I have not watched 'The Tonight Show' since Jimmy Fallon has become host. Before I get hate mail I should also clarify that I haven't watched 'The Tonight Show' since Johnny Carson left. Most days, I'm too tired to stay up late watching TV or I'd prefer to read a book.
However, Fallon has created something very unique and special. He understands the new generation of TV audiences. Our crazy, hectic lives don't always allow us to stay up late watching TV. Therefore, he has become the king of viral. Fallon has created skits that make people belly laugh ... the day AFTER it aired on TV. He can get actors to make complete fools of themselves for the sake of getting thousands of views on YouTube. He capitalizes on hashtags to get people talking about 'The Tonight Show'.
Fallon has created his own digital audience that transcends time zones and geography. So it got me thinking, "How can I do that for my company?"
Fallon and Rudd Lip Sync Battle
If you take a closer look at the viral content Fallon is putting out there it boils down to this: he can get his guests to come across as normal and fun. It makes me want to do lip-syncing battles with Paul Rudd (who wouldn't?!), try to copy the funny faces kids make with Jude Law, and shoot hoops using random household objects next to Greg Kinnear. Therefore, how can the AEC industry make this kind of connection?
We have to make our firms more human. More open to feedback and be able to adjust quickly. More approachable. We must all be able to connect with our intended audience on a personal level while letting go of the rigid corporate structure that binds our creativity. Imagine if we all took a page from Fallon's playbook and decided to go "viral". Would employee morale go up if the CEO did a lip-syncing battle with the Accounting Manager? Would firms win more work if they changed the project interview presentation from a PowerPoint file to testimonial videos from their repeat clients? Would our industry become more innovative if we educated the policy makers and the public as to what's working and what's not working (and what could be done to fix it) in the building industry?
Fallon is definitely not a cookie cutter late night TV host. His approach to viral content is to do something simple and have fun with it. No fancy graphics, no detailed scripts, no massive wardrobes ... just plain fun. Then share it. This approach leaves him vulnerable. There is nothing to hide behind if something goes wrong but the payoff is huge when it goes right. If the risk here is to make our companies less formal and more approachable (for clients, partners, team members) then I think we should all pull a Fallon and have fun with it.