My site has the whole thing–blogs,information, video interviews….
Anyone who has been on internet over the last few years, could have hardly missed not watching an online video – for video is now everywhere. Videos ranging from crazy dancing, to dogs training, to weight loss programs, to spiritual enlightenment, etc are all happening, as posts are exploding by the minute. Most happening sites and companies have some form of video for sure today on their sites – and all indications are suggestive that this is only gaining further acceleration.
Sharing of videos by friends, family and co-workers has become a norm and is often associated with commenting, liking, tweeting, linking, posting and sharing – all enhancing the viewership of the product and/ or brand propositions. In certain exceptional cases, there is also the resultant skyrocketing of viewership and quickly indexed by no. of tweets, views, clicks etc – heralding (now the not so) new but evolving SEO marketing techniques, as a cutting edge discipline to provide the global and viral acceptance effects. Inventive and innovative brands are using this now more than ever before (e.g., view this video clip circulated on the net at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BANpF-6ybuY just to get a dimension of the possibilities and the realms to which short video marketing has peaked).
How and why video has taken off in recent times is worth reflecting about. Marketing gurus are suggestive of core reasons that are all centred around web and social media domain – However as students of marketing, it is worth deep diving into the reasons why online video is dominating (and will dominate even more), and how the same can be leveraged for superior brand, marketing and business building. To elaborate:
- Online users are increasing by the day. More and more new users are accepting newer digital formats over the conventional ones. Why? Online it appears is fresh(er), direct and more engaging to viewers, than the traditionally used screens. Online connects directly and fast and is more relatable to individuals for reasons of being direct to the ears, eyes and brains – unlike non obtrusive media such as radio and now even TV (given the high channel bouncing and zap quotients). In many ways online video is like highly engaging print advertising of yesteryears that ensured good comprehension and message recall – lending that certain authenticity to regale, inspire, provoke, persuade and/ or motivate through such type of viewership.
- With increase in online users – new(er) algorithmic authority equations have emerged (and are emerging). Such algorithmic authority is seemingly stemming from simple advocacy of peer groups, friends – family, or that unique endorsement via a famous celebrity, authority and / or specific circles – communities. And of course when/ where appropriate, via marketers strategic interventions, to enhance the awareness and appeal of the merchandise under consideration – which could well be a view, opinion, idea, story, commercial or just even simple information. What was traditional word of mouth has now given way to “C2L – click 2 look” – with viewers signalling credibility when such videos are viewed basis fellow netizens endorsing same through sharing, recommending, commenting etc. – thus forming a long emotional chain of links, sans traditionally conventional linear logic(s). Online videos thus run the risk of being accepted very rapidly or also being rejected very rapidly too. For online viewership, C2L algorithmic authority now substitutes traditional GRP’s, and much to the discomfort of many savvy marketers. Getting a handle, still to index the evolving C2L algorithmic authorities is fledging, fuzzy and evolving - but a must do engagement, lest the brand runs the risk of losing out on ‘top of mind recall and intent to purchase scores – which link directly to sales and business profitability” .
- Online videos are allowing for anytime- anywhere superior social media engagement. With the emergence of new continents aka facebook, twitter, google + linkedin, and a matching explosion in devices be it via ipads, tabs and smart phone type devcies, brand marketers have found amazing opportunities to create not just brand loyalists but now brand fanatics. The new facebook generation witnesses to us consumption of long and always-on internet hours – , to a now proven logic of being “alone-together” (as detailed by MIT professor Sherry Turkle, author of the book ‘Alone-Together’) - being alone but still together, with friends or communities or circles and living the moments online in good empathy, bonding and hubris (something that has emerged so unimaginably in the history of mankind and having no parallels whatsoever to compare ever), cutting across, race, genders, geographies and income disparities. How else can one explain the success of Google docs, Red Bull, Ashton Kutcher, numerous P&G brands, etc., that have all emerged as new age successes.
- More new viewers are coming online and many new ones are joining too – to experience the newness and modernity of the social media video age. Study after study after study shows that more people are using the internet to consume video. Emerging countries like India though having low computer penetration of ~ 9%, has the second largest facebook subscribers (and possibly more than the population of Europe). Apropos, it is looking very possible that the next 3-5-7 years will be significant for video consumptions and for crafting online community strategies - with ‘engagement’ as the key hook. It is now an era of yottabyte and faster processing devices of the likes of 8 gigs RAM, Dual / Quad core chipsets, terabyte hard disks drives, cloud enable services and drop box logics- arguably being used to store and retrieve entertainment videos and gaming. In such an era ‘hard sell advertising or thematic brand advertising ” has to give way to engaging advertising, lest the brand and the company run the risk of getting banished from mind share considerations, forever - directly impacting the p&l. Ergo, good engagement promises great returns, and great engagement ensures sustained wins on value share and brand equity parameters via ‘thousands if not millions of impressions’. And this is where the short video format is working to weave the money trail, heralding the on-coming of storytelling marketing in real time on ideas and stories that matter to them (superseding the traditional b2c consumer marketing models of brand advertising message via reach and frequency parameters. e.g., http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/overview/#video-ipad-mini-features
- Most short video formats are easy to produce and execute. There really are no barriers to entry except having the pulse on defining and creating such consumer engagement (including great copy). Modern digital production technologies do allow for quick and easy production (including animation films) for effective videography and sound orchestration. And all this to a global audience at very competitive costs. So with great AV production possibilities, large and global customer sets and relatively low cost of videography, the opportunity and motivation for creation of ‘buzz’ or the next awesome video, if not the next viral blockbuster itself, is mocking marketers to but seize and create. Great new video content is indeed now happening every day - be it via you tube, cnn, vimeo, pinterest, corporate websites, micro sites, face book pages, khan academy venture-lab.org, etc. - all allowing for quick direct viewing and rapid sharing
On balance, video adoption can only be ignored by marketers at their own peril. Trends are clearly suggestive of short video film marketing to be on the rise. The medium has emerged to become powerful enough, to even enable new content marketing formats. More organizations than ever are looking to online videos to improve their strategies and engagements. Marketing pundits and thought leaders have been advocating adoption of video marketing for some time and even more so now – as with the explosion of smart phones and tablets and the tendency to consume long internet hours by new age viewers. Appears the question now is not of ‘if’ but of ‘how soon’ and as to how many ‘impressions’ will be generated for that ‘everyday effect’ – for delivering ‘more for less’.
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