Use this to explain a meme

1. The Vortex of Meme Consciousness
pj.urquilla@gmail.com
© 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA
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2. What is a Meme?
• Memes are the cultural counterpart of genes
• A cultural unit (an idea or value or pa:ern of
behavior) that is passed from one person to
another by non‐gene?c means (imita?on)
• Term coined by Richard Dawkins – a Bri?sh
evolu?onary biologist in 1976.

3. From the Memescape
OMG. WTF? BRB

4. Dawkins on Memes
“Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch‐
phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots
or of building arches. Just as genes propagate
themselves in the gene pool by leaping from
body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes
propagate themselves in the meme pool by
leaping from brain to brain via a process which,
in the broad sense, can be called imita?on.”
‐ Richard Dawkins, “The Selfish Gene’” Oxford University Press, 1976

5. But what about Brands?
• Brands were first used to iden?fy property
• Brands are now used to iden?fy products and
companies to serve as an extension of our
needs and desires
• Clever ad agents invented the modern no?on
of the Brand – a idea that is greater than the
sum of its parts (symbols, products, taglines,
aZtudes)
• A smart Brand is a meme, a dumb Brand fails.

6. Smart Brands are Memes

7. This was not a meme…
In 2002, Pepsi tried to force the PepsiBlue meme by paying users
to subversively promote the product on blogs and message boards
to generate online buzz and interest.
It was an epic fail.

8. Now it’s a meme
From the Metafilter FAQ:
Q: Someone called my comment/post Pepsi Blue; what does
that mean?
A: Pepsi Blue has become a sort of catch‐all catcall for
something that's a possible shill pos?ng on MetaFilter ‐ that
is, an ad or product endorsement for reasons other than just
overall consumer joy. The reason why Pepsi Blue was chosen
had to do with the large number of bloggers who seemed to
pay special no?ce of the Pepsi Blue launch.

9. 4 the LOLz
Q: How does a home video from the 1980s became a meme in 2010?
A: The Internets

10. How a LOL Becomes a Meme

11. How can a meme help you?
When your product or idea
becomes a cultural unit
passed between humans, you
have the currency to fuel an
awareness campaign to
drive ac?ons.
Proprietary and ConfidenTal

12. A meme campaign can help.
Go Spread like Snowball
viral! wildfire! effect!
Grassroots Rings a bell Tidal wave
Movement Off the hook! Sell like
On a roll
Popping up
hotcakes
like
Flying off the Mushrooms Taking
shelves off!
Proprietary and ConfidenTal

13. MEMES MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
© 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA

14. MEMES DRIVE
SALES
© 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA

15. The Sales Funnel
Awareness
Interest
Decision
Ac?on
This 112 year old model for describing the human
psychology in the sales process is a meme

16. The sales funnel cannot model the roles that
memes play in the customer’s decision to buy.
How do we illustrate the ever expanding force
of a:rac?on and awareness driven by memes
and powered by a global technology and
communica?on network?
Proprietary and ConfidenTal

17. The Vortex of Meme © 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA
Consciousness
Word of
Mouth
SEO/SEM Facebook
WWW Meme Twi:er
Mobile Youtube
E‐mail
Concept developed and
illustrated by PJ Urquilla

18. The Vortex of Meme Consciousness
• The meme is the center of the awareness
vortex
• The meme is constantly a:rac?ng the
unaware
• Those aware of the meme contribute to the
a:rac?on
• Technology enables a 2 way communica?on
mechanism for meme promo?on
© 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA

19. Best Prac?ces
• Memes thrive on dynamic, engaging web
content. Keep crea?ng and sharing!
• Memes are constantly a:rac?ng new people
and ideas; they grow stronger with each click
• Aoer meme‐introduc?on, people become
increasingly aware, contribu?ng to the meme
and its development. Find a way to develop a
rela?onship with these connectors.
Proprietary and ConfidenTal

20. © 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA

21. I AM A SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY
pj.urquilla@gmail.com
twi:er.com/tweet4pedro
© 2010 TO ∞ | PEDRO J. URQUILLA
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