This blog post is going to deal with the notions of viral and spreadable media. Like always, the first step to discuss a topic is to identify and explain its main concepts. Rushkoff (1994) explain the theory of vial media by comparing it to an actual virus. Indeed, he explain that “Media viruses spread through the datasphere the same way biological ones spread through the body or a community. But instead of travelling along an organic circulatory system, a media virus travels through the networks of the mediaspace”(pp9-10) and that viral media, like a biological virus has the capacity to modify and adapt itself to consumer’s expectation in order to survive. Moreover, since he is designed by companies to influence peoples mind, it has the ability to shape audience way’s of thinking. Rushkoff draw attention on the concept of dataspehere and mediaspace. For him, the success in the physical world is outdated and has be replaced by success in the real of data. This was enabled by all of the ranking systems that merged with the web 2.0. Followers, friends, subscribers are the new way to measure success and this happened in the mediaspace, which is the opposite of the physical world and has created a new social cultural paradigm for human interactions. Not only individuals, but also group of influence, corporations and so on have access to this virtual environment.
Jenkiss (2008;2013) oppose to this definition his own concept of what he called spreadable media. This term come from a marketing strategy called “stickiness”. This model consist of having control over the production and by doing so, maintaining the main message (2008, p. 4). It push consumer to stay loyal to brands through motivation and a full commitment. But this model of a viral idea that has to stick to a brand apply better in a pre internet era. Therefore Jenkiss invented the concept of spreadable media which is basically based on communication with the audience identity by creating shared experiences for example. Indeed, the audience is no longer passive, but became active by sharing content and so expending their signification. The market that it open for brands represent the real shift from stickiness to spreadability. The only fear for the brands was that through spreadable media there is a risk of losing the original meaning of the idea, whereas they where in full control with the model of stickiness.
To continue this post I will analyse a viral video made in February 2015. The purpose of the video is of course to promote the company’s “Disney Side” ad campaign, even if it looks more like a real s
ocial experience. Indeed shoppers at the Westfield Sunrise mall, in New York has the surprise of being follow by their shadow that where looking like Disney characters. The characters were hidden behind the opaque windows of the “Umbra Penumbra Magic Shop” established in 1955. The year matches the year Disneyland opened, and umbra and penumbra are two parts of a shadow. A hidden camera captured the reactions of unsuspecting shoppers reacting to the interactive silhouettes. In fact, the video start by showing Disney employs that arrive in the shopping mall to install the devices needed for the “experiment”. The video was shared 3,757,909 times by user of social media on different platforms. The video ends when the actual characters emerge from behind the panel and greet the shoppers. I looked at the comments of the video on you tube and I’ll found out that most of the people got really emotional when the character emerge from behind the panel and meet the people. It is probably the main reason for the massive success of the video, the fact that children as well as grown people identify themselves in the magic around Disney and that it touch upon their emotions. This is exactly what Jenkins mean when he talk about sharing experience through spreadable media. The fact that a lot of people can identify them self with such an iconic brand as Disney creates a sense of community. However, I was very surprised not to found any online reaction to the video. Of course their was article from online newspaper, or from blogs but no direct reaction from this community.
At the end of the day, the video did enhance the good image of Disney as a magic brands for children and parents and by so enhance its popularity. It shows pretty well the efficiency of spreadable media through viral videos.
Bibliography :
– Jenkins, H., Li, X., & Domb, A.
(2008). If it doesn’t spread, it’s dead. Creating Value in a Spreadable Marketplace.
– Jenkins, H., Ford, S., & Green, J.
(2013). Introduction: Why Media Spread. In Spreadable media: creating value and meaning in a networked culture (pp. 1-46). New York; London: New York University Press
link of the video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_2Y29_FLU&index=103&list=LLd4y8dvp54f6Wvy5RPlQLMg