Why this Kolaveri Di – Viral Marketing

Last week, I was facebooking. I saw one question being dropped on many profiles.  ”Why this is Kolaveri Di?’ I really didn’t get.  Who is it Kolaveri? The video seemed to be Tamil. After couple of day, I saw many girls in my FB list ‘liked’ that song. Few friends have downloaded song on their cell. From couple of days, Sujit is playing this song while driving in a car.  Children in my colonies are shouting Kolaveri Kolaveri.  People are also humming this song from a week.

Viral Marketing of Kolaveri :

“Song is officially released on 18 November. Then it spread like a fire through social networking sites. Within first week of release, it received 1.3 million views on YouTube, more than 1 million shares on face book.  This is the first Tamil song to be premiered on MTV India.  On 30th November, Song has crossed 10 crore hits on YouTube. International Time Magazine, Huffington Post and BBC has published report of this song.”

Now, below description will not be an exaggeration :)

Viral Description of Kolaveri :It is detected that, Kolaveri virus spreading through human souls irrespective of age, sex and language. Most of the victims are observed humming ‘Kolaveri.. Kolaveri.. Kolaveri.” In the mid night of 18 Nov, virus is injected though social media targeting all youth with no language barrier. Virus will remain active for around 40-50 days. It will flow in the Indian blood affecting their souls. General symptoms are indulgent and warm feeling kindled in the heart. Infected patients are humming ‘Kolaveri Kolaveri’ continuously. Kolaveri worm will be alive till the Movie “3” release expected in Jan,2012. Lofty and soft voice seems almost responsible for outnumbering victims around the country. Many intellectuals are researching how the virus marketing to suck the money through entertainment industry. Treason has been plotted to suck money through rich as well as poor communities. There is no need to worry. Kolavari virus will die after couple of weeks of movie release.

Do you want to know actual details how this viral song spread around? Want to know..? Keep reading on…

Dhanush in 3

What is this Kolaveri Kolaveri? 

Kolaveri means “murderous rage” i.e. ‘sudden and tremendous anger against someone’

“Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri Di” It means “Why are you so angry with me??”  These are words of a boy whose love has been rejected by the girl whom he loves so much and from the heart.

Lyrics of this song track have words from Tamil (Madrasi) and English general slangs used in India. This 4:08 minute soundtrack and background score is composed by Anirudh Ravichander.

Invention of Kolaveri:

This funny lyric is composed by Anirudh Ravichandar. It is sung by Danush for his movie “3”, directed by his wife Aishwarya (daughter of RajaniKant). She added this song into a movie to show the heart break of a boy. She wanted to have one lofty and fresh song sung by a young boy who suffered break up and looks much depressed. Boy is asking the girl continuously, “Why are you angry? Why are you angry with me? “ Song is not an actual poem. Song is made up of dis continuous framed sentences in normal tamil slangs like Why, How, I, You, Like, Love.  Director said, Song is mainly for bath room singer.

Background Video:

Song video has Actor Danush singing this song in a studio and practicing as playback singer.  Co-Stars Shruti Hasaan and Aishwarya Ramchandran hear the song sitting behind him. Song composer Anirudh playing a piyano. Specially, Video includes actual creator of Kolaveri.

Dhanush and Shruti Hassan in 3

Kolaveri for Future Managers:

As per the ET, The soup song has turned an anthem for the future managers in the country. All IIMs has accepted this song as the best examples of viral marketing. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) has included this song in the subject “Contemporary Film Industry: a business perspective” IIMA faculty Bharathan Kandaswamy has said, “I will discuss Kolaveri Di as part of a session on social media and online tools when my class starts in December. Kolaveri Di is a perfect case of viral marketing, which has created a huge difference in the world of publicity.”

