KUNG IKAW ANG PRESIDENTE NG PILIPINAS, ANO ANG GAGAWIN MO?

PHASE #1: PLANNING

Because the short video has to be viral in just a span of ONE WEEK, we have to think of something that is up-to-date, and appealing to our generation because the youth are really the ones who spend much time surfing the Internet and watching videos online. Of course, whatever the video is, it must be easily done/produced.

Our very first criteria–that we all very much agreed with–was NOT ELECTION-RELATED. It is just that this past month, we have all been caught up with issues on youth vote, national elections 2010, and what have you. So we decided that, as much as possible, we will stay away from ideas that will lead to that topic again.

Someone suggested doing random (hence ambushed) interviews. I suggested that we try a one-question format, where the subjects of the video will be asked only one question. The challenge then was to think of a question that would solicit a variety of opinion.

More than the ambush interviews that we will be conducting, we also want our viewers to answer our question in the comment section once we have uploaded our video. We want them to start a conversation regarding our video. And that’s how we arrived at  Kung Ikaw ang Presidente ng Pilipinas, ano ang gagawin mo? So we’re back.

PHASE #2: PRODUCTION

We divided into three groups; each must do an ambush interview of different students. To make the video get instant hits, one strategy we did was to get the contact information of those we interviewed, so they themselves can share the video to their friends.

PHASE #3: MAKING IT VIRAL

Individual promotion. We posted the video in our respective online accounts such as blogs and social networking sites. Also, we post the links every now and then in our SNS status–even in YM. To easily spread the video, we asked our contacts to watch the video and repost it. We also composed an email message that contains the link, and of course, with some teaser spiel regarding the viral video. We also have gif files to make the promotion package more appealing.

Domain. For easy viewing, we made a domain–http://kungikaw.tk –that is easier to remember so that we can even promote it face-to-face. Also, we sent out a text message about our video. Having a short domain was very handy.

Related sites. We contacted the First Time Voters Project, and other youth-vote and election-related sites if they could view our video, and repost it, if possible.

I would be a hypocrite if I say that I did not employ ad baculum or who-knows-what fallacy to promote the video. I know that we were supposed to tap our target audience–the Filipino youth voters–into watching and reacting to this video. For a video to be viral, it has to reach at least 1000+ hits in less than a week, at least that’s what it says in one or two online articles that we have read.

I saw the videos of other groups and I must say that everyone did a great job. I especially liked Fayah and Wanna be a Korean. I mean, it is not so often that I will see Ate Lou dancing (Trivia: Park Bom–the 2NE1 member Ate Lou portrayed–is her favorite 2NE1 member. Ha!). Jhe was also really bubbly and cute in their video. Her faux bangs were perfect.

Phase #4: Results (as to the promotion I did)

I accidentally sent the video to GMA news via email. I was surprised when they asked for my number and called me asking if I can send them a brief summary about the video. I did. I thought that was the end of that.

Last Tuesday, I received a call from Mariz Umali of GMA News and Public Affairs to tell me that she was in UP Manila and hopes to see me so we can talk about the video. Unfortunately, the ever-enthusiastic Angel Directo was in UP Diliman at that time. She would have been so excited. Well, she still was even she wasn’t there. At least not physically. Haha

When I met her, I was surprised to see that she was with a cameraman and there’s a microphone with the GMA7 logo on it. Good thing Camille was there with me so we were both interviewed. Talk about ambush interview! Hello karma 😛

I think the short interview was shown on News on Q (QTV11). A clip of the interview was shown in 24 Oras (GMA 7) along with two other youth vote-related activities from UP Diliman, and UST.  Only Ate Ana and Glecy saw it. I didn’t get to see it as I was asleep by the time. HAHA

I think, the Youtube link of our viral video was shown because a video of us was taken while we were playing the it in Ate Jackie‘s laptop.

For all those who haven’t watched yet our video: