Everyone knows that a viral campaigns can either make or break a company. Once the messaging hits the fan, it’ll spread like wildfire with no breaks or pauses, reaching every corner of social media and online publications.
If a campaign flops and prospects turn away, the damage control that an organization has to do is unparalleled. From repainting the brand’s image to regaining customer loyalty, the lengths one has to go to reverse the PR nightmare brought by an ill-conceived viral campaign is a long and winding process.
On the flip side, if a viral campaign works, it skyrockets to unprecedented heights, turning brands into overnight success stories. A well-executed campaign that resonates with the target audience leads to unprecedented exposure and allows the message to spread rapidly and organically.
Make no mistake: in order for a campaign to succeed, it has to have the right components – from compelling content, emotional appeal, and relevance, to timeliness. Ultimately, it’s a well-orchestrated act that takes months of preparation to take off.
Here are 8 companies who have viral campaigns in the tech scene:
1. Winn.AI
When it comes to success stories of viral campaigns, Winn.AI is at the forefront. This sales tech startup recently announced the general availability of their product, an AI-driven No Typing CRM that aims to empower modern sales teams. To say that it went viral is a mere understatement. As tech influencers and sales professionals shared their videos on social media with the hashtag #NoTypingCRM, Winn.AI experienced an astonishing response. More than 90 videos showing destroyed keyboards garnered over 5,600 likes and reached an impressive 500,000 impressions.
Winn.AI’s domination on LinkedIn was not just a promotional effort but also symbolized a powerful message of leaving behind the burdens of manual CRM updates and embracing a new way of doing sales. It was a unique event where individuals from various industries united to rally behind a movement that seeks to enhance everyone’s lives and simplify their daily tasks.
2. theGist
The team behind theGist exceeded their own expectations following the viral campaign behind their flagship product: a Unified AI Workspace. This product launch marks a groundbreaking revolution in the utilization of AI. It goes beyond just individual applications and instead encompasses the entire digital workspace of an employee. This innovative approach involves integrating various elements such as related items, insights, tasks, daily priorities, generative text, summaries, and actions into a unified platform.
The level of response received was remarkable, as more than 2,000 individuals eagerly joined the waiting list. This accomplishment underscores the urgent demand for a solution to a common problem experienced by today’s workforce: the disruptive effects of constantly switching between apps and contexts, which significantly hampers employee productivity.
3. Walnut
Walnut knows all about revolutionary, rebellious movements has viral campaigns. In an effort to streamline the B2B sales process, the renowned product demo platform has initiated the #WeAreProspects campaign. According to CEO Yoav Vilner, this movement is built on the notion that “We are all the prospects of someone else.” This highlights the idea that the drive to transform this industry should resonate with everyone, making it a relevant endeavor for all.
Walnut’s initiative successfully garnered the support of multiple companies, including Hubspot, Apollo.io, SimilarWeb, Dooly, Postal, Contractbook, Sales Assembly, and Cloudshare. Each of these companies contributed by offering exclusive benefits on their products, all aimed at enhancing the B2B industry. They also actively tackled different challenges encountered by prospects, such as the need for personalized experiences, simplifying complex contract processes, improving gifting practices, and enhancing product demos.
4. Equitybee
It’s rare for startups to question a long-standing tradition that proves to be inaccurate. That’s exactly what Equitybee did. With the launch of their product Equity Value Finder, a platform that helps startup employees understand the actual market value of their options, the company also exposed the loopholes of the 409A Valuation.
Equitybee Founder and CEO Oren Barzilai published a thought leadership article on MSN titled The 409A Valuation Misses the Mark Big Time, which has since gone viral campaigns all over social media. Oren shared in the post the evidence that the 409A Valuation does not provide an accurate depiction of an organization’s true worth, dispelling the misconception that it serves as a reliable indicator of a company’s actual value. To no surprise, the company was met with praise in and out of the FinTech industry for dropping the bombshell and educating both leaders and startup employees alike.
5. ClickUp
Established only 6 years ago, project management tool ClickUp is making significant and progressive strides compared to its well-established competitors in the Collaborative Work Management (CWM) ecosystem. It has experienced remarkable growth, with an increase of over 8,000% in the last three years.
The product has been purposefully crafted to ensure it is user-friendly and enjoyable, with the aim of promoting its widespread adoption. In a nutshell, it was specifically designed to go viral. ClickUp’s ability to achieve widespread popularity plays a crucial role in persuading IT leaders to consider implementing it throughout their entire enterprise. Regardless of how advanced the technology may be, if it fails to captivate users from the beginning, it runs the risk of encountering significant obstacles.
6. Mint
Mint is the epitome of “high-quality content goes a long way.” Despite being less well-known compared to its popular competitors, Mint made a dedicated commitment to a digital strategy that involved creating numerous top-notch content pieces. This content ranged from informative and engaging blog posts to visually striking infographics that quickly captured the attention of a wide audience and get viral campaigns across various platforms.
By consistently delivering valuable and captivating content, Mint aimed to establish its presence and credibility in the digital landscape, gradually gaining recognition and building a loyal following. And due to its extensive digital content endeavors, the tool garnered an enormous online following, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Intuit for an astounding $170 million.
7. 1Password
Password manager 1Password had the huge undertaking of making cyber security appealing. But when it paired with the Wrexham Football Club and Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, things quickly took off.
1Password created a viral ad where Ryan Reynolds delivers an inspiring pep talk to the team about safeguarding their online information. However, to their surprise, the team is already well-prepared in this regard. Reynolds quickly adapts and shifts the topic of discussion to nighttime skincare routines. This fun campaign instantly captured audiences, raising awareness of online privacy and highlighting the importance of protecting personal data – two topics that are usually swept under the rug.
8. Intel and Dell Technologies
In 2022, tech industry titans Intel and Dell Technologies collaborated with the MND Association and Rolls-Royce to produce I Will Always Be Me, a platform for voice banking to assist individuals affected by motor neuron disease (MND) in preserving their unique vocal identity. This platform enables them to create a digital replica of their voice, ensuring they can retain their personal sound even when they are no longer able to speak due to the progression of the disease.
With the help of New York Times bestselling author Jill Hawes, they created a story to help people express what they’re going through. The recordings will be processed by a machine learning algorithm created and developed by SpeakUnique. This viral campaigns and received widespread acclaim, including the 2023 coveted ADC Black Cube for Best of Show and the 2022 Clio Health Gold.
