Big Head Blog

Times they are a changing.  The economy is in the pooper and unemployment rates are rising faster than the price of gas.   People are desperate to get a job.  We hear all these stories about executives that were making $200,000 a year, now taking orders at Burger King.  And how hundreds of applicants turned out for a janitorial job.  With this demand comes a new way of approaching the job search.

Introducing Job Seeking 2.0.  We have all heard about the Web 2.0 generation, characterized by information sharing and user collaboration.  An abundance of social networking sites have popped up due to this new age of web development.   So why not use that same concept for job seeking?

The first genius to come up with this concept was Queensland Tourism.  They took viral advertising to a whole new level with this campaign.  In case you are hiding in a closet and have not heard about what they did, then let me fill you in.  Queensland offered one lucky individual the opportunity to have the “Best Job In the World”.  And quite literally, it was the best job in the world.  It paid almost $100,000 to essentially vacation for six months and they even put you up in some ‘off the chart’ vacation home.  Who could resist?  Of course, thousands and thousands of applicants sent in their 1-minute submission video for the chance of a lifetime.  To see the winner, visit Islandreefjob.com

Do you see the genius!?  Not only did they find the perfect applicant (even though the job isn’t your typical job and will probably not exist after the 6-month contract), but they put the Great Barrier reef on the “map”.  It became an overnight sensation with news coverage, thousands of applicants, millions of views and links galore all over the web.  By the end of the campaign, you would have live in a cave not to know about Queensland Australia Tourism and the Great Barrier Reef.  Not to mention the fact that thousands will follow the winner to see his adventures.  See… genius.  As a fellow marketer, I bow down to you.

And of course, with their success, you knew the ‘bandwagon’ train would be in route for a swift departure.  The first was Murphy-Goode Winery. They are offering a 6-month contract for someone to share the Murphy-Goode name and the beauty of Sonoma Valley with the world.  To view some of the applications, you can visit www.areallygoodejob.com .  I must admit, it sounded like the perfect job to me.  6-months of drinking fantastic wine and living in Sonoma Valley.  So yes, I applied.  Guilty.

So what does that mean going forward?  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see a “Best Accounting Job in the World” contest coming out anytime soon.  But this new Job Seeking 2.0 sensation has the potential to offer companies the ability to “kill two birds with one stone”:  To hire a qualified candidate and generate a buzz.  In today’s competitive job market, you have to provide more than just a resume.  You have to be creative and grab the attention of the recruiter.  If companies provided an outlet for job seekers to show their stuff, then things could get interesting. Serious job hunters need to fight for that interview.  No laziness allowed!  At the very least, create a blog to talk about and give advice on your profession. If your profession requires a strong personality or customer service, make an online video and sell yourself.  Market yourself right, and you will start to see a difference in the response you get!

Written By:
Anna-Marie Abell
Big Head Marketing, LLC

Big Head Marketing is proud to announce the launch of a viral ad campaign for Oceanside Tourism.

It’s a Ball! - Beach Balls Invade Oceanside, California.
After his owners leave on a vacation to Oceanside without him, Mr. Ball heads out to California to join them in the sand and surf.  But he is not the only beach ball that decides Oceanside is the perfect vacation destination!

And don’t forget to check out the website for some great outtakes with Mr. Ball.
www.OceansideAdventure.com

Thank you all for your continued support!

I always love to see a completely successful viral campaign.  The latest one that has caused a sensation is Queensland Tourism with their “Best Job In the World” campaign.  They have had over 20k people apply to date.  If you have not had a chance to check out their site yet, please visit islandreefjob.com.  They have followed it up with very successful Facebook page, as well as Twitter and of course Youtube.  I must admit, I even got caught up in the idea of having “the best job in the world” and made my own submission video.  Feel free to view it here:

http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/TF-x94pWptA

I have found that most applicants just get on and beg, but there are a few very creative ones.  Including on homage to “Clover Field” and even a transgendered “lady”, shot in black and white, smoking a long cigarette.

This campaign is one that any viral marketer should study.  Their ultimate goal is to have the “winner” travel the islands and keep up a video blog.  What better way to get an audience than with this campaign.  The true brilliance of this campaign is the longevity of it.  Not only the long submission process, but the voting process that follows once the short list selection has been made and then, of course, the winner showing us the islands for 6 months.

If you are interested in starting a viral ad campaign of some kind, I advise you to study this one and read the press that has followed it.  Another one you should look at is the “Will it Blend” campaign, which you can find here.  www.willitblend.com.  This one is so successful that they even put out DVDs.

All in all, my advice would be to think long term success.  Come up with a plan that engages the audience.  One that will keep them coming back for more.  You have to give them a reason not to just watch it on Youtube and be done, but get them to want to come to YOUR site.  Most importantly…

Entertain!  Entertain!  Entertain!

For more information of viral campaigns, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment below and I will respond back to you.