Companies spend tons of money to make sure people talk about them. But what stimulates or inhibits word of mouth? And does a hugely popular viral actually increase sales? Too often not, says Ezgi Akpinar of the Rotterdam School of Management of Erasmus University. And she also knows how brands can make that happen.
Do you remember that video with a staircase that had been transformed into a azerbaijan mobile phone number list piano ? Each step made a different sound. When you walked up, you could compose your own piano music by hopping and jumping. At the Odenplan metro station in Stockholm, those piano stairs were located. To ensure that metro passengers used the stairs more often instead of the escalator. And they did. 66% of metro passengers frolicked over the piano keys and ignored the escalator. Because walking up the stairs suddenly seemed much more fun. Such a fun video. Good for more than 20 million views. A world hit. But which brand was the sender?
Car brand promotes stair climbing
You're not the only one who forgot that. Not so strange. Sender Volkswagen didn't exactly have a logical fit with their action. It's also strange, a car brand that wants you to use the stairs more often instead of getting into their cars. And then Volkswagen also communicated that message at a metro station to people who don't have a car or prefer to leave it at home.