“92% of respondents reported that a positive recommendation from a friend, family member, or someone they trust is the biggest influence on whether they buy a product or service.”
"Bloomberg TV provided viewers with an important lesson in digital currency when one of its anchors had a gift card stolen while showing it during a live broadcast."
-RT.com
Matt Miller, a Bloomberg TV news anchors, has gone viral. You're probably aware Miller's Bitcoins were stolen during his segment “12 Days of Bitcoin”. Well, this snafu turned $20 worth of Bitcoins into a low cost viral marketing campaign worth millions of dollars.
It happened in a flash - the $20 Bitcoin gift certificate was on screen for less than a minute. This was just enough time for a Redditor to scan the digital QR code, unlocking the gift for himself.
Milywaymasta, the Redditor, even explained how he did it.
“The guy that is hosting the series gave bitcoin gift certificates to the other two hosts. One of them opens up the certificate to reveal QR code of the private key,” he wrote. "They then proceeded to show a closeup of the QR code in glorious HD for about 10 seconds. Hilarious."
The user offered to return the Bitcoins, but Miller conceded on Reddit and told him he earned it. (See image below)
This authentic response earned Miller some karma on Reddit.
This story has gone viral. Let's figure out why:
- Miller gave Reddit users the opportunity to 'acquire' his bitcoins during his Bloomberg TV segment.
- Milywaymasta takes the bitcoins and posts the now popularized story on Reddit.
- The unique content is picked up by social media outlets.
- Exponential growth ensues.
Now, Miller is on the front page of your newsfeed, Reddit, and social posts across the web. We're wondering...did Miller plan this? For the price of $20, Miller gained free advertising, generated interest in his content, and organically grew his brand.
Remember, the most effective sales pitch doesn't come from a salesman, it comes from a friend's recommendation. Think of it like a Google search. Which do you trust more, the organic or paid result? Reddit works the same way. Your average Bloomberg story may not be hot news, but once the show was scammed by a Redditor, the content went viral.
Now, how can you apply this to your brand or business? We'll be answering questions and brainstorming with you. Reach out and let us know what you think.
Haiku Summary
One Bloomberg Anchor
Twenty dollars in Bitcoins
Millions of free ads
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Think you can do better? Did we count wrong?
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