A Saturday in September in a small quiet place in Denmark, a video is shot. It is a video shot in the dying minutes of a Danish second division football game. With an acrobatically bicycle kick the goalkeeper of Frem scores a dramatic equalizer in extra time. The video was put on YouTube, and you can watch it by clicking here or on the picture below:

Now, Denmark is a small country. The event itself, a low-level football game, is nothing spectacular and the clubs and players involved are not famous, not even in Denmark. Will this video go viral?

In this video Tom Ewing explains what constitutes online sharing and communication – in other words; viral potential. I decided to try to analyze the example using this framework called ComMotion™ Index.

According to the framework, emotional intensity is linked to sharing – the feeling of surprise in particular. The three factors tied closely to viral potential is emotional intensity, surprise and a bit of happiness. These three factors are all present in the video; it is emotional intense – the clock is ticking, they are behind, they desperately need that equalizing goal; it is surprising – suddenly the goalkeeper comes forward for the corner kick, he attempts a bicycle kick and scores a last-minute equalizer; it contains happiness – people go crazy and celebrate as if they had won the game.

My conclusion of this mini analysis is that the video has high viral potential. But in reality I would not predict it to spread outside of Denmark, because of its, in my opinion, limited relevance to people not involved with the clubs or players. Now, what happened?

The video lived up to its viral potential! The YouTube video spread throughout the world, and today this video can be found online at news sites in Denmark, England, Spain, New Zealand, Australia and Norway and has almost 3 million views on YouTube!

This example supports the framework mentioned, and that it can be worthwhile to think about what drives viral potential. Personally I am amazed that a video, so insignificant, can spread so far and quickly. It exemplifies the power of online sharing and communication and the use of social media such as YouTube.

However, to me it is not evident that things going viral equal improved performance for companies, e.g. increased sales, visits, awareness etc. The next question needed to be explored is therefore; what makes viral efficient and how do you measure it?