Recently I posted a quote from a web site where the authors were bragging that reporting on honey bee declines had increased traffic to their site. There is a lesson to be learned here. As a story goes viral, it rises to the top of searches and so increases like dust bunnies in the corner. Meanwhile, fact based and technical stories languish unread.

Here's an example:

> Consider the recent Haagen Dazs viral promotion to let consumers know the honey bee was in danger. The ice cream company, which relies on honey bees for a number of it's flavors, launched a multi-platform campaign which included television and print ads as well as an online video featuring "b-boys" dancing. The video quickly became viral with teens and young adults sharing content and adding the video to their own social network profiles.

> Two weeks after the launch, the video had 2 million views and 3500 comments as well as a 4 ½ star review on YouTube. About 150 websites and blogs have also picked up the video, which increased hits to the Haagen Dazs branded micro site. While the plight of the bees is still up in the air, the effect on Haagen Dazs brand can already be seen in the increased consumer interest to the ice cream maker's site and the hits to the video.

Enjoy your ice cream!

Pete

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