13 Reasons Why

Unless you're Dan Brown or John Grisham, publishers aren't all that likely to put advertising dollars behind your masterpiece. Their marketing plan usually reads: "You're on your own, Shakespeare!" However, thanks to youtube and the "free" factor of the internet, these days a smart viral campaign can economically truly raise awareness.

Thus, before releasing a new fictional book entitled 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Penguin Publishing launched a viral effort to create interest. They hired Grey Advertising, a big-time agency in New York, to make content that would build an audience. The book itself (I have not read it) is about a young girl who commits suicide and made 13 audio tapes explaining why. It's a morbid, yet intriguing concept.

Targeting young teenagers, the viral campaign consisted of sending out 13 tapes with the voice of the main character Hannah Baker. The tapes were unbranded at first to add mystery. Eventually a community of interested folks uncovered the story behind these tapes. They, like good online groupies, began sharing their find with others.

As it began getting viral, Penguin then made the campaign less puzzling for the masses with a dedicated youtube channel. These videos are haunting. And I can think about 14 reasons why if I had a teenager, I might not want them to read a book about suicide. Nevertheless, this campaign did its job. 13 Reasons Why has sold over 200,000 copies and reached #3 on the NY Times Bestseller list. And the reason why it's successful is simple. It's not because it's viral. It's not because it has a youtube channel. It's because the creative, a tape and a voice, did its job of making people say, "I want to know more."