FULL VERSION: Online Video: Superpowered Ideas for Marketers

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The guy in the ofﬁce cubicle is coping with stress by seeking out entertaining videos on YouTube and then sharing them with his buddies on Facebook and Twitter – so the idea is to market to that need. – Phillip Underhill Executive Creative Director, Videasa 2 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

For starters, we almost canceled the project. After we watched America’s first YouTube presidential all, YouTube and the mega-research firms were election unfold, we were floored by the number of cranking out daily news releases with data that online video clips that were appearing in television proved online video was important. That it was big. news broadcasts. That you could not escape it’s influence. Sigh. The “Crowd” (some of us included) apparently It was on election day, November 4, 2008, that we produced more content than the campaigns and decided to move forward with this study. As news organizations combined. Suddenly, Americans had a user-generated alternative to mass media political coverage. We were faster. We were more entertaining. We 76.8 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video (January were honest. We were undeniable. 2009). The average online video viewer No, we did not need any more proof that online watched 356 minutes of video (approximately 6 hours), up 15 percent video was important. But what remained versus December. unanswered was critical to our future as an online 100.9 million viewers watched 6.3 billion videos on YouTube.com (62.6 video content agency. If the Collective Content videos per viewer). Generation is viewing and uploading millions of 54.1 million viewers watched 473 million videos on MySpace.com (8.7 video clips everyday on just about every subject videos per viewer). under the sun, how should marketers respond? The duration of the average online video was 3.5 minutes, up from 3.2 minutes per video in December. Thus, we decided to ask marketers to forecast The duration of the average online video viewed at Megavideo was 24.9 ways in which online video could be used to reach minutes, higher than any other video and influence the 150 million people who watch an property in the top ten. average of 96 online videos every month . ink bl we The response was tremendous. The insights were ground-breaking. The business case lessons and corresponding recommendations could save the average marketer thousands of dollars and reduce the learning curve by several years. 4 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

“Web videos can help a brand slip into a consumer's buddy list kinda sideways by offering something in the way of entertainment or helpful information that does not smell like a sales pitch - and may hardly mention the product or service the brand sells.” –New York City There are many reasons why online way to increase productivity, it can be video is popular: bandwidth and understood in terms of facilitating t e c h n o l o g y d r i v e r s a s i d e , i t ’s social interactions. From this frame of informative, entertaining and easily reference, humans (not consumers) are accessible at home, work and on the exploring new forms of self expression road. We have created buzzwords like and new forms of community. “video snacking” to describe its place in the ad-avoiding, time-shifting, All of this of course, has immediate screen-shifting, on-demand, user- implications – which brings us to the centric digital ecosystem. All certainly heart of this research: people are valid when analyzing human behavior demanding content that is contextual, through the lens of technology. mobile and entertaining enough to be shared with friends and co-workers in Perhaps of greater use to marketers is any one of the multiple social understanding how online video ﬁts networking spaces they visit, create into today’s social context. This and/or maintain. requires a different perspective. Instead of viewing the internet as a 5 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The economy is a key driver of content consumption among today's on-demand digital consumers. Marketers overwhelmingly agree that audiences are attracted to entertaining video clips that provide an escape or resolve an immediate, vexing need. For audiences seeking an escape, video clips that serve up humor and/or feature outrageous, scandalous or tantalizing stories quickly achieve conversation status in social networks. For the person determined to solve a nagging problem, video is the perfect on-demand remedy; delivering the resolution with an entertaining or unexpected twist can increase replay and word of mouth propensity. 6 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The message has been flattened and is no longer Popular web videos are today’s new Superbowl static. commercials - except they happen every day in the form of short, entertaining video clips. The New York Times is no longer 'the' mass media authority on news, politics, culture and The players - the Superbrands who reach great entertainment. Brands are no longer the single conversation heights online and offline - have mass media source of information about its procured the talent and resources necessary to products and services. generate branded video content that people talk about, share and recall favorably. Today, consumers exert significant influence over the publishing and distribution of content once Superbrands have evolved to provide on demand dominated by media giants, content kings and service in an ultra-mobile economy where the advertisers. divisions between home, work and play time has condensed or permanently altered. The Age of Wikipedia has arrived and the Collective Content Generation has seized control of Superbrand marketers understand that consumers the content, the message and the opinions in a don't have a short attention span; they have a manner so disruptive as to only be described as short attention span for the perfectly crafted, dull, the democratization of media. self-centered sales-pitch. People want less advertising and more service; Superbrands fully comprehend the reach and self-serving ad spots devoid of infotainment will impact that one short, catchy video clip can have if fall short of potential marketing objectives. it catches the attention of an active member of an online social network. In a flat world, people want something relatable not aspirational, something to talk about by reaching out and connecting on common ground. 7 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

