Denise Stoppleworth

Interesting fact: More video was uploaded to YouTube in two months than ABC, CBS and NBC, collectively, aired in the last 40 years. Why? With more and more people turning to the Internet for information, news and entertainment, it’s not only an amplifier for anyone’s message but also the new frontier of marketing. From political statements, to how-to type videos to outright marketing campaigns, you can find it all on YouTube. If creative and memorable enough, videos become a viral epidemic with links being sent to friends and passed on to an ever-growing network of people. United Airlines learned that the hard way as I noted in one of my earlier posts.

But how can a company or Brand use YouTube for positive marketing? Well take a look at this YouTube video put out by Toyota. Frankly, I’m relieved because I can maybe convince my husband that mini-vans are indeed cool and hip. Or, can I?

Clearly, the Toyota video was anything but low budget. However it was one of the most watched videos on YouTube. Traditionally, YouTube is an excellent platform for the low-budget, grassroots type videos, leaving the door of opportunity open for smaller companies to capitalize on this marketing avenue. In fact, in my opinion, YouTube is best suited for the small company – adventurous and nimble enough to create something really creative to help sell their product. If you can be creative enough to go viral, you have the potential to reach millions of customers – worldwide – on a very meager budget. After all, if the mini-van no longer threatens a guy’s masculinity, anything is possible right? What could you do with a little creativity?