Outbreak Alert
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @bbwerner
In this edition of Outbreak Alert (where I analyze the newest meme going viral the web on a mission to become internet famous), I talk about something that is ready to explode through the internet like a diet pepsi full of mentos and this installment, we are talking about Conan O' Brien. "Woah Brandon", you may say, "hasn't Conan been a viral sensation with a cult following for a long time?" and to you I say, you haven't seen anything yet.
Conan O'Brien needs no introduction to those in the TNTML demographic. He is an inspiration to us pale tall Irish nerds since the mid-90's and made a gigantic media splash when he was all but physically pushed from his dream job at The Tonight Show. What came next was a ground swell of internet support. The Conan crew had been active online with experiments such HornyManatee.com and posting behind the scenes videos on their blog, but had yet to totally embrace Social Media as a way to gain new viewers and not just talk to the ones they already had. When Conan's supporters saw his job was threatened, the social web went bonkers.
Conan support pages like Team Coco (a nickname given to him on air by Tom Hanks) sprung up, he was in the trending topics on Twitter for weeks, yet the ratings failed to improve much except for his final shows.
When NBC's contract said Conan could not appear on television in the months after leaving, he took to the web and began to test out the medium, joining Twitter and going on tour. During this time, Conan and his crew visited Twitter and Google to learn the ins and outs of the web. The whole time, his support grew in the social web and I don't think its unfair to say that without his fans massive online support, he may not have winded up with the TBS show.
This time around, how Conan and his show are using the web is a case study in online marketing perfection. Leading up to the show's launch, they set up a live video cam in their hallway doing bits for round the clock, gave away 1,000 t-shirts to the first people to reply on twitter daily, and posted youtube videos behind the scenes through every step of preproduction and answering viewer questions.
They also announced that full episodes will be posted on their website the day after they air. This is a key change to how the show views its viewers. TBS is owned by Ted Turner, the same man who owns CNN and Cartoon Network. CNN uses iReport to allow viewers to send in news video and information, while Cartoon Network owns the teen/20's demographic with Adult Swim… Turner Broadcasting understands the web and that the young generations aren't always tuning in to a live broadcast.
If you thought Conan was big before… look at the viral web right now and its plain to see that he is just getting started. The last few days, the web is returning to its previous Conan fanaticism. Even Yiying Lu, the creator of twitter's Fail Whale, drew Conan into a Pale Whale. One of my favorite bits of the new Conan Wave has been Michelle Vargas' Conan Intern Diaries:
Last night, it seemed like everyone in my Twitter and Facebook feeds were watching the first Conan show and based on the early ratings, Conan pulled higher ratings than any network late night network talk show, including The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.
We are just getting started Team Coco, this is our chance to truly prove that television can't play by the same rules anymore.