It’s not a television; it’s a 52-inch digital display. – Washington DC Marketers are increasingly aware that consumers are quickly accessing much of the same content on their television, personal computer and mobile smartphone. The most signiﬁcant disruption that will occur in 2009-2010 is the realization by most consumers that their ﬂat screen TV is not a TV at all; it’s an LCD computer display that can easily be connected to a small computer like the Mac Mini to access huge amounts of entertaining content. Marketers are largely unnerved by the pace at which consumers are time-shifting, location-shifting, screen- shifting and generally untethering content from the devices and channels they were originally designed for. Consumers are demanding content that is contextual, mobile and entertaining enough to be shared with friends and co- workers in any one of the multiple social networking spaces they create and maintain. Outgunned and outpaced, Superbrand marketers are creating content in the form of infotainment that users can access and re-distribute on-demand. 8 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This project was a two-phased websites. Questionnaire participants research study, which included a were randomly selected from a quantitative online questionnaire and nationwide database of 19,000 qualitative online interview. The study marketing professional and generated surveyed a total of 409 respondents in a 1.2% response rate. December 2008 and January 2009. Interview participants (n = 181) were For the online questionnaire, 19,000 US selected via an online recruitment marketers were polled in December process targeting senior-level digital 2008 and January 2009 to gain insights marketers in Seattle, San Francisco, on the drivers of video content Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Miami, consumption from the brand Washington DC and the New York City marketer’s perspective. Given the vicinity. Interview respondents were current economic climate, we framed asked to formulate predictions on how attitudinal and intent questions in web video would be used based on terms of online video’s ability to (1) current trends in online video attract prospects and (2) increase marketing and greater social and revenue on corporate and third-party cultural trends. SURVEY LANDSCAPE: DIGITAL MARKETING HOT-SPOTS 9 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

80% “Our brand can repurpose content made by online users” 77% “Video clips on our website can increase sales” 71% “With the right kind of video, we can turn YouTube into an effective sales channel” 84% “2009 is the year for online video” 19,000 US marketers were polled in December 2008 and January 2009 to gain insights on the drivers of video content consumption from the brand marketer’s perspective. Given the current economic climate, we framed attitudinal and intent questions in terms of online video’s ability to (1) attract prospects and (2) increase revenue on corporate and third- party websites. Questionnaire participants were randomly selected from a nationwide Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 database of 19,000 marketing professional and generated a 1.2% response rate. 11 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

80% “Our brand can repurpose content made by online users” 77% “Video clips on our website can increase sales” 71% “With the right kind of video, we can turn YouTube into an effective sales channel” 84% “2009 is the year for online video” Strongly Disagree Disagree Don’t Know Agree Strongly Agree 19,000 US marketers were polled in December 2008 and January 2009 to gain insights on the drivers of video content consumption from the brand marketer’s perspective. Given the current economic climate, we framed attitudinal and intent questions in terms of online video’s ability to (1) attract prospects and (2) increase revenue on corporate and third- Question 4 Question 5 Question 6 Question 7 party websites. Questionnaire participants were randomly selected from a nationwide database of 19,000 marketing professional and generated a 1.2% response rate. 12 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A MATTER OF FACT . Service oriented marketing is rooted in the law of reciprocity: providing a no-strings attached service prior to 77% of the total U.S. purchase creates goodwill, demonstrates category expertise and often internet audience viewed online leads to a reciprocal transaction. video in January 2009. . Consumers are more receptive to video content that strikes a balance between practical, entertaining information and a sales pitch. The average online video viewer . Creative, informative video content will inspire people to share watched 356 minutes of video branded content via email, word-of-mouth or as links on social (approximately 6 hours), up 15 percent versus December 2008. networking sites. . Create video content that leaves prospective and current customers longing for more information and/or the next installment. RECOMMENDATIONS SURVEY QUOTABLES Provide consumers with helpful pre-purchase and post-purchase video “Video allows consumers to learn more about the content. company, product, or service.” California Use video as a visual aid to guide consumers through setup and other processes. “Videos should focus on solving consumers’ problems Provide video content that Texas rather than selling.” clearly addresses your customers’ need to be informed about your category. “Video is the new online currency. A few companies are starting to embrace the new paradigm. Home Depot has videos showing do-it-yourself homeowners how to tile a bathroom. Leapfrog has videos teaching new parents about the learning Be valuable to your customers path of developing children. Nike has applications and content helping people workout and train more effectively. There are and they will return the favor. people developing businesses using marketing as a service. Gary Vaynerchuk (http://tv.winelibrary.com) has almost 500 videos reviewing wines. He's building a wine empire and is becoming a wine celebrity.” California 14 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

