Was amazed when you showed us this case study in Dublin recently. Doing some research for webinar and Im sure the attendees will be equally captivated by this story! Thanks for sharing Mark

Glad I could help you out! Enjoyed seeing you in Dublin!

It's no recorded as a quickie. But still, I think that there are lot of entrepreneurs who don't have the time to learn an edit program or looking forward to edit video... and not everyone can present as easy .. so .. although making video can be very affordable these days with smartphones en tablets ... but only use house-made videos after you set some professional work out there as an introduction to your company or service. Otherwise I have to find another job as a video producer. And by the way, not every production is expensive. But nevertheless it's still a craft : shooting and editing. And yes .. video marketing.

Well said sir.

Thanks for sharing. You mention the video was syndicated through a number of websites and apps. What was the budget for this campaign?

There was no budget or cost beyond making the video. By syndication I mean it was picked up and run by other sources at no charge.

Any marketing campaign which creates demand without satisfying that demand seems a bit pointless to me. Too much social media marketing is focused on noise creation not actually doing business. The three students in Mark's class can't buy the wine so what's the point.

The point is that they heard about it. Buzz is buzz. Some buzz is better than no buzz. Tons of buzz is even better. And just because those 3 students can't buy the wine, doesn't mean Mirabeau's sales didn't improve. So that point of the 3 students not being able to buy their wine really doesn't have anything to do with Mirabeau's bottom line, they were simply proof of the reach of a successful campaign.

Great story and i love the idea. This story works well for a B to C business, but how would it translate in the B to B world? I work for an 88 year old company and we are always looking for new and better ways to grow our business.

This definitely goes along with the idea when someone is seen as an "overnight sensation" that was plugging along for years and years before that - building the foundation needed when success came long. Absolutely love it!

Love, love, love this story! I think the key point here (besides the fact that you did the research and found the opportunity first) is that Mirabeau had already developed a ton of valuable content. If that had been the first video out of the gate, it probably wouldn't have the same impact it will now because they have demonstrated that they are experts and know how to provide value.

This also shows that video doesn't have to be fancy, just authentic, useful and entertaining. Great case study and well done, Mark!

I love this story! I saw the video and shared it like crazy and received lots of shares. To see why this "open a wine bottle without a bottle opener" video went so viral I searched for the same type of video and his is The best. Quick and short. Brilliant!

Awesome.

That's an amazing story detailing the potential power of social media. I wonder how much economic impact the videos had on the Mirabeau business before the viral video...hopefully, slow and steady can still win the race. It's nice to think that you can produce something that goes viral but if it doesn't happen, it'd be great to know that you can still build a good business on the backs of a solid social media presence...

Amazing case study, thank you for sharing ... just shows the right strategy, coupled with tenacity and persistence pays off in the end

Great case study - just watched a few of their videos and they are very well done, mainly because he is such a passionate person about his area of expertise.
Examples like this are really reassuring as they show firstly, as Marcela mentioned that it is not easy but secondly that any small business can achieve great results on a low budget but through time and perseverence.

What an amazing story! Like Tara said, I love it was on teh 200+th video. I always wonder what it takes to go viral, and now I see one of the key ingredients: perseverance. Thanks for sharing!

Great story, great lesson.
Overnight successes rarely happens overnight, they happen after years of effort, commitment, experimentation, and often heartache.
Just like viral video marketing. We all hear about the one that broke the mould, suddenly appeared and grabbed "virality" but rarely do we hear the back-story.
Love this one!

What I love most about this example is that this was his 200th+ video. It's so easy to get caught up in instant gratification these days. We publish a handful of videos and then quickly measure the ROI. If we're not pleased, we stop publishing videos and move onto the next opportunity. This is a reminder to not underestimate consistency and sheer volume of content. He knew video was his upper hand and he kept at it. It will be interesting to see how hitting the "viral jackpot" impacts his sales. Keep us posted!

Content Marketing IS part of traditional marketing. Your company has a vision and mission, do a SWOT analysis and go from there. Content Marketing strategy has to mesh with the marketing plan your company is currently using. It's all about help, not hype. "He (Stephen) put a human and modern face to a stodgy, traditional business".

Good, solid and honest storytelling always succeeds. But many established brands have fewer incentives being already widely distributed. Moreover, they also tend to get bogged down legal rules and restrictions. Upstarts have the desire and business need to be adventurous and risk taking. Another example that comes to mind is Orabrush for its content strategy and social savvy that got it into Walmart.

Super cool!!! I can't wait for the follow up :)
DO love that you highlighted that the marketing plan did NOT start with a digital strategy - too many forget that traditional marketing is far from dead.

That is so cool that he's your client.. I remember watching that video explode on my friends' wall several weeks ago.. I saw it no less than 10 times.

This reminds me of what Gary Vaynerchuk did (also with wine and video) - find an empty space, and fill it. What an encouraging story!