OK class, which response is True?
Q. The signature sound of the Vuvuzela tells Internet Marketers that:
(A) No matter the distraction the Show must go on
(B) Usually any form of publicity is good publicity
(C) You can win big, thanks to the Gestalt Effect (The whole is worth more than the sum of its parts)
(D) Once something’s gone viral it can’t be stopped
(E) All of the above
Unsurprisingly, World Cup fever has gripped 100s of millions of people. But since only one team can win the ultimate prize, it stands to reason most soccer fanatics will at some point or other be disappointed, disillusioned even, with their national team.
While we wait for 31 teams to be eliminated one by one, what’s caught my attention is that the biggest winner so far is Neil van Schalkwyk who mass produces vuvuzelas – the infernal plastic horns that South Africans inside and outside the stadiums have latched onto like someone’s hypnotized them en mass.
What fascinates me is not the actual continuous drone-like buzzing sound that just won’t go away. No, instead I marvel that this comes about from the combined effect produced by scores of 1000s of these “instruments” being “played” simultaneously. One person with one vuvuzela could never make this sound – it takes the whole crowd to lift the sound to a totally new level. This is an aural example of the classic Gestalt Effect (correct me if my understanding of theories of human perception is wrong).
Here’s my take-home: Individually, usually we can have only a tiny effect on outcomes in our fields of endeavor, but by combining forces with others we can create something much more significant and powerful. Despite the fierce competition online, there are examples from Internet marketing when this principle applies beautifully. Responsible use of Social Media comes to mind.
Syndicating each other’s original online content is another example of Gestalt theory at work.
I’m a member of a Facebook Group called the Tribe Syndication Association (TSA). Totally free to join, TSA’s goal is simply to enable spreading other people’s online influence, and guess what? In the process of helping others, our own sites become more widely known as well. Most of the Comments, Retweets, Likes, and so on, for my blog come from other TSA members. But go to their blogs and you’ll see comments from me too – usually about insights of theirs that have significantly helped me – right while reading their posts. It may take just two to tango, but it takes many more to do well online together.
Let’s be thankful for the vuvuzela for once! It’s reminded me yet again of the power of the tribe.
PS. Oh, what’s the answer to my multiple choice question? (E) All of the above
Photo credit: Coco-Cola South Africa
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