. User-generated content blurs the line between a real-life social experience and branded entertainment in a way that’s both positive and authentic. . UGC allows users to promote positive, interesting discussions about the brand in casual settings. . Social networks have turned the Internet into a domain of hyper-inﬂuence. Some of its users are Super Inﬂuencers who love your brand. . Because online consumers object to RECOMMENDATIONS advertising by ignoring it or skipping past it, UGC is an attractive alternative. UGC requires an experienced social media guide. Don’t make the mistake of executing without well-heeled social media explorers. Tap your best customers and employees first. Many are brand Super Influencers. For your corporate site, procure user generated content, then do post- “Web users generally prefer a raw authenticity first and “UGC is the real deal -- and unless it’s blatantly branded, it production work and set the final foremost, but their expectations for what web video should is far more persuasive than coming up with some viral video in a creative overlay. Florida look like is evolving.” video work the client loves but that nobody outside the Outside of the corporate site, company buys into because it was done in-house, by the commission and encourage the book, and is irrelevant.” California production of UGC. Mine the results for valuable insights. “With UGC you can receive hundreds or thousands of ideas without the high costs traditionally associated with video Texas production.” “There is huge potential for video in the UGC space. Many brands are leveraging open contests with or without agency assistance for winning campaign videos, creative ideas, and “User-generated video shows consumers interacting with the commercials, with a surprising number of submissions being brand from the consumer’s perspective, rather than from the California high quality productions.” ‘marketing voice.” Pennsylvania 15 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

. For audiences seeking an escape, video clips that serve up humor and/or feature outrageous, scandalous or tantalizing stories quickly achieve conversation status in social networks. . For the person determined to solve a nagging problem, video is the perfect on-demand remedy; delivering the resolution with an entertaining or unexpected twist can increase replay and word of mouth propensity. . Popular web videos are today’s new Superbowl commercials - except they happen every day in the form of short, entertaining video clips. RECOMMENDATIONS . Superbrands fully comprehend the reach and impact that one short, catchy video clip can have if it catches the attention of an active member of an online social network. Keep your video short - 30 to 90 seconds is ideal. Do not make a commercial. Include real people in your videos; actors = commercial. Let viewers vote and respond back in multiple ways. “Marketers can jump on the social networking video bandwagon by offering Put a strategy in place before such things as creative backgrounds and graphics for the videos that are distributing video content. relevant to the brand. This will help them connect with their audience and be relevant.” – Washington D.C. Insert special versions of your videos, such as short clips, or “micro content,” onto sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, and Yammer. Content should be versatile so that it can move between “Unique short videos that are targeted to specific audiences get passed around sites. The same material can very quickly on social networks without effecting their overall marketing direction. be reformatted to be suitable A good concept would disseminate and translate quickly. Pass-around video can f o r S l i d e S h a r e , F l i c k r, be more suggestive and stretch the boundaries.” – Florida YouTube, and Facebook. 16 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

