OPINION: The curious case of Kru Angkana

So what’s the big deal?

 

Innocent as his warning was... the tone, the intensity and the serious-funniness or funny-seriousness of his video made it an instant meme and a viral hit in Thailand. It took five days to hit a million views and different avatars of the video did the rounds on YouTube touching around five million views in a span of three weeks. I didn't understand a word of it, but I laughed the moment I watched it!

The TV channels hustled to get an interview with the teacher herself and the kid became an instant celebrity. Folks in Bangkok started using the term as a figure of speech. Social media was abuzz with the meme. My colleagues sent out emails that with the subject, "Open this email NOW or else I am telling Kru Angkana" and guys at bars were yelling, "Drink that shot dude or else…."

 

Well…you get the idea. 

 

This innocent 40-second rant could not have been uploaded at a better time. It’s like a shot in the arm for the digital community here. Firstly, It clearly demonstrates the power of YouTube as a platform in a market that is dominated disproportionately by TV. Secondly and more importantly, it gives us digital folk an opportunity to demonstrate the potential reach and value of viral / earned media success to clients. 

 

But the big story is YouTube’s coming of age in this market. One of the primary findings that accompanied comScore’s recent foray into Thailand was the amount of time that audiences spent on Google sites. YouTube metrics in Thailand are off the charts and there are video bloggers more popular than movie stars here. And finally, clients are taking notice and giving the platform a nod, a big one at that. 

 

Clients embracing the power of video in YouTube are already seeing positive results. We at IPG leveraged a popular blogger to drive a skin care product launch that drove 120,000 views in a few days. Several comments were positive and several more questions asked—which are all good for the brand.  

 

YouTube works wonderfully well for brands that want to connect with ‘passion communities’ such as skin care or gadget geeks. Unlike traditional TV, there is no time pressure. If the content is good the video spreads and the brands benefit. And if the video is exciting enough, it can even create a meme. 

 

With folks moving massively to mobile and content being both created and consumed via mobile devices, online video is at a tipping point in this region. I can only imagine how many rants are going to become viral hits when every kid has a smart phone in his pocket and a socialcam like app to tap and gripe. Ms Angkana is going to be getting a lot of complaints for sure!