July 24th, 2009
by Pamela Sherman
A young Minnesota couple, Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz, has captured incredible waves of attention and enthusiastic responses on the web and beyond. Their fabulously fun wedding footage on YouTube has put the newlyweds in the middle of a viral phenomenon. Their video has gathered OVER 1.75 MILLION HITS and is still growing. In the process, they’ve stepped into the limelight of the media. The couple has even been on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and covered in a slew of news shows and publications.
WHAT DID THEY DO TO CAPTURE SUCH VIRAL ATTENTION???
Instead of just walking down the aisle, in typical wedding procession fashion, the whole wedding party “boogied” their way down the aisle. -Dancing with some amazing bits of choreography, with cheers coming from friends and family, they brought the house down (or should I say up?)! -Well, if you watch it, you’ll see what I mean; you can’t help but love it …and love them for doing it! The authentic joy of their big day is expressed and shared, touching hearts around the globe.
SO, WHAT’S THE MORAL OF THE STORY FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Be willing to stand out and try something new. Be authentic and get people’s attention. Treat the world as if everyone has Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.)!
Jill & Kevin's YouTube Wedding Video Gets them on Good Morning America!
Jill and Kevin, without consciously planning it, achieved this amazing viral phenomenon by taking something that was traditional (and dare I say, often “boring”), and turning it into SOMETHING DIFFERENT and FUN …and then putting it OUT THERE ON THE WEB! Web viewers around the world have made comments such as “I want to get married again and do something like THAT!…and, “Finally, something different!” In contrast, there were also some who wrote they were appalled, feeling it was sacrilege in a church setting.
To each his own, I say… Our time-honored traditions often loose their real meaning and impact… when they’re delivered in “cookie cutter” fashion, they can become rote, mote, and superficial. This is the same with business –as our WMT founder, Lorrie Thomas says, “YOU’VE GOT TO OWN IT!”. Be sure your message doesn’t get lost, express yourself, your passion and uniqueness.
I believe people are aching for connection, meaning, enjoyment, and enthusiasm.
***See another article on the newlyweds’ story and their video linked here: THE WASHINGTON POST’S ARTICLE AND JILL & KEVIN’S VIDEO (Other sources seem to be blocking the video due to “copyright issues” –perhaps due to the piped in music of Chris Brown’s “Forever” song?)
DARE: Different + Authentic + Radiant + E-Distribution = Viral Phenomenon!
Marketing Therapist
(July 27th, 2009 at 11:59 am)
I watched this video and got all weepy….the wedding meets planning meets marketing brilliance moved me!!!!
Web Marketing Therapy » Blog Archive » What’s The Buzz Around This Viral Marketing Phenomenon?
(September 17th, 2009 at 3:13 pm)
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