Going Viral: So Easy a Monkey Can Do It!

I’ve got to laugh.   As high-powered marketing firms and ad agencies spend untold amounts of time and money trying to figure out how to make their message or brand go viral, a small arboreal primate does it without even trying.  For those of you not in the know, he’s referred to by some as “The Mystery Monkey”.

For the past year, he’s earned legendary outlaw simian status, eluding capture despite repeated backyard sightings all across Pinellas County. No one is quite sure where the Mystery Monkey came from, and no one is sure we’re he’ll go next.  And that, apparently, is enough to capture the public imagination and ensure viral transcendence.

The Mystery Monkey gets a ton of local, regional and even national press. He’s also got a loyal base of fans and followers through dedicated Micro-sites and a Facebook page that claims “official” Mystery Monkey fan page status (tremble and despair ye cheap imitators)!

Fortunately, this whole rogue monkey thing has given me a great insight into what really ignites the collective imagination and primes the viral zeitgeist.  It’s a simple formula and, while I can’t guarantee you’ll go viral, faithful attendance will ensure that you’re one step closer.  More on that in a second.

But first.  This goes out to you, Mystery Monkey. We know for a fact that you’ve been sighted in the Tropical Shores area in south St. Petersburg.  This is adjacent to my neighborhood.  Which means, now, it’s personal!  Friends of ours – owners of a tasty banana tree – noticed a telltale peel discarded in their backyard.  You’re leaving an evidence trail my long-armed friend.  Which means the long arm of the law isn’t far behind.  For sake of your continued freedom, I can suggest only one thing.  Come stay in our backyard! We live just down the street.

The backyard is lush, secluded and fenced-in.  You can stay there of your own free will, still maintaining your rogue-monkey cred!  I’ll confess, we don’t have an actual banana tree, yet.  But we’ll be more than happy to plant one.  Of course, we can’t expect it to bear fruit the first year.  So, in the meantime, we’re fully willing to buy a daily supply of bananas and whatever else it is that monkeys eat (except things like marshmallows – those would just rot your mystery monkey teeth out).

Okay.  Now that I’ve made my direct plea, back to to the promise I made to the rest of you with a surefire viral media approach.

Step One:  First you’ve got to capture the Mystery Monkey.

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