Video marketing, and especially viral videos, have seen a dramatic change over the past decade or two. With online videos being watched at an increasing pace and more so via mobile devices, it makes sense to incorporate online videos into your business.
However, the growth of viral videos also has a downside. Most people now have access to a cell phone with a camera. In fact, according to the internet (Business Insider, to be specific), last year people were predicted to take over 1 trillion photos using their phones. This instant access to a device that can capture photos and videos has led to many documenting negative occurrences. This may include videos of restaurant workers being unsanitary with food, business owners being racist toward customers, or fights between employees and customers. Many of these instances deserve attention and response, so the viral effect of these videos is a great way for average consumers to police unfair or unlawful actions by businesses.
Additionally, some businesses make (stupid) mistakes in their advertising, which then becomes viral and controversial. For instance, Kendall Jenner recently made an ad with Pepsi which shows her attending a riot and handing a Pepsi to a police officer. This ad had negative backlash, as it seemed to trivialize and commercialize the efforts of protestors to bring justice to certain social issues (racist police actions, etc). Also recently, Dove released an ad which showed a black woman who removed her brown shirt to reveal a white woman underneath. The message that viewers received from this was that a “dirty” black woman cleansed to become a white woman. This video also went viral with negative attention.
Regardless of intention, companies certainly need to consider any underlying messages in their video advertising, as negative viral attention may ensue. In the same manner, businesses and brands need to ensure that viral videos taken by consumers stay positive (such as employees going out of their way to be helpful to people) and not portray harmful actions.