Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Andreas,
Definitely want to go with a company that can do this for you (might even want to post as a project on the right).

I have more than 20 years in the travel industry (and have current clients there still) and it will take a big BUZZ just to make a wave. I noticed your website in in 3 languages. Just make sure the company you choose can do this so it translates to each one.

Michael

You definitely need to bring in professional help if this is a serious and important project. You probably need two different kinds of expertise: advertising/copywriting and buzz marketing.

Some companies claim to do both, but our experience has been that most of the time they come from one discipline or the other and have a bias toward the one with which they are most familiar. Finding one that is great at both, and integrates them effectvely, is going to be a challenge.

As for doing it in multiple languages, my suggestion would be to make sure it works for you in one language before you try it in many.

A home made viral ad is honestly about as affective as Aeroflot trying to market a first class service and should be seriously avoided at all costs. If your budget is tight you can find some excellent young film directors at any university, not only are they cheap, cost effective and work to scale or less, but they have all the right equipment.
The distribution can be a tricky one, Cillit Bang got caught leaving viral ad's at many message boards and got hammered for it in the UK.
Also remember that a holiday for many people is an expensive subject, they need to feel safe and secure, not shocked beyond belief, there again, it depends on your marketplace, any viral ad for an 18-30's type holiday would work, but SAGA type travellers, maybe not.

We offer a media hosting solution with over 56,000,000 opt in email addresses if that's any use to you

Good Luck

Not sure if this helps but here's one example of one that has worked very well here, even got TV airplay (free) from Current Affairs and media comment programs focusing on the strategy...

https://www.bigad.com.au/

Maybe there are other examples that could be posted here to stimulate the thought process and provide examples of what has or has not worked?

The Ford Ka (Evil Twin) adverts reached me virally, so perhaps they have also worked well?

ChrisB

Remember that the #1 rule of a successful viral marketing campaign is having a message that people WANT to share with others. There's a world of difference between YOU wanting people to share your message, and PEOPLE wanting to share your message.

What's in it for them? What story do you have that's so interesting that people will want to share it with others?

Here's a piece I just left on our blog about a successful viral campaign: https://www.beyondmadisonavenue.com/2005/11/every-brand-has-story.html