Description:  On March 5 a 16-year-old Texan named Austin Mahone posted a video to YouTube (GOOG) in which he and some buddies dance to Harlem Shake, an electronic single turned viral phenomenon. The song, by the Brooklyn producer Baauer, came out as a free download last spring. In February it became the soundtrack to a giddy Internet craze with an ingeniously simple structure: As the intro ramps up, a single person dances, surrounded by a seemingly oblivious crowd; when the bass kicks in, there’s a jump-cut, and suddenly the lone dancer is engulfed by a mob of people freaking out along with him. Ryan Seacrest, Kate Upton, and the Miami Heat have all participated in Harlem Shake videos, which have been viewed more than 500 million times in aggregate.

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: Mar 28, 2013

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-28/on-youtube-video-makes-the-radio-star#r=hp-ls

Questions for Discussions:

• What does this report suggest about the changes taking place in marketing?
• Explain the reasons for consumer response to this strategy?