Explosive News, Go Viral Marketing with credibility

Few days ago, what an explosive news has been published on various news media!!!

It stated that the drug abuse situation of Hong Kong people tend to be serious and youthfulness. From a recent research in Hong Kong Northern district and Tin Shui Wai area, over 43% of teenagers start drug taking from 11- 13 years old, the youngest one only aged 7 years old. 66% of respondents also indicated that they usually take drug at public areas like stairs and parks, even some of them take drug at home. Besides, 40% of respondents showed that they have taken drug at Mainland in last six months.

This explosive news about Hong Kong teenagers' drug abuse situation has shocked the community. Not only arouse attention from Hong Kong government, but also resonate many social network users to express their opinions towards the issue via their web, forum and blogs.

Actually, a group of abuser is here to share their past experience and side effect of drug taking. They want to express their anti drug message to public with an explosive research. In most of the newspaper's websites, they have also applied several widgets for encouraging readers to wide spread the content with viral marketing.

So, explosive anti drug message can light up the web, forum, blog with social network-related viral marketing. It is credible and important to get the news out in order to maximum effect. The golden rule of viral marketing is to:

- Behave like a social networker: be creative, honest, courteous, conscious of audience,
- Identify online advocators: approach most significant ones directly,
- Provide content and widget: for participants to express themselves in social network.

By Teresa CHAN

http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/news/20090711/00405_002.html
http://www.hkreporter.com/talks/thread-789448-1-1.html
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!c3PRn2mbBg6BeVgYsZWpcpA-/article?mid=4811
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!wBRN7HGeGQO_ppeW9LNTriSxblawbIc-/article?mid=75502
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!5qINSuifEQVCKt7iJMnlzwJxhrPJ/article?mid=1511
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!yj.73KyRGBJOmzp7RvonzIdJKhk-/article?mid=15
http://news.hk.msn.com/local/%E6%B7%B1%E6%B8%AF%E5%90%88%E4%BD%9C%E6%89%93%E6%93%8A%E6%8B%98%E9%80%BE%E7%99%BE%E6%BF%AB%E8%97%A5%E6%B8%AF%E4%BA%BA_article_1_29131_1.asp
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?iss_id=20090712&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=11867&art_id=12979100

Alternative sharing portal

Yesterday, I read a newspaper article about the newly launch of video sharing website like Youtube, it is called “Howcast”. What is the difference between Howcast and Youtube? Actually the main difference is, Youtube has different kinds of video clips including TV dramas, music videos, daily life shares etc. However, Howcast is mainly focus on hosting video clips which is about teaching something or “how to” do something, the most notable example is, the video clip which teaches people about “How to type faster on your iPhone”. After someone viewed it and think it's good to share with friends who has iPhone, a viral technique was included.

Linking to our focus, anti-drug, I think the government and those anti-drug organizations can try to make use of this new emerge video clips sharing portal to promote the message of anti-drug.

By using this portal, a more focus targeted audiences can be expected, since they are looking for some practical videos on the web. Thus, we can advise the government and anti-drug organizations to create some videos such as “How to get rid of drugs abusing” or “How to persuade drug abuser to stop abusing drugs”. As we can see, some videos (e.g. Bus Uncle) in Youtube had been spread and viewed widely, therefore, those anti-drug oranganizations and the government can create an attractive video place on Howcast in order to generate a buzz for this video and then spread out by a viral technique.

By Ed CHAN

Baby Hip Hop: Viral Marketing Example for Anti Drug

Why anti-drug campaigns in Hong Kong can't like that?
Several days ago, I read an Evian Roller Babies video from YouTube. I really like this video because it can touch people's emotion. Such great entertainment spread through all over the world in a second!!! Hong Kong TV news also broadcasted this video and interviewed the manager of Evian.

This is a series of advertisement. These two also are the offical videos from Evian, they may only the bonus tracks in YouTube, but may not be broadcasted in TV. I think this is a marketing strategy that are using Viral Marketing!!!

Actually anti drug could be so powerful too!!! If Hong Kong Government can change the TV advertisement style from fear to sense of humor. That’s the reason of TV commercials successful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLUJdpDfXZA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a64ySqzM8Y&feature=channel
http://cablenews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_video/index.php?news_id=307704

By Zoe WU

Viral Marketing between iphone, Facebook & YouTube

The iPhone 3G s is started to selling in Hong Kong recently. The price of the 32GB iPhone is nearly $7XXX. It is so expensive that only a few of customers can afford it. On the others hand, the price of old version of iPhone is decreased from $7XXX to $2XXX. I waited for one year and eventually I own my new iPhone yesterday.

