Gangnam Style Video Finds Viral Success


Small business owners and entrepreneurs interested in getting their messages out to the masses had two great examples recently of how that can be done. The first was the incredible viral marketing success of South Korean rapper Park Jae-sang a.k.a. Psy, whose viral video “Gangnam Style” has launched his song by the same name into the top 100. The implications of Psy’s success and that of an…er…aquatic star whose photos also recently blew up on the Web, continue to be debated. But clearly, regardless of what your business might be, the stage is set for a whole new style of global marketing.

The Biggest Picture

Next stop is the top. To everyone’s surprise (perhaps even his own) South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper, dancer, and record producer Jae-sang went from a singer virtually unknown outside his own country to an international brand. The success happened within the space of only a few months in a way that might have seemed almost impossible a few years ago. One of the most important tools Psy used to promote his song, YouTube, is available to any brand today. Billboard

We all scream for…stingrays? Following Psy’s recipe for success, a non-human celebrity achieved viral fame in even shorter time this week, when it photobombed three vacationing women by seemingly spreading its wings around them causing them (apparently) to scream in horror. Granted this may not be the way you want to establish your brand, but it may end up working for Stingray City, a popular tourist destination in the Cayman Islands where the photo may have been taken. Franchise Herald

Phenomenon or flash in the pan. Still, the question raised with Psy and all other such rapid success stories is whether they will have staying power. Clearly all entrepreneurs, whether in the entertainment industry or another market, must consider how to follow up and build upon initial marketing success, gaining momentum and building a sustainable, long-term business. Ad Age

Master Classes

Learning from the Gangnam Style. Besides his amusing dancing style, which has now been copied on numerous parody videos, entrepreneurs and small business owners or marketers interested in replicating Psy’s success can learn a couple of things from his viral approach. Blogger Ivan Widjaya has been following the rise of the rapper’s star via YouTube for some time now and has these thoughts on creating similar success while marketing your brand. Noobpreneur

The art of being everywhere. A big part of marketing success, whether branding or otherwise, is the art of being everywhere. As blogger Francisco Perez noted recently, this is exactly what Jae-sang has achieved with his brand so far, whether it lasts long-term or not. The question is how to best use viral and other marketing methods at your disposal to bring your business to the next level. iBlogZone

Takeaway Truths

More creative than ever. The key to achieving success with your marketing efforts has less to do with following existing formats and more about being creative and finding new approaches that work for your business. Here Internet marketer Ti Roberts explains one approach for gaining exposure for your content and business that you may never have considered. Use Ti’s idea to get outside the box and think creatively about your marketing efforts. The Bus Ridin’ Internet Marketer

Headline hegemony. When marketing your business or brand on the Web, blogger and online marketing expert Jonny Ross suggests using the analogy of catching a reader’s attention with an unforgettable headline. Think about how a particular headline grabs your interest while you’re walking past a newsstand. Now think about how you can generate the same excitement over your brand or message. Apply this approach to the titles of your blog posts too. You’ll attract the attention you need and maybe grab enough people to spread your message even further. Jonny Ross Consultancy

4 Comments ▼
4 Reactions
  1. Hi,

    Thanks so kindly for referencing my blog post!
    Very good of you.

    Jonny

  2. Martin Lindeskog

    I saw the Gangnam video in a coffee break during #WebbDagarna (Web Days in Swedish) in Gothenbureg, Sweden. I watched it again a few days ago and got fascinated how viral it had gone! It is time to make a music video! 😉

  3. Hi! Thanks so much for including my blog post here. Much appreciated! 🙂

    Ti