TAP Air Portugal - a national carrier - maintains a YouTube Channel. Of all the videos they have posted on the channel, hardly any had crossed the 500 views mark in the past one year. Most are showcasing the latest products and are an extension of the marketing arm. This was the case till four days ago.
On Christmas day, the staff of TAP Portugal and Aeroports de Portugal launched into a spontaneous dance routine which brought a cheer to the Christmas travelers. The performance included a number of popular English songs the staff gooved to, and even Bollywood number (5:48)! The dance followed an airport announcement for 'Flight 000, where only happiness was allowed on-board.'
And guess what? The video now has almost 210,000 views on Youtube in just 4 days! Many times more than all of their previous videos combined. Watch the video for yourself right here. (If you can't see the video, please click here). The travelers were caught unguarded and joined in the fun!
The power of surprise in social media
So what did TAP Portugal do right this time to make this video go viral? They used the the element of surprise very well.
1. Surprise is authentic - people relate to it, personally
2. Surprise is engaging - just watch the old lady groove to the Bollywood number in the dance and you'll know what I'm talking about (5:50)
3. Surprise is spontaneous - when things just happen and they don't seem perfectly planned, others are encouraged to join in spontaneously too. Look at the number of people shooting a video of the performance - and they'll share it with their friends, who'd share it with theirs
4. Surprise is not salesy - This was the first time TAP Portugal uploaded a video on YouTube which wasn't selling something directly to the customer and the result is for all of us to see
5. Surprise is funny - it makes people happy
Still not convinced? Then check out this viral video, which I think TAP Portugal sought its inspiration from, which used the element of surprise very well, but at a Belgian train station
About the Author
Shashank Nigam, a well respected airline marketing and branding strategist referred to by branding gurus as 'a future business leader to watch'. On Twitter, Shashank is one of the Top 5 most 'followed' as well as one of the Top 5 most 'influential' on airlines. Most recently, Shashank became the youngest awardee of the Global Brand Leadership Award, for his groundbreaking work in airline branding.
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