After charing the battery, I started to experience the power of iPhone. The function that I feel is most convenience for me is browsing the YouTube. Here is the video shown that the magic of iphone browsing youtube.

We just need to follow a few step and we can watch many interesting video from youtube. Moreover, it is so easy for us to share something interesting to friends.

After my experiences of my iPhone, I think that we can use viral marketing to sending message to different parties effectively. Nowadays, more and more people owned PDA phone and iPhone. Furthermore, The mobile internet service and the WiFi service are very common for many place. As a result, people can send and receive the information every time and everywhere. It is easy for people exchanging information.

Lastly, if government and other organization can tailor-made the message that convenience for people sharing. For example, it can show the video through Facebook and people can easily watch anti-drug video. Therefore, adopting viral marketing can share the message effectively.

By Stephen WAN

Viral marketing tools- Videos

Videos clip also is one of the most important tools of the viral marketing, because the usage ways of the videos clips could apply in many dimensions. Compare with the words and the photos, videos are easier to understand and create more profound image in the audience’s mind.

For the real case Video Clip-emotion
The videos clips from the anti-drugs TV program, the real case of the drugs addicts are more close to the real life of the audience. The contents of the video clip are more credible and accessible to the audience’s heart. When the videos clip touches their heart, they will have the similar feeling of the drugs addicts or their families. Then they will spread the anti-drugs message to their friends or families.

For the imitate video clip-funny
Maybe you have the experience of watch imitate of video clip form Youtube.com. Imitate video clip maker create the fun form the original video clip and share with the audience. The audience feel funny of imitate video clip rather than the original, however, the imitate video also would create the word-of-mouth of the original one. When the audience watch imitate video clip, they are willing to share with their friends.

If use imitate video clip to spread out the anti-drugs message, the funny video will attract more teenagers to watch the anti-drugs message rather than use the direct TV ad or print ad to spread the message.

For the interesting video clip
When the anti-drugs TV program attractive enough, the audience will active to clip the video and share with their friends. The TV program maybe only could provide the anti-drugs message when it broadcast, but the video clip could appear on the Internet for longer period. People will circulate the video clip through the Internet.

By Ben CHENG

http://www.nd.gov.hk/en/index.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVblWq3tDwY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4CgeHN3roc

Tools that can be used for Viral Marketing

I' ve talked about how we can share informationabout anti-drug to our friends through Facebook. Maybe you might ask me that what else tools can be used to imply viral marketing? In fact, there are a lot of choices! To utilize and spread your anti-drug messages under viral marketing concept, you can use Blogs, social networking websites, forums or discussion board. I will talk about them in the following paragraphs.

1. MySpace – It is a massive website with around 191 million members. You can find almost all of your friends on there.


2. Twitter – It is very similar to Facebook from instant messaging to applications. It becomes very popular in a short period.

3. Xanga – It is a multi-functional weblog that allows you to upload your diary, photos, videos, and audios. Also, you can make friends on the site.

4. Yahoo Blog – It is a weblog that developed by Yahoo.com. Just like Xanga.com, you can upload similar items on to your own weblog.

5. Uwants – It is a forum developed by Hong Kong people. There are a lot of readers and members on this forum.

There are a lot of options for you to imply viral marketing and share anti-drug information with friends. Luckily the technique of sharing is very similar. If you find that you are a member of any one of the above, you can get started to share anti-drug messages to friends. They can get the messages from desktop computer, notebook, netbook, iphone, ipod touch... Do it NOW!!!

By Otto CHOI

http://www.selfgrowth.com/socialnetworkingwebsites.html

http://www.myspace.com/

http://www.twitter.com/

http://www.xanga.com/

http://hk.blog.yahoo.com/

http://www.uwants.com/

Foreign Anti-drug Example~~ Gov: GOOD to Follow!!!

