Background information
Rationale for viral marketing
- This year we have produced a short video to promote this year’s World Heart Day message - “Work with Heart” – through social networks and online media. With this communication tool, we aim to enter - with your help - a new level of communication in our ninth year of celebrating World Heart Day.
- The purpose of creating this video was to gain widespread awareness about the World Heart Day message in fun and entertaining way, which responds in particular to today’s trends toward online communication.
- This is by no means meant to replace our traditional communication – through our leaflet, poster, media outreach and WHD activities. Instead, it is meant to complement these activities.
- There are more and more educational campaigns that use the internet to spread their messages. One online campaign that has been enormously successful, for example, is the “Movember” campaign, a moustache growing charity event held during November each year to raise funds and awareness for men's health. Through the process of internet sharing, typically through email or instant messaging, blogs and other sites such as YouTube, people heard about the movement and joined in.
- Following this trend, we feel that we, too, will be able to reach some new audiences, including younger age groups, spread our messages through the internet communities, and communicate more directly with the general public.
About the video
- Our objective was to build on the central campaign theme, and the key image which shows the feet and legs of people dressed for a range of work settings. The core campaign idea is that one of the few things that everyone has in common – irrespective of their country or working environment – is that each individual can take steps to lead a more heart healthy lifestyle.
- Our feet can represent many things that we can do that are good for heart health. Dancing, walking, climbing stairs, even the smallest steps count towards a healthier lifestyle. We have chosen dancing for this video, as it is visually compelling and is a unifying activity across a range of cultures and ages. Through different styles of music and dances, we were able to represent peoples from a range of ethnic and geographic groups.
Questions and Answers
What will the World Heart Federation do to promote the video? The WHF will upload the video on our website, include a link in our email signature, distribute it to online media, create a link in our Facebook site, and upload it to YouTube
How can we measure the success of the video distribution? Measuring the success of viral marketing activities remains a challenge, but we are exploring possible options. Your suggestions on this are welcome.
Can I change the slogan at the end of the video or adapt the video to my local language needs? Yes you can if you have a video composer software programme available such as imovie, quick time or media player. We will provide you with the original video files if you contact us directly or you can download them directly on this page by clicking on the file names.
In which formats will the video be available? The video is available in the standard formats including .WMV, .AVI, .MOV and .MPG
Download the PDF version of the background information >
