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Night of the Living Viral Applications
Widget-based viral marketing campaigns are still working on monetization and measuring success, but it’s hard to argue with what RockYou! has done in this space. The San Mateo, CA-based publisher and developer of applications and other social network services is the most successful widget maker for the Facebook platform in terms of total installations.
Now developing widgets for MySpace and Bebo, RockYou! hit something of a motherlode last fall with Sony Pictures' branded RockYou/Facebook game, "Zombies," which featured Resident Evil: Extinction as the theme of a contest within the game. "Zombies" allowed Facebook players to build an army by virtually "biting" their "chump" friends and converting them into zombie slaves. Through RockYou, Sony instantly put its message in front of “Zombies” players, anticipating only 10,000 participants—but actually reaching a million contestants.
“Our entire business is based around synergy,” RockYou! director of business development and advertising Heidi Henson told me at the Digital Hollywood Media Summit earlier this month. “This was really a perfect match, because it wasn’t necessary to educate people on what Resident Evil was.”
The company also had success with a quiz application tagged to Paramount/DreamWorks’ Sweeney Todd movie, whereby Facebook users voted for their favorite Johnny Depp performance; the quiz was branded by a Depp-as-Sweeney image, with links to other relevant web pages embedded throughout the quiz. Other RockYou! applications include photo slideshows, glitter text, and customized voicemail accessories.
“Entertainment properties seem to be a little more willing to take the risk,” Henson says, “but we believe almost any brand can work in this space—as long as it’s authentic and has an understandable appeal to the target audience.”
Companies like RockYou! are perfectly positioned, she believes, as “Brands are increasingly asking agencies what to do with these social networks—and we’re showing them what’s possible.”
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