Called London PR Taxi, the video series covers a number of subject areas that make up what we call ‘new fashioned pr’ beginning with, in episode 1, an interview with Brian Storey – Creative Partner at Wand, discussing Viral Video techniques.

While the subject matter is serious, the context is far from it with coffee flying about as the cab, driven by a mad cabbie – nicknamed psycho Paul, swerves around London’s streets.

Episode 2, which discusses the place of media relations in 2011, ends with a cup of Starbucks coffee literally all over Gorakana’s Michael Davies (thanks Michael, you were a star).

The latest episode ‘Media Relations’ can be viewed on our home page here: http://www.furlongpr.com/ or on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/tsMkYiidC70

Episode one, with Brian Storey can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/zEcDWL-kDVQ

A recent flurry of cause marketing videos posted by amateurs have spread like wildfire. Despite having low or no production costs, these clips have what it takes to create that all-important buzz – so what can brands learn from the new crop of unwitting viral video producers?

1. Make your video feel less like advertising and more like entertainment

As MediaPost rightly points out, people didn’t watch the Old Spice Man or T-Mobile’s hilarious Royal Wedding Dance in their millions out of a passion for the brands or products. Both were genuine pieces of comedy gold. Devising a funny concept to coincide neatly with a campaign is notoriously tricky. Making entertainment your prime objective and avoiding obvious calls to action will appeal to the savvy viewer.

2. Inject some passion

Compelling content that provokes a genuine emotional reaction is most likely to be shared. Remember United Breaks Guitars? One man’s tale of his airline woes touched millions who connected with his message, perhaps through a shared experience or a general willingness in the US to stick it to ‘the man’. Humour is one route to people’s hearts – but organisations such as non-profits are well-placed to get behind more serious causes with passionate virals. Consider using interactive video to engage viewers deeper still.

3. Tap into the Zeitgeist

Keep an avid eye on cultural trends, current affairs and what’s on real people’s minds. New York cyclist and YouTube user caseyneistat attracted Mashable’s attention with his spoof clip portraying how tough it is to cycle safely in the city. This amateur video has pulled in over 3 million views by creating an entertaining concept with a serious issue at its heart. Over to the pros, T-Mobile’s royal wedding spoof (with 22 million+ views it deserves another mention) capitalised on the global wedding fever whipped up by the accompanying media frenzy. It pays to know what consumers are already seeking out online at a campaign’s launch.

4. Don’t be afraid to keep it short

This is a point of contention. MediaPost’s theory, backed by hard data, recommends that branded videos stick to the magical 2-minute limit. At Reelseo, Jeremy Scott argues that lengthier content isn’t necessarily a turn-off, citing Mortal Kombat’s web series. Time-pressed viewers may switch off, but there’s no doubt that gripping content is king when it comes to online video.

Here at Furlong PR we’ve had a go at creating our own viral video series – London PR Taxi. Episode 2 on media relations in 2011 can be seen on our home page here.

The ad ‘Get Closer’ created by German agency Aimaq Stolle, follows the tennis star  in a lighthearted sequence, at home, on court and even features a shower scene.

The viral, is the first part of Head’s Facebook campaign tempting users to ‘like’ the page, to gain access to exclusive content, prizes and Murray’s tweets throughout Queens and Wimbledon.

Users will also be able to send messages to Murray via the page, with some messages picked to appear on the tennis racket bag he takes onto court during the tournament. Daily competitions will offer prizes including signed tennis equipment.

The campaign has been quickly gaining pace…with already over 42k views on YouTube, Murray has now been liked by more than 81k people on Facebook.

But how many smartphone owners are using their devices to share viral video? If stats about Viddy are anything to go by, the correct answer is ‘a growing number’.

Viddy, a social video app that allows people to apply filters and effects to short video clips shot on their iPhones, is doing rather well. Just six weeks after launching it boasts 500,000 downloads – a fairly major milestone to hit within such a short timeframe.

If social video sharing in the mobile space really does catch on, the potential to get up close and personal through viral is pretty thrilling.

