CNN Doesn’t Get The Web or Viral Marketing
December 5th, 2006 by Michael Gray in SEO, Social NetworksIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Read my top posts or learn more about Michael Gray. Want more frequent updates follow me on Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
So I come across a story on CNN about how a toy company used YouTube to create a Viral/Word of Mouth Marketing Buzz for a new remote control helicopter. Did they embed a youtube video … did they even include a link to any of the videos … did they even include a url in non linked format so I could copy and past it myself …
Sphere It
December 5th, 2006 at 9:18 pm
I’ve noticed this quite often with the big online news sites. They’ll have articles about things like “Mike Tyson’s crazy new tattoo”, but then not include a photo of it. Stupid, stupid.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
Oh my God! That is TOO cool!
I gotta have one for christmas!
G-Man
December 5th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
They’re really not doing anyone a service if they talk about something & don’t link back to it. Share the love CNN.
I think this is another great example of online video marketing beating out traditional TV marketing.
Option #1. Pay a hundred thousand dollars for a 30 second TV spot.
Option #2. Get the camcorder out of the closet and make a minute-long spot on YouTube for free. The only thing I saw missing from the video is a linkback on where to buy it!
December 5th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
I think it was a user generated video
December 6th, 2006 at 1:36 am
I think the great irony here is that most of the viral stuff that works well is NOT created by the companies themselves, but by users themselves. If CNN or any traditional media company tries to go “viral” it turns out lame. If a established brand goes viral then they end up trying to hard and it’s not sincere. The really big viral stuff is not planned, is not easily controlled, and spreads like wildfire.
If companies really “got” viral marketing then the coke company would have created the fountains with the diet coke and mentos. If an established brand was good at this stuff then the Star Wars Kid would have been created by George Lucas and it would have been a promo for Episode I or II. It’s not just CNN, it’s everybody.
December 6th, 2006 at 11:17 am
Dude, that is the coolest thing ever. The bigger ones are hard to control but that looks easy enough for my kid to do. Those 2 blades rock. Anyone got a link to that little thing?
Oh wait, maybe CNN will…
December 6th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
HobbyTron.com has thousands of these little RC helicopters, known as the Picco Z, in stock. They are fun little gadgets.
You can buy one for $39, or 3 for $99, use this coupon: PZBL and you’ll get $5 off your order.
We are also holding a video contest featuring the Picco Z as seen here. The contest has a total of $4,000 in prizes.
-HobbyTron PR
December 6th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
CNN writers are still old-school - they don’t know jack about Web 2.0. 99% of them have no idea what W2 is.
December 7th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
Wow. I’m intrigued. We own a blackhawk and the Picco Z looks easier to control. RC Helicopters were notoriously difficult to control.
I was really into RC planes a few years ago and it was a blast. My planes were electric and classified as parkflyers.