Not only laughter is contagious, but also videos, such as viral commercials, can be contagious. But videos with humorous intentions hardly get any airplay. This is the result of a study carried out by DSG, an agency specialising in viral marketing and social media.
The study, conducted in collaboration with bc data philippines the Brand Science Institute in Hamburg, analyses the emotional reactions that lead to a video being forwarded or shared within personal circles among 600 individuals.
The result may be surprising: fear and anger are the main drivers that attract users' attention and make a video spread on the Internet. If a video provokes these emotions, it has a very high probability of being retweeted by users and becoming viral, much more than a humorous video.
This does not mean that advertisers only try to provoke negative emotions with their viral strategies; in addition to the emotion provoked, the virality of a video is also influenced by the quality and availability of media for reposting.
Furthermore, even if a video has a negative impact, its outcome can be positive so that it does not damage the brand's perception and image, explains DSG 's strategic director , Christian Wilfer.