, whose comments reveal a dark side of anonymous internet chatter.

If any readers still doubt Mossimo’s loving nature, come by the office anytime. He’s definitely got some love for you.

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