: Watch the video. YOUTUBE CELEBRITY LISA NOVA Publishing video on your website will lift your organic search engine ranking and increase unique visits. PROVOCATIVE THUMBNAILS DRIVE VIEWS . Video search optimization requires TBD expertise, planning and resources. Refer to our “Recommendations” list on the left. TBD . When searching, most people RECOMMENDATIONS judge a video’s thumbnail, title and description before deciding to TBD click-thru and watch. Consider putting a transcript of the . According to Hitwise, 2.6% of all Internet video on the video page. search queries in the United States are of the how-to nature. Video files should be in multiple formats, including FLVs, MOVs, MPGS, MP4. Produce video with natural language searches in mind. VIDEO’S IMPORTANCE IN MARKETING Create a filename that contains relevant keywords; completely avoid keyword stuffing. Use a mRSS feed. Create an mRSS and submit it to the search “YouTube has become a top search engine. The same engines. Google does not accept mRSS feeds, but they do have an SEO tricks that work on Google, MSN, and Yahoo can XML Site map for Videos. garner large audiences for video. To track, test, and Remove noisy metadata with a optimize key word rankings on YouTube would increase cleaner. traffic to your videos.” - California Only place one video per page. Surround video with relevant text. Darren Aftahi, vice president of Equity Research at ThinkEquity Partners, says the Internet will become Cross-link to videos using keywords the broadcast market of choice, and text search will in anchor text. “Attractive and short videos are one of the most powerful turn into video search. ‘’ SEO weapons these days because you can tag the Grab real estate around the term “video.” video, related videos, and relevant keywords.” People don't watch a video. They Keep your content and search – New York watch batches of videos. You want to keywords current so that your brand remains relevant. tap into that Related Videos section. The more you tag and cross-link your content on different sites the -Greg Jarboe (SEO-PR) higher you will rank in searches. 17 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A MATTER OF FACT More than 100 million US consumers - 42% of mobile subscribers - have video- capable cell phones. 65% of mobile video viewers . The strong demand for how-to videos has are under the age of 35 - compared to 35% for total given rise to sites like Howcast, Expert Village and similar instructional web mobile subscribers portals that are dedicated to this genre of content. 32% of mobile video viewers . Marketers realize the importance of delivering on- are between 25-34 years old demand information and service in today’s wireless, ultra-mobile economy. Over half of teens (54%) Top brands are catering to consumer preference for short video content that report watching video on demonstrates how to compare, purchase, use, optimize and properly dispose their cell phones in bed - that’s 1.5x more likely than of their products and/or services. average viewers . How-to videos reduce costs across all ink bl we customer service and support channels. The reason is simple: video is a superior demonstration vehicle compared to static text and graphics. RECOMMENDATIONS Provide videos made by experts as well as videos quot;Digital marketers should cater to the needs of visual learners by creating instructional made by users. The former guarantees reliability and the video clips for the web. This is not necessarily a platform to launch a product or service latter ensures authenticity. but a means to show the consumer that it is really fun and easy to use. With video explanations on how to use the product or service, consumers may be more inclined to Make sure that you avoid become a user if some of their concerns are addressed.”- New York technical jargon and that you are using ‘the language of the consumer’ in your videos. Infotainment: consumers will gravitate towards videos that present information in an entertaining way. “In the world of instant media, consumers today have little time and may be a bit lazy in Creating support videos and the reading department. They want to 'get it' in 30 seconds. They'd much rather see writing support manuals are how a product works, than have to read how to figure it out. And they're much more very, very different jobs. likely to purchase when they can see how cool the product is.” - Illinois 19 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Your best customers are already creating and distributing online RECOMMENDATIONS videos about your products and services: start participating in that conversation. Keep testimonials brief - one to two Though consumers may be aware of your brand, they often refrain minutes in