Mason Zimbler sets up joint venture with Aspect Productions.
A viral film entitled ‘the Painted Man” has won a prestigious industry award by subverting Sony’s recent award winning Bravia TV ad which features paint exploding over high rise buildings. By piggy backing on the success of the ad the associated viral has immediately achieved cult status with its very satirical spin on the possible fate of the hapless inhabitants of the estate.
Viral is now recognised as a highly effective marketing channel and as Adam Etheridge, Director and founder of Aspect Film and Video says “In a world where we seek out information and entertainment on the net, companies who are not exploiting this highly engaging communication channel will simply be left behind.”
But viral is not simply about posting slapstick videos on YouTube; “viral marketing must be viewed strategically; it has its own strengths and weaknesses and must be created in the context of any company’s wider integrated communications plan,” continues Etheridge.
For this reason Aspect has joined forces with Mason Zimbler, B2B Agency of the Year, to form a joint venture called Rebel Virals. Rather than being a group of anarchic handy cam film producers, Rebel Virals offers clients a mature solution that delivers viral as a brand-building marketing tool within innovative interwoven marketing strategies. Companies like Dell, EMC and Microsoft have already bought into this, allowing them to create engaging communications about even the driest B2B topics that genuinely support the brand mission.
Rebel Virals’ success is down to understanding both the science and the magic required for success. Seeding, SEO, video optimisation, and of course a compelling idea are all required, but crucially, in order to really add value to marketing, an understanding of how it can enhance – not disrupt – brand equity is required.
As James Trezona, Mason Zimbler’s Managing Director put it “while it is a maturing space there currently is a clear need for a provider of viral marketing that understands real long-term brand building and the place of this medium in broader customer relationship building. Through tried and tested methodologies we are able to deliver both great ideas and execution that combines to deliver on our clients’ core marketing objectives”.
