Tangential interception, baby

Hipsters reading the WSJ were surprised to find out singer Marié Digby may not be the internet phenom they thought. Seems Marié has built huge buzz on YouTube with a cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella," filmed casually, to score radio play and a big record deal. Also seems the whole viral phenom was staged by a big record company, which may have provided the computer, video recorder, and strategy to make the YouTube hit happen.

Whichever way it was played, the concept is brilliant -- Marié Digby was a product launch, no one would be searching for her on the Internet, so she posted covers of songs that people would be searching for. Users hunting for Rihanna stumbled upon Marié, and have now viewed her 2.3 million times on YouTube. MTV is calling.

We call this "tangential interception," or using media to intercept a target audience when they may be seeking something else. For example, MRI research shows that moms in Los Angeles over-index on both traditional female cable networks such as HGTV as well as kid channels such as Disney and Nick at Night. If you want to reach young moms in LA, you might try the cartoon channels. The media works in mysterious ways. Rock on, Marié.