Take hipster rockers Panic at the Disco as an example. The band recently asked fans to download Viddy to help create the video for its new single, “Ready to Go”.

Mobile video also presents itself as an ideal complementary medium for crowdsourcing, which is being used by major brands, Peugeot included, to inspire creativity and among consumers. This tends to work particularly well when supported by Facebook marketing activity.

It remains to be seen whether initial interest in Viddy necessarily marks a major trend towards mobile social video. In the meantime, however, expect to see a few more innovative viral video campaigns as bands and brands alike jump on the social video bandwagon.

Consumers who don’t yet know their cloud from their internal hard drive are bound to have questions about a laptop lacking familiar features such as a desktop background.

To solve this problem, Google has made fantastic use of video with a series of ads that utilise the format’s favourite ingredients: simplicity and humour.

Why keep it simple? This is a complicated product, and consumers demand quick and easy answers. Video is the ideal medium for a potentially complex sell – people ‘get’ visuals.

And why use humour to sell laptops? An ad that manages to educate while also entertaining will be remembered, and potentially become a viral video. While Google may not scoop any marketing awards for this campaign, it deserves recognition for cracking the notoriously difficult task of demystifying new technology for the progress-wary consumer.

The ads sit just the right side of cute and quirky, and we love the seamless incorporation of Google’s brand colours into the animation. And what does the digital community think? Last night, ‘Introducing the Chromebook’s’ top YouTube comment read: ‘One of the best adverts I have ever seen’. Who needs awards?

The beverage giant’s new video ad features brand ambassador David Beckham performing some exceptionally fancy footwork. If it is a hoax, it follows in the footsteps of such hits as Microsoft’s long-distance water slide (ultimately a fake); Roger Federer’s tennis tricks which pulled in millions of views for Gillette’s (also faked); the Head Shave helmet and the iPhone with the power to control Times Square. The latter two, unsurprisingly both fakes, were the creations of creative agency thinkmodo.

There’s no doubting the viral potential of well-executed fake clips. Whether viewed by believers or sceptics, they are likely to be shared, often resulting in fantastic brand awareness.

But has Pepsi got it right with its latest stunt? The answer, according to Jeremy Scott at www.reelseo.com, is a resounding no. In Scott’s opinion, the YouTube clip is fundamentally flawed. He cites overzealous audio and editing, high quality footage and unbelievable football skills among his criticisms.

If you ask us, it’s the poor acting skills of both Beckham and his over-enthusiastic off-screen onlookers that make this clip implausible. Whether faked or not, however, the video has already pulled in well over one million views in just three days. The majority of YouTube viewers don’t seem to be fooled, but they are definitely watching.

These insights from Jon Steinberg over at Buzzfeed offer a great starting point, so we decided to share the love.

1. Keep it short

To create viral video – think 30 seconds good, 90 seconds bad. Any longer than that and people won’t reach the end, let alone share.

2. Offer an interpersonal, human angle

People only share what they know and feel a connection with.

3. Create rough content that feels authentic

Avoid over-produced content – people prefer a behind-the-scenes feel to a slick, edited product.

4. Make it something that people can engage with

People want to engage with content, not passively consume it. Include options to upload images, create quizzes or games.

5. Offer a platform for reactions/comments

The best business blogs offer a comment system, which you should aim to build into a community with viral potential.

6. Use lists and images

Why? Simple: people love them. Try creating blog posts that are lists and make it clear in your headline (it works for us!). Images are also highly shareable.

7. Limit page views

The more pages people have to scroll through, the less likely they are to share.

8. Make your headline compelling – use calls to action and lists

In the era of Twitter, RSS and Facebook – titles matter.

9. Consider your users’ reputations as well as yours

If your tweet or blog content is potentially embarrassing, nobody’s likely to share it.

10. Tweet appropriately

Leave some spaces in your tweet rather than using all 140 characters, and be sure to place a re-tweet button prominently near your blog content to drive shares.

