One thing we can learn, I think, is that production values are rising. For an idea to spread, it’s more important than ever that the sneezer (the one spreading the idea) feels comfortable enough to send it along. In the case of the Olive Garden, the sneering tweeter could do so feeling comfortably superior. In the Kony video, the production values were a clue that the story was safe to share.
Dollar Shave Club isn’t just a clever online video, it’s a business. Of the four, it’s the one that was most intentional and was best designed to lead to long-term success. The key distinction: Use the viral spread to gain a permission asset. Then, turn that asset into a profitable business.
Here’s how they did it:
First, realize that razors are boring and expensive and that buying them is a bit of a hassle. If you address all three of these issues for the consumer, you don’t need to deliver a better razor in order to succeed–all that’s necessary is a better way to get the razor in the hands of the buyer. The model of permission is at the heart of the project–the razor business can’t possibly pay off if consumers only buy one or two times and then get bored. Instead, Dollar earns the right to send you a bunch of razors every month forever, making the value of a new customer very high. They can invest that value into a clever video and into aggressive pricing. Also very smart: The affiliate program doesn’t encourage you to pimp your friends to make money for yourself. Instead, they politely remind you that if you share their affiliate link, you get free razors, the very thing you’re encouraging your friends to buy. The symmetry is compelling and successful.
And finally, my free ebook Stop Stealing Dreams continues to spread, with tens of thousands of new readers every day. There’s no doubt I could have dramatically increased the number of viral engagements if I had made a video instead, and if I had created some sort of deadline (free this week only!). On the other hand, one lesson from this sort of gradual viral spread is that while it doesn’t happen overnight, it can spread for months or even years into the future.
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