-- giving them the power to make or break any new product, advert or brand. .

To tap into this new phenomenon, it's important to understand how to deploy user insights to create strong content that will enable advertisers to have relevant conversations with consumers.

Consumer insights are still playing a key role in the creation of outstanding creative content. With tools including Technorati, Blogpulse and conversation tracking, your online focus group is live 24/7 in blogs, forums and social networks. So even though it seems more complex, it has actually become easier and more transparent to identify what gets the audience to click, talk and blog.

This years Cannes Grand Prix winner -- Dove Evolution -- is a great example of how a strong user insight, in this instance translated to fit the digital format of viral marketing, can play a strong part of an integrated media plan.

The ability to get people to forward a film is a perfect reflection of the effort/action trade-off, which really comes down to empowerment of the users. Letting them choose what they want to watch, and when, is turning the traditional media model upside down because content is filtered by the users, thus engaging brand content always wins.

The famous video site Metacafe has recently launched 'Producer Rewards', which rates content based on the collective wisdom of the users through proprietary algorithms. Rating and site placement is determined automatically and constantly updated based on changes in viewer behaviour. Good content is rewarded with top placements and in turn clicks, views and interactions. It would be interesting to know how many ad agencies would want to be judged this way.

Nothing can stop the users' verdict. Neither approval by the board or prize awards will ever make up for the most crucifying and just verdict you can get from them. If you release your content as a final edition it will be "point of no return" if users do not like it.

Just a few weeks ago, Chrysler distanced itself from an ad for its new Dodge Nitro sports utility vehicle, because there was an outcry when a dog was electrocuted as it peed on the car. But the viral is still "out there" and there's no going back, with the clip being passed on and blogged about. This is why we recommend material is pre-tested before it is launched -- either with a sample of users or on isolated, selected sites.

At GoViral we've launched hundreds of viral campaigns and have used the knowledge this has given us to build a polling system which every single campaign is taken through prior to launch in order ensure virality.

This system polls the following elements, one of more of which are required if you want a clip to go viral.

• Edgy
• Surprising
• Original
• Sexy
• Pop culture
• Emotional
• Topical

Additionally, the system polls for characteristics such as how well the video works for water cooler conversation, branding, relevance for the target group, gender specificity as well as the simplicity and length of the story or video.

Generally, a short (less than 120 seconds) video with a simple story that makes for interesting conversation, and of course fits well with the target group and has the adequate amount of branding, contains the essential characteristics.

And once the viral launches, a marketer can't control where the viral is sent. That is why we promise exact tracking broken into geo-targets. Clients deserve to know whether their viral has reached its target audience.

In Youcracy, the format has changed as the user has turned from passive receiver to active player directly involved with the content he or she is exposed to. To get a piece of the action marketers need to focus on developing innovative content of high relevance to the target group -- an ad for cat food placed in an auto-related environment is likely to seem more out of place than if placed in a pet-related environment. But also cat-lovers can find ads for cat food dull, so you still need to do your homework, tune in and ask the audience "what do you think?" and be ready to listen and adjust.

For marketers, big ears are more useful than big mouths these days.

(Source: Media)