This is a newspaper website (Media Post), which shows that the U.S. Federal Government launches some anti-drug videos on YouTube. It is a breakthrough that government bodies start to realize that Internet is a useful platform to deliver the anti-drug messages. I hope HKSAR Government can also adopt the Internet channels to capture the capability of viral marketing, just like other foreign governments to follow the trend.
For this news, Media Post use viral marketing technology too. This webpage contains the “share” function for readers to forward the post to their friends or share it on Facebook and Twitter. If Narcotics Division of HKSAR adopts the “share” function in every post, I believe the speed of spreading out the message must be very fast and effective!

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=48412


By Zoe WU

Viral Marketing Aids Anti Drug Video Campaign!!!

Recently, I discovered my sister and her friends always stick with the internet, chi-chat via msn. They used to gain information in an interactive and shortly way. At that time, I really realized why government cannot wide spread the anti-drug message effectively. That's government using wrong communication channel to target teenagers. I believe it's a good opportunity for HKSAR using viral marketing to wide spread the anti-drug message effectively.

In 2008, Narcotics Division, Security Bureau and Action Committee Against Narcotics cooperated with RTHK and Youth.gov.hk launched an anti-drug creative short video campaign – 無毒真高手短片創作大賽2008.

Although this campaign was successfully launched and completed, and even involved large amount of people to response and vote for creative anti-drug short video champion. As you can see from one of the bloggers' content and one of the forums' post , it deserved to gain wider awareness among net users with viral marketing to wide spread the poll of creative anti-drug short video campaign.

Let's look at several approaches of applying viral marketing in wide spreading related anti-drug video on the Internet.

First, the video of Christian Zheng Sheng College is posted on yahoo blog for visitors to browse and comment. Some interested parties who concern about the issue of anti-drug and Christian Zheng Sheng College would forward the video to their interested friends with a button of “Blog it” or “Email”. So, the government can learn from Yahoo Blog to insert some button to encourage and convenient interested parties to forward a video of anti-drug to their friends. Then, the creative anti-drug short video campaign can be wide spread and supported by more people.

On the other hand, the viral marketing approach of ifva is also worthwhile to learn from. It created a function to encourage interested parties to subscribe its website's newsletter with a simple email insert. This may help the interested parties keep track with the latest development of ifva, and it may also raise the motivation of visitors to share the news of ifva with their friends.

By Teresa CHAN

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/081213/3/9pwp.html

http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jackyau168/article?mid=1259

http://forum.coolmanmusic.com/forum/redirect.php?tid=234933&goto=lastpost

http://hk.video.yahoo.com/video/video.html?id=1610565&p=%E6%AD%A3%E7%94%9F%E6%9B%B8%E9%99%A2

http://www.ifva.com/

Viral Marketing Tools - EYE2

Have you ever seen the Wong Cho Lam (王祖藍) TV advertisement on different channels? He is showing the New PCCW eye2 phone though the funny advertisement. This innovative new product can provide added-value service than the traditional telephone for the user such like watching the NOW TV on the portable telephone. It also has variety function and here is the advertisement showing this product.

As you can seen, user receive different kinds of information from EYE2 phone. It also shows the trend of more and more digital product replaces the traditional product nowadays. On the other hand, based on the change of the product form, there is new opportunity for different parties sending the message by viral marketing to the target audience more effectively such like sending the anti-drug message to teenager.

I suggest that the anti drug message can be formed to video type such like the Youtube video. It can attract people watching video to receive the information than just read it verbally. Moreover, it is easy for people share the news to their family member and friends because they can only press the button and the message can be widespread to the others. Finally, the viral marketing can be used naturally by people used these kind of new product.

Furthermore, nowadays, many new technological applied to different kinds of new product replacing the tradition product. Most of it can increase the chance of communication for all people through Internet. Therefore, we should put more concern of the new product and tailor made more information that easy to share with others parties. If we can build up the positive WOM through the new channels, message of anti-drug will be sent more effective in the foreseeable future.

http://www.pccweye.com/eye2Main/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzT0mZxKzu0

By Stephen WAN

Viral Marketing Tools- Games

Viral marketing is one of the marketing techniques that using the third parties to produce the awareness or achieve the objectives. Since viral marketing is spreading the viral messages to the target segments, it is highly depend on the word of mouth.

Games and videos clips are the most effective tools of the viral marketing, encouraging people to pass along a marketing passage voluntarily. To create a successful viral marketing campaign, we should satisfied the audience and make sure the audience feel positive about the viral message and willing to spread the message.

