More than 70 million people in Indonesia in the first half of 2015 was recorded as social media users of the various platforms that exist in Indonesia. The growth of social media users from time to time in Indonesia not only have an impact on the change in style of communication between individuals and groups, but also bring social change in society.
It is inevitable that the freedom of speech in Indonesia is more open because of the technology, one of them is social media. With the social media, the public becomes easier to express opinions that could be accessed by anyone. With such openness also the one, which has caused a lot of impact, both positive and negative.
The public must still remember, in 2014, many parties considered that the election of Joko Widodo as president can not be separated from the role of social media. At the 2014 election, social media become one of the pillars dominant in influencing public option, especially first-time voters whose number is not small.
Moreover, who had just become a byword public, even become the mainstream media coverage is the story of a taxi driver who always included his son photo while working. The driver makes his son who will celebrate her birthday in a fast food restaurant as motivation to work. Spontaneously, the content about the driver who initially uploaded through a path account of the broadcasters became viral on social media, and even got mainstream media coverage.
In global issues, small things become viral because of social media is the action of some of the retainer Barcelona during a parade the trophy after winning the Europe Champions Cup. A burger brand became a byword after eaten by Neymar, Suarez, and Messi during the parade, then the photo has shared by Neymar. The brand managed to obtain a favorable impact loads.
Some of cases presented above is just a small part of many byword in the social media, and even covered by mainstream media. Indeed, it can’t be denied that the majority of brand-related content that is viral rather than part of the company’s plans. Nevertheless, the brand and communicators need to anticipate the virality content became a byword millions of social media users in Indonesia.
Learning from brand virality in cyberspace, whether planned or not, one of the impact is the rise of public awareness about the brand itself. Various talks on social media viral content, directly or indirectly would be in contact with the public. From the millions of conversations, of course, will appear two possibilities, a positive image or the image that actually leads to negative.
What is the importance of a brand became a byword in social media?
A social media viral content which became a byword in social media, and even covered by mainstream news media can certainly form the organic public awareness. In this case, public understanding obtained is not done through the ads tend to hardsell, but provoke the public in advance to get acquainted with the brand, looking out over the brand, then provoke them to try the product. For a more advanced level, is certainly to build brand loyality.
The higher brand virality, basically also be benefit for the company, one of which is to reduce the cost of communication strategy to gain more awareness. The social media viral content, whether intentional or not, can certainly reduce the cost of advertising. If a brand become a conversation topic in a society, without realizing it’s actually a brand is being advertised by the people who are conducting the conversation. This is the opportunity for a brand, whether they are able to manage the conversation in the community so as to generate a positive image for the company or it will backfire for the company.
How to shape the content become viral?
In the end, this is an interesting question for communicators, both of which has adapted the new media such as social media and conventional media. Various viral content that organically became a byword in Indonesian society, is largely a viral content related to humanitarian issues. It is inevitable that the level of public sensitivity in Indonesia towards humanist issues are relatively higher than other issues.
Virality about a brand can certainly begins with the brand’s own sensitivity to the issues that exist in society, including in social media. This is also the answer, why we need to monitor the media, both news media and social media become an important part of corporate communications. By monitoring what is happening in society from time to time, the company was able to anticipate the issues that are and will be going on in the community.
Interestingly, the company also could establish a brand virality from social media. The problem is, whether the establishment virality was able to touch the public to make a byword, or just not appealing in the eyes of the public. Again, sensitivity towards a social issue become matter that needs to be studied by the company.
