Viral Schmiral

You hear a song on a television commercial or website, you like it and you want it. How hard is it to get it?

If you’re experience is anything like mine, it can be a complicated journey through Google searches and forums: Often with no joy at the end.

Why do so many companies make it so difficult for their customers to voluntarily spread their brand? Maybe they’re spending too much time reading books on solving the complexities of viral marketing instead of looking at the obvious.

So who gets it?

Wolf Blass does: they have a link to the great music that everyone talks about here. It’s pretty easy to find on their website.

They could make it easier to download and also embed data in the file so that when it’s played in a mp3 player (software or hardware) the song title and album art will show up; but compared to a lot of other brands they’re doing a good job.

Apple should get it! After all one of their core businesses is playing and selling music. So you like the new iPod/iTunes ad music right. You want to find the tune to put on your brand new iPod right. How easy is it?

Not very. Apple lists the artist and song on their iPod ad site. But can you just click and buy? No.

This is how easy it would be for Apple to use iTunes and music to reinforce brand recognition and association.

Coca Cola Europe gets it: You just click on the Subscribe on iTunes which takes you to their iTunes podcast page. They could go even one click less by automatically subscribing you like this. It would be nice if their music player remembered the volume I’ve set it at, so that it didn’t deep ripping my head off. I do want to listen to the music, just not that loud.

I’m surprised that Coke’s Australian Music site doesn’t take the same approach. Actually I gave up. Too hard, too many clicks. “Why should I give Coke all my personal data? I just like the bands…” right?

It’s common knowledge that music is a powerful tool in creating positive and memorable associations.

So next time your so called integrated communication agency tells you to spend lots of money licensing music for their fancy award entry campaign, ask them whether they have a simple strategy for spreading this valuable asset. If they don’t, maybe they aren’t listening to you or your customers.