In today’s socially connected world, marketers are turning to viral video in the social media space as a way to extend reach and gain cut through. But why are some videos shared tens of thousands of times, while others fall short of expectations?

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Laws that have held for decades
Simple, trustworthy, quantified findings
with major implications

4. Understanding which emotions
drive video sharing
Presented by Dr Margaret Faulkner
Social media research contact: Dr Karen Nelson-Field

5. Why would you create videos?

6. Sharing for low-
cost reach
We thought a few
thousand people would
see the film, but in less
than a week, millions of
people around the world
saw it.
Danica Russell
http://www.smh.com.au/world/kony-campaigners-wife-
explains-irrational-acts-20120318-
1vcwu.html#ixzz1sOO6D0FD
Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share alike 2.0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabinete/6836134192

7. Social media provides new
opportunities
Power of personal referral not new (i.e. WOM)
Web 2.0 opportunities to tap into vast numbers
across vast networks
Particularly with rise of sharing giants
and increased sharing functionality
Image: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/5927016028

8. Currently more art
than science?
Salsa Dog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfkIFULmfk
w
Salsa Dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfkIFULmfkw

9. Must love dogs?
Ultimate Dog Tease:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSi
CQkPw
Ultimate Dog Tease
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

10. High or Low Arousal
Psychological construct of emotion
Emotions likely to cause a
physiological response
- heart rate, sweating, smile, tears
Sharing occurs shortly afterwards
Extent of sharing related to
strength of arousal
Oval Budha: Takashi Murakami pop art exhibition at Versailles 2010

11. Fit Metric to Objective
Low cost
reach
requires
sharing
Creative Commons Attributions 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/25609635@N03/4917447789

12. Sharing via Facebook
Facebook function used to explore which
emotions drive video sharing
Two studies of the 400 most shared videos
Measured total average share/day/video
(actual figures)
Study 1: User-generated videos
Study 2: Brand videos

13. User Generated Videos
Explores sharing without the
issues of confounding results
with brand effects
Provides benchmarks to
compare with branded results
for second study
Image taken by Ehrenberg-Bass Institute ©

14. Branded Videos

15. Emotions related
to sharing
Four broad categories of
emotions:
humour, motivation,
temperament and awe
Valence: positively or
negatively driven emotion
Creative Commons Attribution-Share alike 2.0 Generic
Buster Benson expressions based on Paul Eckman Facial Action Coding System
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikbenson/490830281

16. Emotional construct
Positive Negative
Emotional High Low Arousal High Low Arousal
Descriptor Arousal Arousal
Humour Hilarity Amusement Disgust Discomfort
Motivation Inspiration Calmness Sadness Boredom
Temperament Astonishment Surprise Shock Irritation
Awe Exhilaration Happiness Anger Frustration
Arousal/Valence Emotions Grid, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute 2012 ©

17. Video 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsyE2r
CW71o

18. Results
What did you think?

19. Video 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXndQuv
OacU

20. Results
What did you think?

21. Video 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskFaiDI
EwA&feature=player_embedded

22. Results
What do you think?

23. Propensity to view
Videos coded in each classification
(as proportion of total %)
Positive Negative
High Low High Low
Arousal Arousal Arousal Arousal
User-Generated 19 45 6 31
(n=800)
Branded (n=798) 22 48 5 25
Non-profit (n=20) 30 35 25 10
Photo by Margaret Faulkner ©
Wellness Skull by Atelier van Lieshout, Soothby’s at Sudley Castle

24. Hypotheses
H1: Videos that evoke high arousal emotions
(either of positive or negative valence)
are shared more than those that evoke low arousal emotions
(either of positive or negative valence).
H2: Videos that evoke high arousal positive emotions are shared
more than those that evoke high arousal negative emotions.
H3: Videos that evoke positive emotions are shared more than
those that evoke negative emotions.
Photo by Margaret Faulkner ©
Rainbow, Ring of Kerry Road, Ireland

