Memes rule the internet and advertisers want a piece of the viral pie, which is why an new app – appropriately called ‘Dank’ – has been released to help brands tap into the best online content before it trends.
What’s a meme you may ask? Basically it’s an image, video or piece of text (intended to be hilarious) that is copied and spread rapidly by the people on the internet.
Most recently it was #SaltBae, but the most viral memes of 2016 ranged from Evil Kermit, Harambe, sad Ryan Reynolds, petty Joe Biden and who could forget #FakeTradie.
Now, thanks to the brainchild of Joy Books and Brian Atton, founders of media-sharing solution Simian, and Michael Chiavetta, co-founder of content consultancy Kimba, brands can sort viral content through a curation algorithm providing by Dank.
By scouring the internet and measuring a vast number of factors, the app seeks to present not only the best content but acknowledge the creator and original publishers of the material.
Chiavetta says the app is not only for entertaining consumers, but reveals valuable early identifiers to creatives, planners and strategists alike, so they can pinpoint what will work in the market.
“There’s just so much content out there that it’s difficult for advertisers to know where to start or what to use," he says.
"More and more brands are using short online video content on a daily basis. The key to creating engaging content is speed and relevancy but the sheer volume of content we are experiencing can make it hard to know what route to take.”
Currently, the content on Dank is sorted into 11 categories, including the likes of ‘Cute AF’ to ‘HahaOMG’ and ‘Dankest Ads’. Not aimed solely at advertisers, the app curates content that would appeal to anyone.
But hold your marketing budgets, the app is currently only currently launching a beta version.
It will launch a more advanced platform in Spring 2017.
“The app is really a soft launch for a larger and more comprehensive platform that will measure and curate content, Brian says.
"We can’t say too much yet but what we can say is we hope to provide creatives with the data they need to make informed decisions on creating new content and measuring output. We’re making the data easy to use and helping to break down the silos which ultimately slow down the creation of content."
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