Social media is proving to be one of the most valuable tools that a business can utilize. Many companies have found that they can generate even more profits and repeat customers if they build a relationship with their consumers, also known as brand loyalty. Aside from social networking profiles, viral videos are another tool that can skyrocket a company past their competitors overnight. One storm of tweets, shares, and blog links can mean the difference between being unknown one day and getting nationwide coverage the next. Here are three prominent examples of viral videos that put their companies on the map.

 

 

 

1. Old Spice

 

 

 

The company was started in 1938, but fell out of the limelight until its new viral ad campaign debuted in 2010. In it, actor Isaiah Mustafa appears shirtless and doing comically masculine things. The commercial carried the tagline, “Smell Like A Man, Man” and became the fastest-growing viral video marketing campaign ever. The video reached 6.7 viewers in 24 hours, and was the start of a number of commercials that aimed for the “random” and “wacky” feel of the first video. Old Spice saw a spike in attention following the campaign, and sales reportedly doubled after the launch of the videos. http://www.oldspice.com/en-US/home-page.aspx

 

 

 

2. Will It Blend?

 

 

 

In 2005, Youtube was still in its infancy and contained significantly fewer cats, but still managed to act as a launching pad for formerly unknown company Blendtec. To demonstrate the power of their blenders while dropping jaws everywhere, Blendtec put their product to the test for all to see in a series titled “Will It Blend?” In it, Blendtec founder Tom Dickson attempts to blend random items such as marbles, a rake handle, hockey pucks, and even expensive pieces of tech such as iPhones and iPads. http://www.blendtec.com/commercial/ The company noted that the popularity of the series has led to an increase in sales as well as spinoff merchandise based on the videos.

 

 

 

3. Dollar Shave Club

 

 

 

Dollar Shave Club originated as a relatively unknown California-based business. Advertising a subscription for multiple blades each month for one dollar, the company aired a series of outrageous viral videos that garnered more than four million views in 2012. The videos include outrageous sights such as packing tape being slashed by a machete, a toddler shaving a man’s head, and a man dancing in front of the American flag while wearing a giant brown bear suit. For a frame of reference– competing shave company Gillette spent millions on an ad campaign for the 2012 Super Bowl, and only garnered 5 percent of the views that Dollar Shave Club did.