Will it go viral?

Our friends at small-agency network Second Wind examine the beauty and the brains behind BlendTec’s popular Will It Blend campaign.

(If you are among the uninitiated, Google BlendTec or Will it Blend. You will not be disappointed.) Second Wind’s goal is to break down the campaign and see what, exactly, made Will It Blend such a successful viral campaign.

We’re always wary of these types of retrospectives, simply because each successful viral is a perfect storm comprised of such distinct, unique circumstances and factors that finding commonality is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

But the Second Wind analysis does point out some important things to remember.

Don’t ever start out with viral in mind. This is the most important rule to adhere to, which is why it’s also probably the most difficult. But you cannot start from scratch thinking you’re going to devise the next “Will It Blend” or “Drop a Mentos in the Coke” viral success. Give consumers/target audience a variety of ways with which they can share or spread your campaign and get the hell out of the way. If they sniff for even a second that you’re trying too hard to foist a viral campaign on them, the Web’s cool police will have you singled faster than you know.
Budget shouldn’t matter. Don’t think you can’t enjoy the tye the widespread noteriety Will It Blend generated simply because your budget is limited (which is likely in this current, rather barren economic landscape).
Make sure your idea has legs and is adaptable. Sure, the idea behind Will It Blend is painfully simple, but it’s got staying power, too. Think of all the potential items you can have BlendTec’s CEO throw in a blender. How about a section on the site for people to submit their own videos? (Check.) An idea needs to be simple to appeal to as many potential consumers as possible, but it needs to be sustainable and versatile, too. Give consumers the opportunity to personalize their experience with product and/or campaign.
Having a good product never hurts. You can find success without one, of course, but a great product always helps from an authenticity and quality standpoint.

Thanks to our friends at Second Wind for the enlightening look what went into this particular successful viral campaign. No two virals are created equal, to be sure, but at the heart of each successful one are a handful of important points to keep in mind as you get started.

And here's one of my favorite Will It Blend episodes:

Sphere: Related Content