length is optimal. from making a purchase until hearing from people who have owned and used a Avoid “infomercial”-style testimonials product successfully. that are overwhelmingly and Connecting a viewer with a real person who delivers an honest and unbelievably positive: Opt instead for authentic reviews that seem balanced. personal endorsement is a far more powerful way of ‘advertising’ customer satisfaction. Provide viewers with multiple testimonial problem/solution scenarios. Prospects are more engaged when they “see” your product being Increase the potential that a consumer demonstrated by a real customer as opposed to reading about it. will connect with your message by creating multiple testimonials that represent culturally diverse perspectives. “Consumer testimonials are an easy and effective way to establish credibility in trying to sell anything! Short video clips of real consumers describing how they have had a positive experience with a product or company are compelling. They could even be tied into a viral marketing campaign.” – Illinois “With a reward as incentive, invite consumers to create videos of how they would use or improve the product/service. The company will learn how the consumer frames his/her interaction with the product and gain valuable insights that can drive product innovation.” – California “Short tutorials can complement the product. Sales tutorials are not just testimonials, but ‘how-to’ testimonials!” – Washington 20 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Marketing campaigns could be composed of a series of videos revolving around one product or one essential idea. . A story-line would encourage the viewer to return each time to see what happens in the series. . Younger consumers are tuning out traditional marketing messages and show a strong preference for short-form web content delivered in an authentic voice. “Marketers can use video clips on the web to tell a story that has more than one chapter.” – Washington D.C. “Each video would be different but would share one main thesis. The episodes RECOMMENDATIONS would be released at different times, giving viewers the opportunity to sign up for notifications before subsequent episodes launch. By doing this, companies will be Characters and story lines able to gauge the success of their campaign in a whole new way.” – California should be exciting enough to Leaving Bliss is an independent web series sustain audiences over time that follows the sometimes sad but frequently without becoming stale. funny travails of Patience Owen, a Pollyanna- type who flees her sparsely populated Heavy handed, over-the-top hometown in favor of Hollywood to pursue “Webisodes tied together under one theme – either in standalone format or integration of brand messaging her dream of making it big on the “tinsel progressive story-line – can really work to the benefit of marketers when the concept in a webisode runs the risk of screen.” Four to six-minute episodes are is right and has been created specifically to reinforce and extend the brand being panned by audiences. released biweekly. messaging.” – Texas 21 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Real, raw portraits of consumers using products and services offer an alternative to testimonial videos which have the potential to appear, at times, stilted and staged. . Brands may also use this genre of video to offer a look behind the scenes at their employees, their development process, or production techniques. . For large, faceless corporations, mini documentaries have the power to humanize the company and connect with audiences. . Mini-documentaries capitalize on the “reality entertainment” zeitgeist and are attractive to consumers who have become accustomed to watching this type of programming on TV. RECOMMENDATIONS Shorter is better. Breaking up the documentary into a series is the best approach for stories occurring over a long time period. “Instead of big budget TV commercials extolling ‘the finest health care, A mini-documentary is not a best doctors’ blah, blah same ol' same ol', I am pitching a series of 2-3 Corporate Profile, nor should the minute ‘cinema verité’ portraits of the doctors. Show don't tell.” - Virginia video feature executives or personnel based on seniority. Subjects for the mini-documentary should be chosen on the strength of their story and ability to come “Show real consumers interacting with the brand – in a casual, non- across on camera. Charisma is scripted way. This would be similar to a 'documentary' and would portray essential. how and when the consumer uses the product/service, presented from the consumer's perspective as opposed to the 'marketing voice'.“ - California COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 22

