One of the most revolutionary aspects of the web 2.0 revolution is the ease with which content - be it news, videos or even rumors - can go "viral," spreading like wildfire with the click of a button.
Viral sharing has been leveraged most recently by businesses and marketers, who use the phenomenon to extend the life of a marketing campaign far beyond what the organization itself could accomplish.
Yet the phenomenon also has important implications for philanthropic giving, as seen recently in the case of the internet sensation surrounding a certain couple’s wedding ceremony.
The video titled JK Wedding Entrance Dance made the internet rounds recently, as the web 2.0 community became enamored with the couple who choreographed their wedding entrance to Chris Brown’s popular song, Forever.
Mashable.com reported that, since the video’s July 12 debut, it has reached 12 million views from 100 different clips.
Leveraging the surprising popularity of the video, the couple - Jill and Kevin - decided to link the video to the Sheila Wellstone Institute, dedicated to ending violence against women and children.
"We are so grateful for all the love, kind words, and joy that have been shared with us from around the world," wrote Jill and Kevin on their wedding website. "We hope to direct this positivity to a good cause. Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video, we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute."
The "circumstances" refer to the domestic abuse allegations directed toward Chris Brown, who sang the song in the video.
The wedding website - jkweddingdance.com - is linked to a unique donation page at the Sheila Wellstone Institute, where supporters can choose their donation amount and read more about the cause.
Viral video sharing can be an extremely useful tool for charities and nonprofit organizations - as evidenced by the wedding video - as it quickly and easily spreads information and awareness for a cause.