25. Video Sharing
Findings in order of sharing - rankings
Positive Negative
High Low High Low
Arousal Arousal Arousal Arousal
User- 1 3 2 4
Generated
(n=800)
Branded 1 3 2 4
(n=798)
Non-profit 1 4 2 3
(n=20)
Photo by Margaret Faulkner ©

26. Concluding comments
We now have a greater
understanding of why some
videos are shared more than
others
We also can explore the forms
of emotion elicited to test
whether the videos maximise
arousal or fulfill our objectives
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mabahamo/4751785617/lightbox/

27. Next steps
Consider the objectives of
your marketing activity
How will you evaluate its
success?
Pre-test and modify
Pre-testing again before
release to increase
effectiveness
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/3217662958

28. Staying Alive: US and UK style
US:
Youtube clip:
Image and clip sourced from:
http://www.crowdrise.com/han
dsonlycpr/fundraiser/american
heart?ref1=socialmedia
UK: Vinne Jones Hard and Fast
CPR
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=ILxjxfB4zNk&feature=player
_embedded

29. Motivation video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4jgUc
xMezM&feature=player_embedded

30. Integrated social media
What did you think?
What did you think?

31. Get Up! It’s Time
Youtube clip
htt://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TBd-
UCwVAY&feature=player_embedded

32. Questions

33. Institute contacts:
Non-profit marketing: Dr Margaret Faulkner
margaret.faulkner@marketingscience.info
Social media marketing: Dr Karen Nelson-Field
karen.nelson-field@marketingscience.info
Other Institute enquiries: www.marketingscience.info
info@marketingscience.info

34. Literature references:
Psychology
Baumeister, R. & Bushman, B., (2010). Social Psychology and Human Nature, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Belmont CA.
Cacioppo, J.T., Berntson, G.G., Larsen, J.T., Poehlmann, K.M. & Ito, T.A. (2000), "The psychophysiology of emotion". Haviland-Jones,
M.L.a.J.M. (ed.) In: Hanbook of Emotions, 2nd ed., The Guilford Press, New York,
Heilman, K. (1997), "The Neurobiology of Emotional Experience", Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 9, 3, 439-448.
Rimé, B., Philippot, P., Boca, S. & Mesquita, B. (1992), "Long-lasting cognitive and social consequences of emotion: Social sharing and
rumination.", European Review of Social Psychology, 3, 225-258.
Rimé, B., Finkenauer, C., Luminet, O., Zech, E. & Philippot, P. (1998), "Social Sharing of Emotion: New Evidence and New Questions", European
Review of Social Psychology, 9, 145-189.
WOM
East, R., Hammond, K. & Lomax, W. (2008), "Measuring the impact of positive and negative word of mouth on brand purchase probability",
International Journal of Research in Marketing, 25, 3, 215-224.
Advertising
Southgate, D., Westoby, N. & Page, G. (2010), "Creative determinants of viral video viewing", International Journal of Advertising, 29, 3, 2-14.
Eckler, P. & Bolls, P. (2011), "Spreading the Virus: Emotional Tone of Viral Advertising and Its Effect on Forwarding Intentions and Attitudes",
Journal of Interactive Advertising, 11, 2, 1-11.
Dobele, A., Lindgreen, A., Beverland, M., Vanhamme, J. & van Wijk, R. (2007), "Why pass on viral messages? Because they connect emotionally",
Business Horizons, 50, 4, 291-304.
Southgate, D., Westoby, N. & Page, G. (2010), "Creative determinants of viral video viewing", International Journal of Advertising, 29, 3, 2-14.
Brown, M., Bhadury, R. & Pope, N. (2010), "The Impact of Comedic Violence on Viral Advertising Effectiveness", Journal of Advertising, 39, 1,
49-65.
Poels, K. & Dewitte, S. (2006), "How to capture the heart? Reviewing 20 years of emotion measurement in advertising", Journal of Advertising
Research, 46, 1.
Berger, J. (2011), "Arousal Increases Social Transmission of Information", Psychological Science Online, 22, 7, 891-893.
Berger, J. & Milkman, K. (2010), Social Transmission, Emotion, and the Virality of Online Content, Wharton Business School, University of
Pennsylvania.