A MATTER OF FACT Apple’s affordable Mac Mini easily connects to a LCD TV screen and can access a huge variety of content - from iTunes to local news broadcasts. Netflix subscribers can now buy a $99 set-top box from Roku that streams video to their TV sets. Vudu also sells a $299 set- top box, which allows users to download TV shows for $1.99 per episode and movies for anywhere from 99 cents to $19.99. Such devices could make it easier for consumers to “cut the cable cord.” 24 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A MATTER OF FACT . Emerging digital platforms - each a valid video distribution channel - reach out to a potential consumer base in airports, More than 80 percent of on airplanes, shopping carts, parking garages, taxis, and beyond. Americans now have a computer in their homes, and of those, . Retail environments outﬁtted with almost 92 percent have internet access multiple LCD displays and point-of-purchase screens are ideal for delivering catchy video clips. Internet access is positively correlated with the respondent’s or Head of Household’s education . Video content that goes beyond level as well the home’s combined the three screens paradigm will reach consumers who put their guards up annual income. As they increase, in the traditional spaces. so does the likelihood of internet access. Homes with a lower educated householder and lower household incomes are least likely to have internet access. RECOMMENDATIONS Only 3% of households with incomes over $125K do not have Apple TV home internet access. Create a cross-digital platform content strategy. ink bl “Recently, I was stuck in an airport, watching the airport broadcast loop through for the zillionth we Version content for unique time. I thought, you know, my fellow flyers and I are basically a captive audience, why not put digital audience consumption. some branded entertainment vignettes out here? Consumers resent advertising when they feel it’s being pushed at them and is interrupting something else they’re doing, but marketing that Start experimenting now with offers a little entertainment value along with information and new ideas is a godsend when Taxi TV content for Apple TV and they’re stuck waiting for time to pass.” – Washington D.C. mobile smartphones. Understand that consumers are in the driver’s seat so “Audiences continue to shift and find new ways to consume web video.” – California content needs to have strong entertainment value. eReader “As consumers become increasingly aware of advertising on the internet, web videos will need to move beyond the computer screen. How about watching videos on your luggage cart while waiting to check in your baggage for a flight or while waiting in line to pay for parking?” – Florida 25 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A MATTER OF FACT More than 100 million US consumers - 42% of mobile subscribers - have video- capable cell phones. 65% of mobile video viewers are under the age of 35 - compared to 35% for total . Mobile video allows short-form video content to be mobile subscribers delivered to users in real-time. 32% of mobile video viewers are between 25-34 years old Over half of teens (54%) . Consumers can be engaged wherever they have their report watching video on mobile device(s) – in essence, anywhere and everywhere. their cell phones in bed - that’s 1.5x more likely than average viewers . Improved network speeds, cheaper, more powerful devices and an assortment of content bode well for the ink future. bl we RECOMMENDATIONS Consider the audience: mobile video content is “Someone with GPS on their mobile device could find local listings typically consumed by younger audiences and via the device. But, rather than a static website, the consumer will sports fans. be able to access a video clip. This would be useful for restaurants, museums, nightclubs, music venues, comedy clubs, Keep it short. Create microvideo content for mobile retail stores, etc. The video can be a walkthrough of the bustling users venue or a discussion of the daily specials or sales. What is key is that the content pushed is unique and can be updated on a Sound test. Mobile audiences use a wide variety monthly, weekly, or even daily basis.” – Washington D.C. of audio outputs - which potentially means poor sound quality. Create downloadable content “Many people are starting to use Google Maps or similar programs on their mobile that users can save to their phones. Location-based video ads will be a critical tool to get you more foot-traffic than phone and reference again local competitors. I expect that in 2 years over 80% of local stores will have their while they are on-the-go. promotional videos available on maps accessible through online and mobile. Location- based video ads will be as important as outdoor logos.” – California 27 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

