Viral Marketing Where The Underdog Has A Chance

By Author: Mel Joelle
Total Articles: 4328
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A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about how a certain NBA player was using viral marketing in the form of YouTube videos and a website to get fans to vote for him to be able to compete in the NBA Dunk Contest. The voting took place between three NBA rookies; the winner of this contest gets to be the fourth contestant in the Dunk Contest that will be held in February. I made a prediction that the player who ran a successful viral marketing campaign would win, regardless of playing time, stats, or even dunks seen on television. The voting ended on January 14th. I never cease to amaze myself.

Out of the three players involved, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trailblazers, and Joe Alexander of the Milwaukee Bucks, Joe Alexander prevailed. The reason that Joe won had nothing to do with his in-game performances or his fame outside of basketball. First of all, Joe plays in one of the smallest markets in the country, Milwaukee. One can argue that Russell Westbrook plays in Oklahoma City which is also a small market, but Russell has gotten a lot of fame from playing for powerhouse ...
... UCLA in college and going to two consecutive final fours, not to mention all of the national coverage he got last year. Rudy Fernandez was a pro basketball player in Spain for the past 4 years, was one of the best players on the Spanish Olympic team that took Team USA to the limit this summer, and has name recognition worldwide. Joe Alexander is a country boy out of West Virginia that barely got attention the last few months of his senior year in college last year. It didn't seem like he really had much of an advantage going into this contest. Not only was he not a household name, but he only averages 11.8 minutes a game compared to Fernandez's 26.4 and Westbrook's 30.8 minutes per game. That's not really a substantial enough amount of time to showcase one's skills; he doesn't even average 5 points per game. So how in the world can a no name rookie like Joe Alexander win over two more heralded athletes? Simple answer marketing.

Joe was the only one out of the three to take it upon himself to get his name out there. He started by creating a website, www.voteforjoe.com , in which he posted blogs and several videos urging fans to vote not only every day, but every hour according to the guidelines of the competition. He also had a direct link on his site where you can click and vote for him. His videos ranged from him showing off his jumping skills, to more comedic versions of himself proving that he is worthy to be in the contest. For example, one of the videos shows his skills in dunking Oreos into milk, and paper balls into a trashcan. The videos are mainly satirical comedy that last from about 30 to 60 seconds. He made a new video every week, following the advice of most marketers by updating content on a regular basis. He even went on national television and radio to urge fans to go out and vote for him. He ran a better campaign than John McCain!

What is the moral of this story? The point is, that with some time, creativity, and the correct marketing strategies, anyone can make themselves relevant and happening online. It's obvious that he had help, and who ever helped him knew what they were doing. Not only did he regularly update his video content, but his blogs as well. Despite his lack of playing time, fame, and name recognition Joe Alexander became an internet sensation. Even more than that, he made himself into a public figure and personality that I doubt the other two stars will come close to. He may not ever end up being as good as a basketball player or dunker then Rudy Fernandez or Russell Westbrook, but he didn't have to be.

So for all of you small fries out there that feel you can't compete with the big name competition, stop doubting yourself. Take a tip from Joe, get some good marketing advice, do something different that your competition isn't doing, and make your brand stand out and have a voice. If a white boy born in Taiwan, raised in China, who went to high school in Maryland and played for a small West Virginia University can beat out 2 of the most heralded rookies to come into the NBA this year, then why can't you beat your competition. We all just need the right advice and motivation; it can go a long way.
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