The Downfalls of Going Viral: A Cautionary Tale for Brands

For many brands, going viral seems to be the ultimate marketing goal especially if your product or service isn’t getting the sales you were hoping for. There’s this common misconception that brands put into virality that is very misunderstood. See, a viral video, meme or social media post can indeed catapult a business into the spotlight, amassing massive reach and engagements. But then what?

The allure of virality may seem tantalising at first but upon removing those rose-tinted glasses, you may come to realise that the grass isn’t really greener on the other side. In this article, we'll be exploring the various pitfalls that brands may encounter when chasing virality.

Negative Backlash and Damaged Reputation

While going viral can bring positive attention to your brand, that same virality may also shed light on the negatives. A viral campaign that you initially thought would bring in sales could then lead to the opposite if the campaign itself is perceived as offensive, insensitive or exploitative. This could take a huge toll on your brand’s reputation and has happened one too many times by brands in the APAC region.?

For example, health and beauty care chain store Watson’s once released an ad in 2017 that received massive backlash from audiences for being racist and culturally insensitive. More recently, BIG Pharmacy collaborated with a Malaysian-Chinese influencer for a promo video where the influencer portrayed an Indian stereotype with offensive racial exaggerations. Predictably, this didn’t go so well for the brand with them having to issue a public apology as well as take the video down.

Lack of Control and Predictability

The nature of virality is something that is beyond anyone’s control as there’s no sure fire way to guarantee that something will go viral. This makes it difficult for brands to control the narrative after something has gone viral. A piece of content that has blown up on the internet will be shared, edited and repurposed in many ways and sometimes these ways may not be what the brand intended. This lack of control can lead to unforeseeable circumstances and potential damage to the brand’s image.

Short-Lived Attention Span

With an average of 143 minutes per day being spent on social media per user, people are consuming so much content now more than ever that they’re constantly looking for the next big thing. In today’s world, a piece of viral content doesn’t have the same longevity as it did 10 years ago. Brands that solely rely on going viral as their marketing strategy may find it increasingly difficult to sustain long-term engagement and build a community around their brand. Once a piece of content has gone viral, brands that fail to capitalise on it will struggle to maintain momentum and relevance in the long run.

Increased Scrutiny and Criticism

Viral content brings a significant chunk of the internet to your social media page. With that come negative comments, trolls, online harassers and spam bots. This can become a significant burden for brands as they will find it challenging to overcome this.

Conclusion

While going viral may seem like the fastest and easiest way to the spotlight, it is vital to approach it with caution. Brands should be prepared for the downsides beforehand and have a plan in place to mitigate risks. This is where partnering up with a social intelligence agency like iWISERS can come in handy, as in the event that a crisis does occur, you’ll be glad that you have us with you to guide you along the way.?

iWISERS has a multitude of social intel solutions and custom objective research services working with brands across APAC. Drop an email at [email protected] or chat with us on LinkedIn, iWISERS for social intel or industry studies that enable people-centric data-based decision making.