[ image courtesy ]
So after my previous posts about GoViral, they contacted me to ask if I’d consider posting a video from TFL highlighting the dangers of illegal minicabs, in return for payment (based on the same pay per view basis discussed below). As I’ve said before, this is not a brothel, there are no prostitutes here, but then I thought, well, I don’t like the idea of taking money, but then I thought, I wonder if we could we turn a straightforward paid media placement into something a bit more worthwhile.
In the spirit of full disclosure, every view of the below video generates payment. And given the nature of the issue, I would like to use any payment generated to donate to Rape Crisis. And because it’s the season of goodwill, in the spirit of giving, I will also personally match any revenue generated to double the donation to what I think is a very worthy cause. If you’d also like to support this cause directly, you can donate here. Or you can view the video. Or ideally both.
It’s an interesting juxtaposition, though, to think about what a more engaging proposition might be. The aim of the campaign is to generate views & raise awareness of the dangers of illegal minicabs through viewing the film. And so to extend the reach of the TV and Cinema campaign, TFL are also looking at paid-for video placements via the GoViral network. So far so good, a pretty bog standard bought media campaign, which I’m sure will do a fine job. And at 3.5p a view, it’s cheap as chips when you compare the cost per impact against TV & Cinema. So fair enough, as far as it goes. Although it’s worth noting, as Rachel Clarke observes, that at no point do GoViral ask bloggers to actively disclose that the video is a paid-for placement, as the fact that the GoViral player says ‘sponsored’ at the beginning is supposed to do the trick. So compliant but not exactly ethical, one might say.
But imagine this. And obviously please note that TFL aren’t my client, I don’t work for them, don’t know anyone who does work for them, and don’t know what their current plans are for the campaign outside the bought activity. So treat this purely as the rambling mind of a curious bystander, musing on possibilities, not making recommendations.
Imagine that a proportion of the media budget was ringfenced and instead of being used to buy media directly, it was used as an incentive to earn media. For example, instead of paying bloggers as media owners, and paying them for the real estate to host the video player on their blog, what about if bloggers were asked to share the video in return for the paid media equivalent being donated to a relevant charity. A bit like I’ve done here. I wonder if a cash-for-good-cause route would be more likely to earn media than a cash-for-views route? And whether the eventual outcome of greater genuine earned media in terms of positive word of mouth, trust and overall engagement would be greater and more valuable than through paid alone?
I genuinely don’t know the answer to this. Whilst I’d like to think that the incremental effect of the earned route would be more valuable than the equivalent budget invested in incremental direct paid-for media, this might just be a flight of fancy. But I’d love to think it would be true.
In the mean time, let’s try our own experiment and try and raise some money for charity. Let’s make something paid into something much better. Please support this very good cause by donating, or viewing, (or both).
