Aside from being a funny romp through the county that lies in the shadow of Your Nation’s Capital, this represents an almost textbook case of viral marketing. Posted on Thursday, the video made the rounds pretty quickly on Friday. I got the link almost simultaneously from two different friends – who, incidentally, do not know each other. That was followed quickly by an email from another friend, and later, an email from a friend in St. Louis who used to work with me in Arlington. By the end of the day, almost everyone I talked to – coworkers, softball teammates – had seen this video.
Why? Well, the producers obviously did a good job pushing it out through Twitter, Facebook, and email. Their timing was perfect – the Thursday release meant that office workers could (and would) spend their Friday morning watching, laughing, and clicking “forward.” They used recognizable landmarks from areas that had a mix of residences and businesses, meaning the video was highly recognizable. And they poked fun at behaviors you see on full display in Arlington, such as jogging in place at a traffic light, avoiding the Green Line, and of course the plethora of Starbucks locations.
But most importantly, the video is hilarious. If you want to go viral, content is – as always – king.
Jim Eltringham 