It used to be considered an insult to say that someone or something was “riding the coattails” of something popular. For politicians, it is a back-handed sleight meant to diminish the accomplishments of a winning candidate. In other fields, it’s an implication that somehow the project or achievement is a fluke, and would not have succeeded otherwise. It’s the equivalent of penalizing a sprinter for having the wind at his back.
However, that paradigm of “having someone on your coattails” implies that you are being slowed down. A zero-sum game, where any energy expended elevating others is a drag on your potential.
Reciprocal Buzz
I live in the heart of NASCAR country. I’m not a fan by any stretch, but you can’t live 40 miles from the Talladega Superspeedway and not be a little conversant in the lingo. And the relevant notion is “drafting.” At high speeds, cars traveling in the same air-lane can go faster than by themselves. The trailing car gets pulled in by the air displacement of the first car — and the prevention of disruptive airflow around the back end of the lead vehicle speeds it up as well. It’s not “pushing” with a cushion of air, but the net result is about the same.
The same can be said of viral marketing campaigns, that spoof or play off something popular. Who benefits from this video?
Local 6 News rides the coattail of the undefined creature of Cloverfield. I’m willing to bet the homage generates a little pro-movie buzz along the way. The nature of influence is not a closed system.
[tags]Ike Pigott, Occam’s RazR, viral buzz, marketing, movies, WKMG, Cloverfield[/tags]
