April Fool's has gone and past, now you're the biggest fool at last
April Fool's went by without any major incidents. My 4 year-old niece tried to convince me April 1st wasn't April Fool's - but it was! April Fool's!
Pranks were a big part of my growing up, from Ketchup inserted into Toaster Pastries, ice cubes made of other substances, and one time, a lottery prank pulled so well that no one speaks of it anymore. In fact, April Fool's isn't allowed at a certain household I know.
That will teach you.
Spoofs can be fun, which is why Wired put out the 10 best Internet Spoofs of all time.
In there, you'll find the "Bill Gates wants to give you money" e-mail, the boycott certain gas stations to force them to drop gas prices e-mail, and my personal favorite, Bansai Kittens.
Outside of clogging e-mail inboxes, spoofs can have other affects. My best prank was in 1998. I sent a company-wide e-mail out to announce my impending resignation to join the Peace Corps in Bosnia to teach Serbs how to speak English. I received over 100 e-mails of congratulations and kudos, even though the bottom text of my e-mail explicitly said it was an April Fool's.
There was just one problem. There was a Bosnian working in the mailroom who didn't appreciate the prank. That, and of course, certain bosses of mine didn't think much of the time wasted.
After I sent out an apology, I evaluated both the amazing response, and the aftermath. I had spent two years building up an image that made the hoax credible - and in doing so, got my first taste of the power of a viral marketing campaign. And yet, my ability to function within the company (read: community) was compromised, as was my ability to pull a second hoax in the future.
In the Internet Age, the ability to build a reputation is just as difficult. It takes time to let people know you are a straight-shooter, and it can all come crashing down with one ill-timed prank or internet flame war.
When determining the success of a viral marketing campaign using trickery, you should take into account the affects after the buzz has worn off. Is your cleverness going to come at a price you weren't willing to pay?
Pranks were a big part of my growing up, from Ketchup inserted into Toaster Pastries, ice cubes made of other substances, and one time, a lottery prank pulled so well that no one speaks of it anymore. In fact, April Fool's isn't allowed at a certain household I know.
That will teach you.
Spoofs can be fun, which is why Wired put out the 10 best Internet Spoofs of all time.
In there, you'll find the "Bill Gates wants to give you money" e-mail, the boycott certain gas stations to force them to drop gas prices e-mail, and my personal favorite, Bansai Kittens.
Outside of clogging e-mail inboxes, spoofs can have other affects. My best prank was in 1998. I sent a company-wide e-mail out to announce my impending resignation to join the Peace Corps in Bosnia to teach Serbs how to speak English. I received over 100 e-mails of congratulations and kudos, even though the bottom text of my e-mail explicitly said it was an April Fool's.
There was just one problem. There was a Bosnian working in the mailroom who didn't appreciate the prank. That, and of course, certain bosses of mine didn't think much of the time wasted.
After I sent out an apology, I evaluated both the amazing response, and the aftermath. I had spent two years building up an image that made the hoax credible - and in doing so, got my first taste of the power of a viral marketing campaign. And yet, my ability to function within the company (read: community) was compromised, as was my ability to pull a second hoax in the future.
In the Internet Age, the ability to build a reputation is just as difficult. It takes time to let people know you are a straight-shooter, and it can all come crashing down with one ill-timed prank or internet flame war.
When determining the success of a viral marketing campaign using trickery, you should take into account the affects after the buzz has worn off. Is your cleverness going to come at a price you weren't willing to pay?
posted by franki durbin @ 8:08 AM PERMALINK
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