Businesses Finding Their
Role In Digital Community
Web Video Content is Consumer-
Driven, Builds Brands and Increases Sales
By Roger Rosenbaum
President, Rosenbaum Media Group LLC
The digital video revolution is in full swing, and is growing at dizzying speeds. The sale of Internet upstart YouTube in October 2006 for $1.65 billion constitutes a shot heard round the world. As the world goes gaga over YouTube and Google Video, businesses can also profit from web video to increase sales, marketing and public relations efforts.
Some see YouTube as a worldwide version of America’s Funniest Videos, where the family pets and goofy gags often share the spotlight. Innovative marketers, however, see web video as an opportunity to successfully promote themselves, their products and services.
Companies such as Monsanto, Sun Microsystems Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and General Motors understand that web video content is no laughing matter and are already embracing the “clip culture” by using digital video to help sell, tell, train and entertain. Web video is emerging as the printing press of the digital decade as it helps to bring websites to life. Without digital video, many sites remain static, one-dimensional billboards.
Get the picture?
Seventy-five percent of the American workforce has high-speed Internet access at work, according to Neilsen/NetRatings. The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that 45 percent of American homes have high-speed access. These numbers will continue to climb as broadband deployment grows and more digital content will smoothly flow to more users.
Better video compression and encoding software has improved the end product—in some cases allowing DVD-quality video without waiting for downloads.
Websites with digital video elements increase “stickiness”, information retention and the ability to case products and services. Sales can increase from targeted customers who understand how products and services meet their needs.
Tech savvy companies understand that digital video can deliver a very targeted message to customers and consumers around the world for far less than it would cost using traditional broadcast outlets. Business Week magazine reports the online advertising market will more than quadruple in the next five years to $82 billion worldwide.
(http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MHUMT01.htm?chan=search)
Digital video and interactive elements will play a huge role in this vertical market.
How Do You Get Your Web Video to Carnegie Hall? Strategy, Strategy, Strategy!
While it is true that anyone with a DV camcorder and the right software can technically create web video, to be truly effective, campaigns require careful planning to integrate branding, positioning and marketing communications strategies. The goal is to develop content rather than individual clips. Footage produced for companies must serve a purpose, contribute to the bottom line and provide value to target audiences. The Ford Bold Moves campaign (www.fordboldmoves.com) masterfully uses web video to map out the future of the ailing automaker.
Compelling Content Is King
Making content memorable and relevant is a key factor to keep customers interested in your Internet video. Mentos made a big international splash when an experiment captured on tape showed the candies being dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke. The geyser-like reaction resulted in unexpected worldwide attention. Customers and web viewers can be an unexpected addition to your sales force. Millions watched the footage online and sales of the mints surged up a cool 15 percent. (http://mobile.adage.com/html_article.php?li=5041c668)
This a prime example of the unexpected “viral marketing” campaign (word of mouth and e-mail forwards creating an “underground” swell of popularity). Go to http://www.eepybird.com/exp214.html to watch the volcanic video.
Mentos received the equivalent of half of their annual advertising budget in free publicity from the soda stunt, according to a June 12, 2006 article in the Wall Street Journal.
Helpful Hints
Loading your website up with talking heads in the traditional TV manner just won’t cut it on the web. The same often goes for re-purposing footage from previous projects. Web video projects need to have a beginning, middle and an end. Site visitors must identify with or understand the people on camera. Interviews or comments need to be delivered in a conversational manner. Presentations need to have appropriate graphics and a sense of forward motion. Lighting and shot composition are also very important to maximize visual impact and information retention.
Get Video or Get Lost
The television and web viewing habits are changing. Time magazine recently identified that the power is now with the people. Consumers now decide what news, information and entertainment they want and how they will get it. Smart companies will profit from this power shift; others will be left on the breakdown lane of the information superhighway.
Roger Rosenbaum is the president of Rosenbaum Media Group LLC, a Hudson Valley-based custom digital content production company. He has 20 years experience as a journalist, media manager and PR practitioner. Reach him at roger@rosenbaummedia.com