Professors of IIMs-Bangalore, Rohtak and Lucknow-have played the song in class and discussed its Marketing strategy. The institutes have also made videos of the entire class singing to Kolaveri Di and posted them on networking sites. Ramya, a student at IIMB student posted on her Facebook wall, “Kolaveri has been screened in many classes in IIM Bangalore. The professor sits along with the students and enjoys…Real Rage.“

Rajeev Kumra, faculty of marketing, at IIM Lucknow, says, “Companies have to be serious about viral marketing now, which is an upcoming area in marketing. We were discussing in class how the beautiful strategy used by Kolaveri Di can be used by company to leverage their marketing activities. The video of Kolaveri Di is watched with rapt attention and got transmitted like virus.” Sajal Kumar, a first year post-graduate programme student at IIM Kozhikode, has done a case study on the song, calling it Project Kolaveri.

Kolaveri and Youth Energy:

As I said first, the song has created much craze among children and youngsters. Song is blowing over the lips of all college girls and boys in these days. It is not only the case that ‘Boys are using this song to please their girl friends. This is song is used to fight against all ‘unfair’ activities.  I have also overheard that song is being manipulated to tease the Agricultural minister Sharad Pawar, who is being slapped to express anger against the inflation and rising food prices.  Local political campaigns are edged with Kolaveri.  Amithab Bachchan also appreciated this song over his blog. By Exceptional case, Javed Akhtar has told, “There is no creativity in this art. The culture is being madly following the undesirable quality.’

Kolaveri:  Example of Viral Marketing:

(a) Magic of Kolaveri lyrics: “White skin-u girl-u girl-u, girl-u heart-u black-u.” It is the reason for this song being hold in lips of all indian youth. Even child can hum this song with no efforts to know what exactly it is.

(b) Video footage: Video song has shown “Making of Kolaveri Di” i.e. how this song is made by the Kolaveri team. It shows Danush practising the coup song. Aishwarya, Shruti Hassan are sitting along to listen the song with him. Actual movie video would be obvious different from what is broadcasted.

(c) Refreshing Sound: Kolaveri fans tell that sound and music is refreshing and pleasant. It is composed by 21 year old young Anirudh Ravichander. Boys would love to sing this in front of their girlfriends or in the group.

(d) Common phenomenon: Director of “3″ wanted to have a common and easy song for batchroom singers and it is Kolaveri. So,the song doesn’t restrict any group or community or age. Female version of Kolaveri has also been shared on internet. After couple of days after release, different language version are made and are shared over the internet.

(e) Use of All social networks:  Twitter trend records are out broke when this song shared on FB and Youtube. RJs from Chennai Radio stations has reported that more than 90 % listened has requested for this song in last week.

(d) Production by Celebrity: Song sung by Dhanush, who is son-in-law of RajaniKant.  The movie “3” is directed by RajaniKant’s daughter Aishwarya RanajiKant.

Shruti Hassan is co-star actress with Dhanush in the “3”. She is daughter of Kamal Hassan and long time  classical denser and famous Tamil actress.  Apart from this , Song is quickly appreciated by Big B Amitabh Bachchan. He has blogged out with ‘mind blowing’.

Kolaveri in 3

Watch this song below !

Kolaveri Lyrics:

I appended the lyrics herewith for Kolaveri fans.

yo boys i am singing song

soup song

flop song

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di rhythm correct

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di maintain please

why this kolaveri..di

distance la moon-u moon-u

moon-u  color-u  white-u

white background night-u nigth-u

night-u color-u black-u

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

white skin-u girl-u girl-u

girl-u heart-u black-u

eyes-u eyes-u meet-u meet-u

my future dark

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

maama notes eduthuko

apdiye kaila snacks eduthuko pa pa paan pa pa paan pa pa paa pa pa paan sariya vaasi

super maama ready

ready 1 2 3 4

whaa wat a change over maama

ok maama now tune change-u

kaila glass

only english..

hand la glass

glass la scotch

eyes-u full-aa tear-u

empty life-u

girl-u come-u

life reverse gear-u

lovvu lovvu

oh my lovvu

you showed me bouv-u

cow-u cow-u holi cow-u

i want u hear now-u

god i m dying now-u

she is happy how-u

this song for soup boys-u

we dont have choice-u

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di

flop song—————

For More Information and Study:

1. Eight Marketing lessons from Kolaveri
2. Huffingtonpost Review
3. What we can learn from Kolaveri ?
4. Kolaveri on Wikipedia