What Aamir Khan can teach us about viral videos

No, I am not part of Aamir Khan's team. In fact, I have only met the man once .  And no, I am not using Aamir to draw search engine traffic to my blog.

The reason this post is dedicated to Aamir Khan is because the man is a marketing genius, and knows a thing or two about creating compelling marketing videos...in his case movie trailers. Without further ado, lets get into what he has to teach us.

The joke is on Aamir: For one of India's biggest movie stars, and owner of a very successful production house, Aamir is not afraid to make fun of himself or his films. He had done it earlier in a Peepli (Live) trailer and does it again with his latest offering...Delhi Belly.
Lesson: Humor works big time, especially if the joke is on you. If a superstar like Aamir Khan can do it, so can you. It's a great way to differentiate your product/service from the multitudes of tall-claim promotional videos.





Focus on the script: The trailers tell a story, they are complete in themselves. It is almost as if as much attention has gone into crafting and storyboarding the trailer as has gone into making of the film. Check out how different the Dabbang clip is from the rest of the videos featured here. Tell me if you think the Dabbang trailer is anything more than a mishmash of some randomly put together scenes. Whereas there is a distinct storyline in the other trailers.
Lesson: Telling a story in 60-90 seconds can be tough. So you have to get the script right. Shooting a viral video is easier today than ever before, but it is the script that will eventually decide its fate. So put your money there and try and show it as big a focus group as you can before you shoot it.



Innovate: It's amazing how every single campaign of Aamir's is a success. Yet, he never repeats himself. Every campaign is carefully crafted to suite the mood, style and audience of the film. So with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na the mood is young, uplifting and humorous...while with Peepli (Live) it is realistic with a huge dollop of fun. The Dhobhi Ghat trailers have a sense of mystery and intrigue in them. They are somber, almost black.
Lesson: Novelty is the spice of life. If you want to get those eyeballs, change is the only formula that will work.







Attention to Detail: I have heard that Aamir is closely involved in every aspect of his films--from scripting, directing, editing, post-production and marketing. This gives him an intimate feel of the product and what makes it tick. So when he designs a marketing strategy or a trailer for the movie, he is sure of what he wants. While, he must have a great team putting it all together, the vision is one man's and that comes through clearly.
Lesson: Outsource whatever you want to. But it's your company and your vision so if you feel the video is not working for your product...you are right. Go with your gut, no one knows your product like you do.

Viral videos are flavor of the season...if 2010 had companies exploring the concept, this year will see an explosion of videos. However, only the really good ones stand a chance of going viral. Sure you can do the groundwork to ensure a few thousand hits, but that is not nearly enough to create a viral. With billions of videos to choose from, your odds of making it are fairly tough...but with the right script you just might be the case study of the year. So go for it.