“absolutely brilliant!!!“

“hopelessly dorky”

“creative, fun, and energetic”

“William F. Buckley is rolling in his grave.“

This new admissions video for Yale University is creating quite the buzz around the interwebs by taking a lighthearted musical approach to selling higher education.

And with nearly 300,000 views in two weeks on YouTube alone, it’s amassing quite an audience – and quite a bit of word of mouth.

But amidst the praising of their originality is an unfortunate undercurrent of condemnation. What many seem to be missing, is that this effort is a lot more “Glee” than “High School Musical.”

Produced almost exclusively by Yale students and recent Yale alum, this 17-minute magnum opus to the home of Handsome Dan is at once witty, kitschy, earnest, and entirely self-aware.

Yes, it’s goofy. It’s supposed to be.

A project like this could very easily have been a painful exercise in how NOT to be authentic. But instead of feeling like slick marketing, it’s become something entirely different – an organic extension of the school itself. From showcasing their technical proficiency and creative diversity to providing what at the end of the day is a great deal of information about the school itself, this mini-musical really gives prospective applicants something to sing about.

And, if after 17-minutes (and one dated but funny “Cats” reference), you still don’t get it, you’re probably not who they’re looking to attract in the first place.

We live in a world where everybody can create credible media – from a simple Twitter post to a mini-movie length musical. Further, it is a world where everybody can rebroadcast or promote the stuff they like. Professionals – marketers, writers, artists – have to stop being jealous and start taking advantage of this phenomenon. Now! Advocates, because they actually care, are simply better at making compelling media.

If you need further proof, just check out “Backwards Hall and Oates.”

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.

(Serious fans of Glee call themselves “Gleeks.” As far as I’m concerned, Gleek is a Superfriends space monkey. But that’s a debate for another day.)

As Ad Age opines, “There is no other show on TV right now that gets as much free, voluntary social media marketing courtesy of fans.”

So how can your business hit the right notes and bust the right moves to engender this kind of enthusiasm? Short of hiring the glorious Jane Lynch, the lesson to take away from this viral success is that you need to make an emotional connection with your audience – in your stores, in your marketing, at every possible touchpoint.

It all comes back to your brand. Is it conversation-worthy? Frame it right and customers and prospects will happily help sing your praises.

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.