Source: Tips adapted from businessinsider.com

When Wired.co.uk attended an event run by MusicTank, titled “It Started With a Click: How to Spawn a Viral Hit”, the site reported back with the best ways for musical artists to raise their profile using online video.

Scanning the list, we reckon there’s plenty there that applies to any brand or company looking to achieve viral success.

Here is a summary of the key advice from the event:

Have a strong creative idea

Irresistible entertainment is the key to a successful viral video. After all, you’re competing online with other brands, not to mention laughing babies, cute kittens and Charlie Sheen.

Wired.co.uk advises forgetting about focus groups or your core demographic. Just come up with a brilliant piece of content. Make it fun and something that people will actively want to share.

Make it as accessible as possible

Use the most-popular technology that’s available to upload your video, or in other words, use YouTube. It might not be as artsy as Vimeo or Muzu, but it has the broadest reach. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t also upload it to those other sites, if they complement your digital strategy. Ironically, sometimes being taken down from YouTube due to complaints (as happened with M.I.A.’s Born Free video about the targeted massacre of people with red hair) can boost a video’s viral spread.

Get influencer endorsement

While video can go viral totally organically, it’s well worth seeding the content to online influencers. Target wisely, choosing popular industry bloggers or news sites that will be interested in your video.

Be extremely polite and respectful. If you are even remotely pushy or unfriendly, you run the risk of creating negative publicity.

Don’t assume a viral hit equals sales

The best viral videos spread because they are funny, quirky or cute – not necessarily because the viewer likes your brand. While virals may not create instant profits, they do have the power to build mass awareness, and can help bring down your spending on traditional marketing.

The final word comes from Matt Smith, director of strategy at The Viral Factory:

“Don’t make it too intellectually demanding . and never underestimate the power of kittens.”

Fancy creative and placement on the major social networks is not necessarily enough. A report posted on reelSEO.com slammed those agencies and big brands that continue to treat online video as traditional marketing whacked up online.

Coming under fire was T-Mobile’s Valentine’s Day promotion featuring reality television star Khloe Kardashian. While Kardashian reportedly contributed to the social aspect of the campaign, posting the video to her Facebook and Twitter profiles and her own blog, the report critiqued the ad for seeming inauthentic and failing to engage.

Celebrities don’t automatically add value to video ads, so consider using real people to communicate your message, such as company employees or real customers.

What social video should be:

Social video is about using video to design a real, authentic social experience between you and your audience. It should feel real to them.

Social video shouldn’t be equated with doing entertaining video advertisements. An ad creates a wall between the company and the consumer. Social video should include having a real dialogue with your audience, utilising social networks, getting feedback, or letting others participate in and around your video (and your video campaigns).

Social video should integrate the creative, placement, distribution, and conversation right from the start. It shouldn’t treat these components separately or after-the-fact.

Social video should involve paying attention to, and responding to, people who are engaging with your video. It should serve as a conduit for showing you are paying attention to your customers, showing that you are listening to what they are saying, and letting you talk to each other – not just business-to-customer, but customer-to-customer.

Social video is not about the number of views you get; it is about the quality and enthusiasm of the feedback you get.

Social video is not about talking at people, it is about talking with people. You use it to engage with your audience on a direct, equal level with no corporate barrier.

And finally, social video is using video as the medium for building a participatory audience, culture, and community that’s good for both business and consumers.

Tips by Grant Crowell, www.reelseo.com

The ad by San Francisco agency Venables Bell & Partners and directed by London-based duo, Smith & Foulkes (Honda “Grrr” and Coca-Cola “Videogame”), is an action-adventure chase sequence in a desktop multi-window environment.

The heroine is pursued by two bad guys through a range of computer applications from iTunes and Adobe Creative Suite to Facebook and more, demonstrating the performance capabilities of Intel’s new Core i5 processors.

The video now stands at almost 2 million views on YouTube – the growth curve of the original (of the seven different videos for the campaign), indicates a spike on Jan 18, which according to AdAge, usually indicates paid promotion, although Intel claims the surge was organic, due to blog coverage.