. Currently, most “video mail” is really an embedded link to an online video. An email can contain an image that appears to be a video but is really hyperlinked to a video on a webpage. . V-mail 2.0. Technological innovation is constantly improving video quality and size. Video embedded emails will soon be a widespread phenomenon. . Baby Boomers and Matures are especially drawn to emails that have informational or entertaining video content. Few marketers today are really prepared to take advantage of the opportunity because they lack the resources to produce appropriate video content. RECOMMENDATIONS First, locate an “The user’s curiosity will drive them to click on the link-to-video in an email, experienced video mail mostly because it’s a novelty. I think that the success of this type of marketing vendor. might reach a fast peak then slowly settle into a more sustainable success rate, Preferably send video mail much like text-based email has done. This means that now is the time to jump to services like Gmail, into the space.” – California MSN and AOL that work with chosen vmail vendors. It’s best to send entertaining microvideo “Video clips can be integrated into web e-cards that people can share.” content as opposed to – California documentaries. Contact Forrester about video mail best practices “As corporate IT departments have wised-up to employees who are watching and vendor ratings. YouTube at work, many companies have blocked access to the site. Consequently, more people are forwarding emails with video attachments or emails with links to video hosted on alternative video sites.” – New York 28 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

. Splitting up videos and distributing different portions of the content at different distribution points can be a compelling tactic that, when done well, has the ability to move traffic. . A Hollywood standby reinvented for the internet: Users watching video content in one location can be encouraged to click to another site to view the conclusion. . Another iteration of this tactic is to create one video as a starting point and then multiple story-lines that let consumers “choose their own adventure” SMP Film’s “Choose Your Path” challenges RECOMMENDATIONS viewers to choose a path, watch a video and locate his missing cat, Sparta. Each path asks viewers to leave text comments. Choose an emotional “I urge brands to build out their YouTube transition point, or story arc to channels by splitting their product/service create the split. reviews into 60 second clips that at the end say Offer viewers the option of “For the Complete Review Click Here.” It’s an choosing multiple “split paths” easy bounce-back promotion that will boost web to increase engagement and traffic and return visitors to the site.” – Florida click-through participation. Offer viewers feedback mechanisms such as text posts or live chat. “Cory Williams, created this really great series of Fortune Teller videos on YouTube where audiences watching Consider following the initial one video could click on the screen and be taken to a custom “fortune.” I’ve also seen it done with videos of episode with a “live” content magic tricks that ask the viewer to guess the answer and clicking on a certain portion of the screen leads to split as a test. another video. Audiences love the element of interactivity and usually end up watching the video multiple times and clicking back and forth to see more than one ending. Marketers could use the same technique to drive audiences to from an online video destination directly to their microsite or homepage.” – New York Mr. Safety youtube.com/smpfilms 30 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A MATTER OF FACT The social network and blogging audience is becoming more diverse in terms of age: the biggest increase in visitors . Revolutionary forms of advertising pique consumer during 2008 to “Member curiosity and interest. Unexpected content is addictive and promotes dialogue. Community” Web sites globally came from the 35-49 year old . Most effective when integrated as part of a social media campaign, age group (+11.3 million). the efﬁciency of guerilla video is reliant on the strength of creative concept underpinning the video and a timely execution and distribution. ink bl we . Originally characterized by low-budget, quick-response videos, the category has been stretched to include big-budget agency-produced look-a- likes. Often, this genre of video is described as “viral.” . Some of the best executions are Parodies, Caught on Video and Faux clips. RECOMMENDATIONS GM DEALERSHIP FIGHT Create a faux video clip that appears to capture an argument between employees and vendors with a hidden camera brought in by an employee. “Create an experience where the viewer isn’t sure if they are supposed to, or allowed to, see what they are seeing. This can be presented as an incidental recording that Parodies and self-depreciating some paparazzi-type posted anonymously. Entice the user to take action. This will humor tend to go over well with promote viral distribution.” – New York audiences because they show that you don’t take yourself too seriously. EHARMONY PARODY Producing Guerilla videos in- house has led to some notable “The ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ campaign did an excellent job of guerilla marketing, disasters: Know your limits. creating billboards, blogs, videos, and sites that initially didn’t indicate that they were Hiring an outside agency to created for a film. A lot of people talked about it because it seemed like it could be a produce guerilla video adds a real guy going through a breakup. For ‘True Blood,’ HBO posted ads for a synthetic layer of insulation and security blood drink. This was confusing and exciting to people and was discussed extensively between the brand and the on the internet.” – California campaign. COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 31

They are small applications or toolbars that embed A MATTER OF FACT video and other content on web pages, blogs, mobile-phone screens and desktops. Almost anyone can create a video widget and spread it virally across social networks. A wide variety of widgets can be found at http:// 75% of the total U.S. widgets.yahoo.com. internet population watch online video . The video content in video widgets can be updated frequently and the programs can also have interactive features such as polls, trivia, surveys, etc. The widgets can have diverse functionality and ink bl can be repackaged for various clients. we . This tactic allows for the natural integration of various related goods and services. RECOMMENDATIONS Continually refreshing Put a widget on Once clicked it expands to content is an important facet your website reveal video content of the internet as a medium but it is especially important “Attracting consumers to our website and encouraging them to sign up for long-form content webcast when it comes to video subscriptions proved to be a challenge. We wasted a lot of time trying to circulate short-form widgets. Content distributed “highlight reels” of our content on video sharing sites, blogs, etc. After creating a video widget that via widget can look stale people could download to their social networking page, desktop, or mobile, we found consumers to after only a week. be far more responsive and likely to share with their friends.quot; – New York Create a widget designed for current fans of your brand that brings them exclusive offers or value. “The end game is this: create a series of video widgets that end up being resident on a potential customer’s social networking profile or desktop. For example, say I really like rock group Coldplay. Create an incentive program Widgetbox serves millions of widgets per day and helps So I go to their fan site and download a widget that alerts me every time there is a band update (tour to reward customers for widget owners reach tens of millions of people per locations, concert ticket sales, CD releases, etc.). The widget also offers on-demand video of hosting your widget on their month. Widgets help you reach new users, drive traffic Coldplay’s latest performances as a bonus. For this feature consumers might actually consider social media page(s). back to your site, and extend the reach of your content paying some sort of micro-trans fee (e.g. $.99 per new concert).” – California and services on sites all across the web. 32 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

