April 4, 2006 Comments
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The idea of launching a viral marketing campaign by allowing users to generate content for your site isn't an uncommon one. In fact, the Apple iPod commercial created by iPod fan George Masters is already a legend when it comes to the concept of letting your customers market your product. Unfortunately, GM isn't experiencing the same type of success with their customer-generated commercials. In fact, GM is quickly becoming an example of viral marketing gone wild.
CNET News reports on GM's troubles...
Over the weekend, hundreds of people used the Internet to circulate thousands of videos that charged GM with contributing to global warming, protested the war in Iraq or just demeaned the Tahoe's quality. Some videos also contained profanity or sexually explicit messages.
Late Monday, GM announced that it would begin screening the ads for "offensive and inflammatory" content but would not remove material based solely on a "negative tone" toward the company.
In one contest entry were the words "Yesterday's technology today," superimposed over a clip of engine pistons pumping. Another featured shots of the Tahoe zooming through snow, mountains and desert. Over the video appeared the words: "Global warming isn't a pretty SUV ad. It's a frightening reality."
While consumer generated content can be a fantastic way to let your customers spread the word about your product, the GM incident also shows just how dangerous and damaging a bad viral marketing campaign can be. Had GM anticipated the negative commercials that environmentalists might have created, they could have been on watch and reacted to the situation more quickly.
"The issue here is that GM is providing a public display of the feedback versus keeping it in house," said Gordy Abel, vice president of marketing agency Carat Fusion. "An open community can see all responses. In my opinion (GM) needs to do a better job of screening these types of contests in the future to make sure the content complies with the rules before it is posted."
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