THE CONCEPT OF VIRALITY Examining a Nigerian bread seller - turned model’s rise to fame RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE MARCH 2016 Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved. Published in Nigeria by GROUP Cover and book design: Oluwadara Adaja Cover photo: TY Bello Photography All photos courtesy of the respective copyright owners. BlackHouse Media 32 Community Road, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos www.bhmng.com +2347098741356 or +2348093438614 [email protected] INTRODUCTION BHM Research & Intelligence presents a research report, highlighting the concept of virality, with Nigerian hawker-turned-model Olajumoke Orisaguna as case study. The report, available for free on our website, attempts to provide lessons for public relations professionals, social and digital media marketers, creative agencies, brand managers and content teams. Why did she become so popular so fast? Why are some brands benefitting from associating with her, while others are being burnt? How can brands recognise op- portunities to create, or latch on to moments and contents that can get the world talking? Should they even try? The report also looks at relevant case studies from her and abroad, from Rihanna and Sanam to Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Sterling Bank. This is a follow up on BHM R&I's Nigeria PR Report, which was released globally on January 29th, 2016. The Concept of Virality PR Buffet, Charity Case or Cultural Lesson? #Olajumoke as a Case Study InIn makingmaking aa casestronger for a case stronger for the base empirical for the studyempirical of the study effect of ofthe celebrity effect of upon celeb to- - rityday’s upon globalizing today’s media globalizing and entertainment media and entertainment industries, Australianindustries, Professor Australian Graeme Pro- fessorTurner Graeme of cultural Turner studies1 of culturalat the University studies at of the Queensland, University succinctlyof Queensland, notes suc that:- cinctly notes that: “the growth of new media has generated new ways of “therepresenting, growth of new consuming media has and generated producing new celebrity.” ways of representing, consuming and producing celebrity.” Turner pushes his position further, by likening the celebrity to a commodity and ar- Turnerguing that pushes because his position it can be further, manufactured, by likening marketed the celebrity and traded, to a commodity celebrity “needs and to arguingbe understood that because and studied it can be as manufactured,an industry.” marketed and traded, celebrity “needs to be understood and studied as an industry.” He is infinitely right. He is infinitely right. Because if celebrity is a commodity, then we need to know more about the indus- Becausetries that if producecelebrity and is a exploitcommodity, that commodity,then we need as towell know as the more handlers about that the manageindus- triesand craftthat thisproduce commodity and exploit for its that ultimate commodity, purpose as well(as with as the any handlers commodity) that – con- managesumption and by craft the masses.this commodity As commodities, for its ultimate celebrities purpose are the(as productswith any commodithat show-- ty)case – andconsumption signpost theby thetangible masses. products As commodities, and services celebrities that are consumed are the products by the thatpaying showcase public. and signpost the tangible products and services that are consumed by the paying public. With varying staying power, for the time they are in “use,” all celebrities influence Withcultural varying moments, staying with power, social for implications the time they and are –depending in “use,” allon celebrities their clout– influence exert culturalcommercial moments, and political with social influence implications on their and audience –depending demographics on their clout–for whatever exert commercialperiod they andremain political in the influence public’s consciousness.on their audience demographics for whatever period they remain in the public’s consciousness. Few things encompass a composite lesson in media communication, public relations Fewand thethings human encompass dynamics a composite that create lesson viral, culturalin media moments communication, as exemplified public relain the- life tionsand current and the status human of dynamics a Nigerian that bread create seller-turned-model viral, cultural moments Olajumoke than theOrisaguna. life and current status of bread seller-turned-model Olajumoke Orisaguna. 