Harvard Business Review finds exactly what makes certain images/posts go viral. Findings inside.

[ChrisV]

Harvard Business Review: The Emotions that Make Marketing Campaigns Go Viral

The emotions that make content go viral - ClickZ

 

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[ApparentHorizon]

Negative emotions were less commonly found in highly viral content than positive emotions, but viral success was still possible when negative emotion also evoked anticipation and surprise.

I wonder what kind of impact the economy has on that sentiment. Memes as we know them have really only been around for the past 10 years.

There was one study on cars, showing people liked happy faces during recessions and aggressive during bull markets.

2018


2010

 

[ChrisV]

I wonder what kind of impact the economy has on that sentiment. Memes as we know them have really only been around for the past 10 years.

There was one study on cars, showing people liked happy faces during recessions and aggressive during bull markets.

2018
View attachment 20854

2010
View attachment 20855

That’s really interesting. I read an article in Smithsonian about how when car experts look at front grilles, the region of the brain that lights up is the same region. responsible for facial recognition. In other words, like you said... people literally perceive faces in cars.

For Experts, Cars Really Do Have Faces | Smart News | Smithsonian

 

[rogue synthetic]

I wonder what kind of impact the economy has on that sentiment. Memes as we know them have really only been around for the past 10 years.

Yes. It's a good rule of thumb to not read too much explanation into descriptive findings like this. Interesting findings, absolutely. Just be cautious in jumping from "people did ABC when XYZ" to "we need to do XYZ to make ABC happen for us!"

 

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[NovaAria]

I have been entertaining these thoughts for a while in my mind as well.
I am guilty of browsing meme groups on Facebook in my spare time and I can't help but wonder how many of these memes are made by the typical lambda user, and how many are made by marketing companies and lobbies with agendas behind.

A rather paranoid thought, I know. But in the age of big brother, I feel like paranoia is symptomatic of a healthy mind.

 

[ApparentHorizon]

I have been entertaining these thoughts for a while in my mind as well.
I am guilty of browsing meme groups on Facebook in my spare time and I can't help but wonder how many of these memes are made by the typical lambda user, and how many are made by marketing companies and lobbies with agendas behind.

A rather paranoid thought, I know. But in the age of big brother, I feel like paranoia is symptomatic of a healthy mind.

If you spend enough time in this space you start seeing the patterns.

The way they talk: Always for or against an agenda, with unsubstantiated comments. The sloppy ones copy and paste text.
Their profile: Anonymous, or a carbon copy of another profile. (Reverse image search or exact match search can reveal it)
Activity: Mostly repost/retweets without any real engagement in a community. (This is the real tell, because most people like to talk about themselves)

Anything to be amplified is always accompanied by multiple profiles. Social proof.

On Twitter and Reddit it's super easy, since you can just register as many profiles as you wish.

Facebook is harder, but still doable. The sloppy ones pay people from the 3rd world, so you have a bunch of Philippine or Arab sounding names liking and sharing. Rarely commenting however.

Yes. It's a good rule of thumb to not read too much explanation into descriptive findings like this. Interesting findings, absolutely. Just be cautious in jumping from "people did ABC when XYZ" to "we need to do XYZ to make ABC happen for us!"

What the Harvard Study totally missed was social proof:

Couple all of that with repetition and you have a perfect recipe for virality.

 

[NovaAria]

Very interesting infographic, thanks for sharing.

 

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[ChrisV]

High arousal vs low arousal emotions:



Emotional granularity - Wikipedia

So it seems like it’s the intense, high energy emotions that go viral vs the low energy ones. It doesn’t seem to matter if they’re positive or negative emotions.



In depth:

10.1 The Experience of Emotion | Introduction to Psychology

 

[Bertram]

Hold your horse.
It's a neat discussion in Harvard Business Review. But the story gets messed up here with the discussion of arousal. It doesn't seem like you've actually read anything that you posted. Nothing new about that.
Many intense mental states are quiet physiological states.
I've learned not to cite references here anymore if the real intentions are to start off sharing enthusiasm over a neat idea, and then just create a sloopy facade to "keep the discussion going" as long as possible. That objective might look like marketing savvy "LOL" but it is actual antisocial and unkind, and a deliberate waste of energy and time.
By post #9 the content now is about "seems like" not content or fact.
The article's findings have nothing in the least to do with arousal. None. Some of the mental states discussed are never - not ever - connected to high arousal.

So let's not start confusing emotional intensity with "arousal."

Sadness can be an intense feeling. But it usually feels very quiet. Trust and admiration can be physiological "quiet" feelings. They can be incredibly intense. I draft off them on this forum.

High excitement corresponds with certain high emotional states like rage, joy and terror.
But sadness, loss, despair, and the state of depression are equally intense states. No link to high arousal.

The feeling of disgust is a low arousal state.
Disgust can "seem like" anger because displeasing things often make Americans angry.

"High arousal" refers only to the sympathetic nervous system in the classic model you pinned to this thread.
The parasympathic arousal system is another ball of wax completely. It is not addressed anywhere in the article or links. No info or facts given.

So guess what? The low arousal states appear to be involved in viral engagement.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

I’ve never in my life tried to see faces in the grills of cars... I literally fail to recognize my own car half the time... meanwhile my two boys notice every type of thing on the road, they spot Batman’s car.. they like Jeeps.. they’re fascinated with Bumblebee.. I kinda just figured it was a guy thing? I mean I adore going fast.. wanna drive a Veyron Bugatti before I die .. but that’s only cuz I read about it in a SUPER sexy novel once. I don’t attribute people qualities to cars.

WAIT.

VW bugs make me happy!!!

Hahaha... maybe I should start lookin for faces?!? Are Toyotas happy?? Oh my word.. y’all are messing with my head!

 

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[broswoodwork]

Can we all agree we want to be best friends with Norwegian electrical outlets?

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

Can we all agree we want to be best friends with Norwegian electrical outlets?View attachment 27884

THEYRE SO CUTE!!!! And American ones are grumpy as hell!! LMFAO!

 

[ChrisV]

Can we all agree we want to be best friends with Norwegian electrical outlets?

I wanna adopt the German/Korean one. (#7)

The America (#10) one is offended like "Are you seriously thinking of sticking that plug in me?!"

Chinese (#5) looks like the Scream Mask.

The brazilian one (#12, bottom right) are just waiting for "THE CLAWWWW"

 

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[broswoodwork]

Chinese Looks like the Scream Mask

It does look like a scream mask! MIND BLOWN

 

[Bertram]

k

Can we all agree we want to be best friends with Norwegian electrical outlets?View attachment 27884

View attachment 27884
So this is a real thing then @broswoodwork ? How do you know about this? Some mystical society of consumer products engineering? Is there a secret handshake we should know about?
I was perfectly happy thinking it was a real thing and that no one else would ever believe it.

 

[broswoodwork]

Is there a secret handshake we should know about?

The Free Electricians or the Light Fixture-inati are notoriously secretive about their handshake.. and which portion of their invoices are for labor and which are for parts.

 

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