I was in a meeting last week where the presenter commented, "We hope this campaign goes viral." It wasn't a misdirected objective, but it caught me off-guard.

We create advertising to be heard. We want the guy on the couch to hear the ad, and take action.

When people talk of going viral, it's the assumption that the ad we created "infected" the guy on the couch so much he just had to share it with others.  And they, in turn, do the same thing.

Last week's presenter showed us a great, sophisticated, well-produced campaign completely in-line with his brand's personality.  But in that was the problem.

Why would that campaign go viral? Why would something so well-aligned with the brand cause somebody to need to tell somebody else about it?  My answer is, it wouldn't.  It would be viewed, the consumer would gauge the campaign (yes, that seems right for them) and move on.

"Going viral" requires you to do more than what's currently expected of you.  It can be better, it can be different, but whatever it is, it can't be the norm.  After all, what's exciting about the norm?