To increase people’s involvement, games (including mobile games, flash games and website games etc.) are effective tools to reach the target segments. Since viral marketing of anti-drugs’ target are the teenagers, most of them are like to pay the games. When we use the simple mobile jar game to deliver the anti-drugs message to the teenagers. If the first movers feel the games are interesting and make them feel happy, they are willing to spread and share the games with their friends to encourage more people to experience the games which they think interested. Most of the teenagers’ friends are also our target of the anti-drugs campaign. Therefore, the anti-drugs messages are easier to reach our target.
For example, movie-Transformer2.

http://www.weareautobots.com/ww/index.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzB4mIPdm9k

Compare with the print advertising or TV advertising, games could gain more attention from the teenagers. Because the teenagers do not interested to read the detail information on the print ad or watch the TV ad when the contents are not relative to them. They have not interested or motivation to spread out the anti-drugs messages to their friends.

By Ben CHENG

http://www.ehow.com/how_2249962_choose-viral-marketing-technique.html
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm

Sharing online is not that difficult!

Sometimes, when we are surfing, we might found information about anti-drugs that you wanted to share. However, friends are not always next to you while you are watching it. So, what’s the best way to do so???

In old days, we will send the link of anti-drugs information through E-mail. No doubt, it’s too complicated as it involved many steps! Luckily, the technology is much more advanced nowadays. We can simply click a few buttons and icons to share and spread anti-drugs information to others in achieving viral marketing. Here are two examples:

1. This video shows you how to put an anti-drugs video from YouTube to your Facebook account.

2. This video shows you how to put an anti-drugs news from Yahoo to your Facebook account.

The above two video demonstrated that how we can share anti-drugs information to others easily. It doesn’t involve complicated steps and a lot of efforts but a great impact in return!!!

Since there are too many news about teenagers becoming drug addicts, I think everyone should participate in anti-drugs education. The easiest way is sharing anti-drugs information through the Internet. After reading my blog, please join me and share this anti-drugs message to others NOW!!!

By Otto CHOI

It' s Time to Change Anti-drug Promotional Methods!

Today, I have browsed the official website of Narcotics Division, Security Bureau from HKSAR Government. I found that the Government uses the traditional method to promote the anti-drug message mainly. However, I think it is ineffective to attract visitors to browse the web. The underlying cause is the unattractive content. There is no motivation for browsing the web. Even though there are some interesting promotional materials like http://www.nd.gov.hk/en/preventiveeducation.htm, but who knows?! That's why HK Government fails in promoting anti-drug among the publics.

Tell me, what should be done in order to promote the anti-drug messages more effectively? The answer is: Viral Marketing. Through sending out messages among friends, the messages will spread out very immediately like what the virus do. The key merit is producing exponential increases in anti-drug messages awareness based on their social networks.

What Narcotics Division can do is strengthen the promotional methods through Internet channel. One I can suggest is using viral marketing to create buzz and worth of mouth among the publics, especially is the youth. Designing some interesting songs, videos, posters and so on (containing anti-drug messages), placing at some popular forums, websites, such as YouTube which they always browse through. This can much easier to let them know there are some interesting anti-drug messages. Most people will share to their friends when they see some interesting things. So, I think anti-drug message can be passing along friends if people are interested in.

By Zoe WU

http://www.witiger.com/ecommerce/viralmarketing.htm
http://www.nd.gov.hk/tc/preventiveeducation.htm

Definition of Viral Marketing

Viral Marketing can be regarded as an online form of word-of-mouth communications among consumers. A marketing message will be passed on from a consumer who interests in the message to another, in order to generate a buzz for the organization.

Since the drug abuse cases are widely discovered in the school recently, an anti-drug campaign should be carried out to deliver the message of seriousness and harmfulness of drug abuse. By using the benefits of viral marketing, we can target the message to the non-drug-abuser and rely on their influences to their friends who are drug-abusers.

Actually the anti-drug campaign which targeted the drug-abusers has been carried out for a long time, but its effectiveness is a doubt. However, the campaign which targets on the friends or relatives of drug-abuser might become much powerful than target on the drug-abusers, due to the persuasion is more effective than just deliver the message of anti-drug.

Therefore, the technique of viral marketing can be adopted in this anti-drug campaign, in order to spread out the message of anti-drug from the non-drug-abusers to increase the effectiveness of the campaign.

By Ed CHAN