80 likes | 333 Views
They're the Little Elves That Could. By Jonathan Lemmonier Robert Christner Nicole Cecchini. Were You Elfed?. 26.4 Million people visited Office Max’s holiday web site That’s almost 1 in 10 Americans who were exposed to the Company’s viral marketing strategy
E N D
They're the Little Elves That Could By Jonathan Lemmonier Robert Christner Nicole Cecchini
Were You Elfed? • 26.4 Million people visited Office Max’s holiday web site • That’s almost 1 in 10 Americans who were exposed to the Company’s viral marketing strategy • Almost a tenfold increase from the previous year, the first year this marketing strategy was introduced • The website allows visitors to paste friends and relatives faces onto dancing elves.
The Elves are Multiplying!!!! • 123 Million elves were created this Holiday Season • Up from 11 million The Previous Year The time people spent on the ElfYourself website if added up would have totaled 2,614 years.
“A Digital Phenomenon” • The site REappeared ONLINE in October 2007 • By December the site ranked 55th among the most visited websites • Santa’s little helpers ended up actually helping to increase awareness of the Office Max Company
Building Brand Awareness • Ranking 3rd in the industry, Office Max was looking to differentiate its’ brand with this marketing strategy • “We were looking to build our brand, warm up our image. We weren’t looking for sales….we were trying to differentiate ourselves through humor and humanization.” • Bob Thacker, Sr. V.P. Marketing and Advertising for Office Max
Viral Marketing Let’s YOUR Customers do THE Work • Viral Marketing can be a cheaper solution to a company’s advertising needs • Less then the cost of a T.V. ad, which may run anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 • “The proof is we’re still talking about it” • Pete Blackshaw, exec. V.P. of Nielsen Online Strategic Services • The effect of Viral Marketing extends beyond the consumer’s initial exposure • In the case of ElfYourself, the website was passed on among millions of friends and family, carrying with it the Office Max brand name.
Keys to Viral Marketing • Make it personal • Don’t discount older audiences • Offer fun
References Lemonnier, John. “They’re the Little Elves That Could,” Advertising Age, Jan. 21, 2008. <http://adage.com/ digital/article?article_id=123226>.