BACK TO ARTICLES 
No, you won’t have to watch us do our own version of the dance sweeping Youtube, however it is interesting to look at how fast the video went viral and what the shrinking timeline means for your business!
How did it start?
The song was introduced to iTunes last May and saw very little attention. The vlogger, “Filthy Frank”, originally created a compilation video and later isolated the Harlem Shake portion of the video and it became an instant hit on YouTube.
· Song hits “Number 1 on iTunes” as of yesterday
· 4000 new video uploads per day to YouTube
· Combined video views of over 175 million
Implications for Business
So a video went viral…so what? Well the key to this video is how fast it transformed from new, to cool, to its current state of decline. Early adopters quickly saw thousands of hits, if not hundreds of thousands, which sparked a frenzy of uploads ranging from colleges to an underwater version with over 21 million views! These original videos were successful because they were:
· Truly original
· Featured a “wow” factor
· Early in the trend without any promotional message
[video type="youtube" url="QkNrSpqUr-E" width="100%" height="auto" player_id="player1"]
If your business decides to hop on a growing trend, be careful of the current state of the meme and do your research. As soon as an audience picks up on any sort of advertising in a video, the trend will tend to decline. The Harlem Shake video is still technically “viral”, but let’s take a look at the signs of a dying trend.
The Decline
Companies such as Redbull who hopped on the trend without any clear promotional messages have been successful and have connected with the audience. However, it has become clear that viewers have already become tired of the trend. L.A. Times has written a post, which examines 8 Things Killing the Harlem Shake and details why the trend is dying. As soon as mass media, such as the Today Show, become aware of a trend, it generally starts to lose its appeal.
[image url="http://huify.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/grumpy-cat-hates-harlem-shake.jpg" width="480px" height="auto" align="center" overlay="false"]
As a business, it is important not to jump on a trend just because “everybody else is doing it.” People searching for Harlem Shake videos are not looking to have a product thrown in their face. Be careful and be authentic if you decide to hop on a trend and use sites such as KnowYourMeme in order to track the current status of a viral topic.
Key Takeaways
If you decide to participate in a viral trend:
· Jump in early and be original
· Research the status and history of the meme
· Avoid blatant promotional messages
In the end, participating in online trends as a company can be a morale booster and a company culture building block. Use common sense and don’t stray too far away from the original video.
Have you or your company had success with the Harlem Shake or a different trend? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
"Friends don't let friends do the Harlem Shake"
[video type="youtube" url="aqdVC5tpffk" width="100%" height="auto" player_id="player1"]
