Creating Viral Campaigns: The Dos and Don’ts for PR Success Online
A viral public relations campaign can catapult a brand into the public consciousness, but the path to going viral is unpredictable and requires a deep understanding of strategy, timing, and audience psychology. This blog post explores the "dos and don'ts" of creating viral campaigns, offering PR professionals a roadmap for maximizing their chances of success while upholding ethical standards. The 'Dos' of viral PR campaigns 1. Create content that evokes strong emotion Logic informs, but emotion moves. Viral content is fueled by emotions such as humor, awe, surprise, empathy, or inspiration. A campaign that makes someone laugh, cry, or feel inspired is far more likely to be shared than one that merely lists product features. · Case study: Dove’s "Real Beauty Sketches" The campaign filmed a forensic artist sketching women based on their own descriptions and then based on how a stranger described them. The powerful reveal, sho...