1Graeme Turner (2010). Approaching celebrity studies, Celebrity Studies, 1:1, 11-20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19392390903 519024 RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE 1 Examining a Nigerian bread seller - turned model’s rise to fame InIn late late January January 2016, 2016, the the 27 27 year-old year-old impover impoverished- ishedmother-of-two mother was was hurrying hurrying through through the the streets streets ofof Lagos, Lagos, presumably presumably to to sell sell off off a atray tray piled piled high highwith with the the local lo calAgege Agege Bread Bead,, when when she she inadvertently walkedwalked into into the the set set of of a ahigh-end high-profile photography photography shoot.shoot. She When found the herself image nextcame to out, UK she singer found and her - rapperself next Tinie to Tempah, UK singer with and renowned rapper Tinie artist Tempah, thTYwith Bello renowned behind artiste the camera. and photographer TY Bello behind the camera. In post-production, Olajumoke photographed soIn well post-production, that Ms. Bello Olajumoketook to her photographed Instagram so andwell Twitter that Mrs. pages Bello in a encouraged bid to hunt byOlajumoke her fans, took down,to her finally Instagram succeeding and Twitter in early pages February. in a bid to hunt for Olajumoke, finally succeeding in early February. The much talked about This Day Style “If celebrity is a commodity, then I Cover want to know more about the industries which produce that commodity.” – Professor Graeme Turner ByBy February February 7, 7,Olajumoke Olajumoke had had a modellinga modelling con- contract,tract, covered covered THISDAY THISDAY Style, Style, and and has has since since gonegone on on to to catwalk catwalk and and photography photography jobs, jobs, as as wellwell as as being being profiled profiled on on international international and and local local mediamedia including including Huffington the Huffington Post, CNN,Post, CNN, The UK The UK Telegraph, Daily Mail, theNET.ng, Star.ng, and Telegraph, Daily Mail, Channels TV and news Photo: star.ng outletsmore. in India. ThisThis research research note note by by BHM BHM R&I R&I leans leans on on prior prior andand unfolding unfolding trends trends on on the the Internet, Internet, citing citing rel rele- - evantvant researchresearch andand case-studiescase-studies toto empiricallyempirically examineexamine the the circumstances circumstances of of Olajumoke’s Olajumoke’s ini ini- - tialtial discovery discovery and and her her personally personally chosen/pro chosen/profes- - fessionallysionally dictated dictated path. path. Photo: cnn.com TheThe Olajumoke Olajumoke Orisaguna Orisaguna case case necessitates necessitates documentationdocumentation and and comparative comparative analysis analysis with with itsits local local and and international international equivalents, equivalents, given given the the vastvast learning learning curve curve it itpossesses possesses for for talent talent man man- - agement,agement, PR PR firms, firms, brands brands and and communications communications studentsstudents and and practitioners. practitioners. RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE 2 The Concept of Virality What Made #Olajumoke Go Viral? 1. The Initial Medium In understanding the runaway success“Context of this is celebrity,key” context is key. The words “fame” and “celebrity” are far from transposable; while fame connotes a long and Indistinguished understanding history, the erraticthe defining success characteristic of this celebrity, of celebrity context is is that key. it The is essentially words a “fame”media production and “celebrity”2. In Olajumoke’sare far from transposable;case, the primary while media fame thatconnotes produced a long her and ce - distinguishedlebrity status history,are: Instagram the defining and Twitter. characteristic of celebrity is that it is essentially a media production2. In Olajumoke’s case, the primary media that produced her ce- lebrity status are: Instagram and Twitter. Photo: In coining the term “New Viral Cycle” to describe how the famous blue-or-white dress went viral, renowned expert Neetzan Zimmerman cites the uptake rates be- tween different social media3. What can be gleaned from this is that something which goes viral on Tumblr or Instagram today may catch on with Twitter tomor- row and hit Facebook anytime after that but could remain on Facebook longer. #Olajumoke kicked off from the best possible media for going viral: photographer TY Bello’s Instagram and Twitter feeds. 2Giles, D. (2000). Illusions of Immortality: A Psychology of Fame and Celebrity. Palgrave Macmillan. 3Why Did 'The Dress' Go Viral? We Asked Meme Traffic Expert Neetzan Zimmerman. <http://motherboard.vice.com/read/ why-did-the-dress-go-viral-we-asked-meme-traffic-expert-neetzan-zimmerman> RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE 3 Examining a Nigerian bread seller - turned model’s rise to fame 1.1 The Medium Itself Facilitates Sharing and Immediacy, which Equals Virality Studies by Guadagno et al. (2013)4 more likely online due to the ease with which information can be transmitted be- tween