Currently trending on Mashable is an interview article on How Coca-Cola Created Its “Happiness Machine” where Global Senior Brand Manager for Coca-Cola, AJ Brustein, Definition 6 Director of Interactive Strategy, Paul McClay and Definition 6 Creative Director Paul Iannacchino talk through the making of Coke’s “Happiness Machine.”
It offers great insights into the anatomy of how a brilliant idea can go viral. I especially enjoyed the various practical tips interspersed throughout the article:
3 Tips for coming up with a Brilliant Idea
- A good story takes time to develop. Take the time to brainstorm your idea and let it develop into something people will relate to and want to share.
- Look at videos online to see what’s successful and what isn’t. Most often the most successful web videos have something that provokes a reaction.
- The brainstorming process has to be fun, light hearted and uncontrolled. You never really know when a good idea is going to come up. Often the best ideas end up being the small snippets that came up throughout the process, McClay said.
3 Tips for Executing your Idea
- Simplicity and starting with a great idea is the key. You have to get it out of your head that if you make it they will watch it.
- Brainstorm. Once your team feels strongly about an idea, challenge one another to make it better. You can always improve the idea up until the day you shoot.
- Where you have a wide dispersed team it’s important for everyone to be looped in, briefed and approving things through the entire process so there is always forward momentum with positive energy.
2 Tips for Putting it All Together
- Technology and digital space, as well as equipment, are cheap and accessible. Use this to your advantage.
- Be invested in your idea. Plan and prepare to execute your video well.
2 Tips for Getting a Video to Go Viral
- Spreadable video is important; put the same effort into your creative ideation as you would a television commercial and you will produce some amazing content. Don’t think small because the aspect ratio is. Push creative boundaries.
- If your strategy is to go viral from the outset, then it’s likely to fail.