Stuck in the Spotlight: The Tangle and Shine of Going Viral on Your Brand

Sometimes you come across a video on your social media explore page and automatically are in awe of what's being displayed. Come to find out you are not the only one enjoying this video. Let's say a creator made a video talking about a curly hair brand and it sits at a couple of million views and over a hundred thousand likes. The brand's account is getting all this traffic and its engagement is skyrocketing. The creator in the video is showing a specific product that helped change her curly hair and says it's the best thing she has ever purchased. When the respective target audience comes across this video,  they will want to buy this product and try it out for themselves. Not only will they buy this product, but they’ll also buy other products from the brand and share them with their friends and family. 

According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR) website, the two most powerful drivers of viral success are psychological response (how the content makes you feel) and social motivation (why you want to share it). The relatability that the creator of this video has instilled between her and her audience is what allows the video to continue to get high engagement⁠— likes, comments, new followers, shares, and reposts. Word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising. It is easier for someone you know to convince you to buy a product than the brand themselves. 

All of this noise about the one product is now uplifting the brand's image and revenue in all aspects. The one question is…can they keep it up? The brand is going to want to leverage off of how much “game time” they are getting on everyone's social media algorithms. They want to try to move forward in any way to keep everyone's attention. 

Tangled Up in the Spotlight 

This happened with a drug store hair care line. They were in the spotlight for a long time because everyone raved about their hair oil, which is known to increase rapid hair growth in a short time. As a consumer, I followed the media trends and purchased numerous hair care items from this brand. I loved it until I didn't. 

Unfortunately, the brand underwent a rebrand, which they thought would help publicity. However, after changing their formulation, they ultimately lost all their momentum, leading to major backlash. The extra push on the brand's marketing and social team to keep up with its fresh publicity caught up to them. After the rebrand, no one wanted to purchase this hair product because of the bad reviews that were being shared online. 

What about the “What if?”

Do you think the rebrand would have happened without the viral video? I would ask the brand's marketing team, “Why change something you know is already good and prominent, and why not just create a new product to keep the fire going?”

What if the creator shared a negative instead of a positive review of the hair oil? This would lead to misleading associations that can tarnish the brand’s image and affect its future. It can go as far as customers boycotting the brand because of all of the negativity around the brand and its products. 

Miscommunication of the brand's message and overexposure are what being ‘viral’ cost them. Now the brand needs to regain its trust and loyalty from consumers. It is all nice when you get your moment in the spotlight, but how you move with it is how you will determine your success. 

The Waves in Marketing

With a good wave of exposure, it's important to engage with your audience, utilize the publicity for new product launches, and prepare for future opportunities. On the flip side of things, you have to change the negative narrative, acknowledge concerns, and stay transparent as it fosters trust and reinforces credibility.

After a good or bad wave of exposure, it is crucial to maintain customer loyalty at all times.