But what did they miss? Only 40% of the visitors knew the piece was sponsored by Office Max. And only 30% of that 40% said they would be more likely to make a purchase from Office Max. Granted, you’re still talking about connecting with 24 million people in exactly the right way. But then there’s that other 168 million.

The problem is the rules – the rules say that viral marketing has to fly under the radar. They say that once people register it as marketing, they won’t forward it to a friend. But the rules are wrong. The problem with flying under the radar is that hardly anyone sees you. It is true that pieces of negligible value can be killed by a prominent logo or offer. But the real rule is: create content that people love so much, they’re proud to be a part of your brand.

Then leverage this incredible awareness tool by injecting it with a direct response component. Give people a coupon for forwarding it. And do it now, while people are hungry for this stuff. Because in six months or a year, there’s going to be so many viral “must-sees” out there that consumers will hit their saturation point and you’ll be playing the same game you play with radio, TV and print.

And as the medium grows in popularity, and advances in technology make its implementation cheaper and easier to utilize, more and more people are seeking to integrate video into their online strategy. This month alone we have been commissioned to integrate, or produce, videos for four clients. And while straight video has immediate impact, we are going to see an increase in interactive video, that allows users the chance to effect their own outcomes, and chose their own scenarios. If you’re not familiar with interactive video check out this simple example we generated for our holiday card this year.

While this isn’t new (fans of the medium will all remember the Subservient Chicken), cheaper costs and faster download times, mean it too will play an increasingly important part in people’s web strategy. Why should you care? Well, the real Holy Grail for web-based marketers is of course the “viral” campaign. An interactive piece so entertaining and compelling that viewers are prompted to email it on to friends, generating an authentic “buzz” that helps propagate interest for a given brand. With media budgets shrinking by the day, who’s not in the market for some free brand buzz?

• Need more on info about viral? Check out Selling It: The Path to Viral Success
• Get some more viral ideas

Straight after its launch, Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek emailed us to express her delight with the video’s reception, “Let me start with how amazing the response has been to the piece you created. People LOVE it. Thank you so very much! We are thrilled!”

• Read more abut the Astia it Conference branding project

Gary Snoman: Viral Phenomenon from Iron Creative on Vimeo.

In today’s fast-paced world, there are a lot of things competing for our attention. We’ve got IM windows open, a screaming email inbox and the phone ringing off the hook. Which is exactly why it is so important to use humor to connect with our consumers – even for just a few minutes.

Even hard-nosed business types are embracing the power of a little levity to help get their name out and reconnect with former clients. Take this rough cut of a holiday message we developed for Trident Capital as an example. It’s done in a traditional style, but is very much at the cutting-edge of corporate communication.

• Read more about our viral success stories
• Read more about our financial services work

A local VC firm with a small budget wanted to make a big splash. Who’d have thought an irreverent animated short about a self-made, self-satisfied snowman would, well, snowball!

The Challenge: Blueprint Ventures is a technology investment firm, which had done very little marketing in the past. In December of 2005, the firm contracted Iron to produce an online animated short, in hopes of gaining some brand awareness in the industry.

The End Result: The Gary Snoman series has become a viral phenomenon, spreading from viewer to viewer all over the world. Viewings over the last three years have numbered in the hundreds of thousands and mentions in the San Francisco Chronicle and a wide array of online publications have elevated it to one of the most anticipated annual holiday entertainment events in the Private Equity world. The ultimate result: the Blueprint brand is now known throughout the industry.