The Epidemiology of Viral Videos

The folks in advertising and PR agencies who have the best clothes, most piercings, deepest Bennifer knowledge and most current urban slang like to deliver lectures to those of us in janky Dockers about how we still don’t “get” the power of viral videos. The mainstream news media is, like, so out, they tell us breathlessly. Persuasion these days is all about wireless viewing of virally spread, organically generated new media, such as forwarded You Tube videos. It’s happening all around us, and Nielsen is clueless! THIS, they say, is where the savviest marketing and political people are focusing their efforts!! Well, it’s headed that way, but for people who have to invest in persuading people right now, it’s important to understand what’s actually happening out there right now. According to Pew, Americans are absolutely viewing these “viral videos.” But it’s still a pretty small slice that are seeing them online. For example, 4 percent saw Senator Clinton’s...