. Specific objects and/or people in a video can be converted into clickable objects. This easily provides users with links to information, advertisements, store listings, or points-of-purchase. For example, see: http://www.ooyala.com/products/ivideo. . Interactive technology offers marketers the ability to seamlessly integrate product inside the video after the video has already been produced (instead of traditional product placement where advertisers must sign on to a show before production begins). . Additional benefits include being able to update product packaging on the fly (in the video) or integrate products that may only be in development when the video was actually created. RECOMMENDATIONS YouTube added a “speech- bubble” annotation feature to “It’s vital to figure out what technologies will enable marketers to reach their videos last June. If you haven’t taken advantage of the consumers with the most interactive and effective ad campaigns. feature, the time has come. Interactive digital advertising opens up the advertisers’ range of influence Creative possibilities abound: including in-page rich media, In-Stream, In-Game, HD interactive video, From an in-video scavenger IPTV, interactive kiosks and mobile advertising platforms.” – California hunt to click-to-win contests, marketers are restricted only by the limits of their imagination. With the advent of digital television and YouTube on TiVo, Vudu and other services, interactive video will quickly “Interactive video offers the promise of, not only an enhanced viewing migrate from desktop to TV to experience for the consumer, but an endless number of merchandising smart mobile device. Smart marketers will be ready for this opportunities for advertisers and marketers. It will enable marketers to shift in consumer behavior and see direct conversion metrics from product placements. Most will be ready with content importantly though, interactive video offers a richer, more dimensional options. experience for audiences.” – New York 33 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

SENIORS, NOT SO SILENT AFTER ALL The web continues to be populated largely by younger generations, as more than half of the adult internet population is between 18 and 44 years old. But larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past and they are doing more activities online, according to the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project surveys taken from 2006-2008. See what all of this means to online video consumption. 16.5 million adults ages 55 and older engage in social networking, according to Internet monitoring site comScore. Facebook is seeing the most growth among users age 30 and older. MySpace, with 130 million users, is enjoying a surge among the 55-plus set, who total 6.9 million users and spend an average 204 minutes a month on the site. In just one year since AARP.org unveiled its social networking platform, about 350,000 users have created 1,700 groups celebrating everything from gardening to social activism. 35 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contrary to the image of Generation Y as the quot;Net Generation,quot; internet users in their 20s do not dominate every aspect of online life. Generation X is the most likely group to bank, shop, and look for health information 57 72 57 49 online. Boomers are just as likely as Generation Y to make travel reservations online. And even Silent Generation internet users are competitive when it comes to email (although teens might point out that this is proof that email is for old people). A MATTER OF FACT 74% of internet users ages 64 and older send and receive email - the most popular activity for this group. 36 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

. Millennials (ages 14-25) are among the most rising and influential consumer groups, and they value the newer forms of media much more than traditional types used by “Matures” (born 1932-1946), “Boomers” (1947-1965) or “Gen X” (1966-1982). . Millennials are the most active of all the groups in their use of gaming, online communities, video and social networking, and they are the largest consumers of Internet-downloaded music. Millennials are the driving force behind the growth and success of online video. They expect to find short video clips on just about any topic in the RECOMMENDATIONS world on YouTube - including products and services offered by your brand. Video segments should be short ONLINE VIDEO = ENTERTAINMENT (30 - 90 seconds), entertaining, unique and interactive. Provide Millennials with multiple ways to download, share, mix and match video to their needs. Give Millennials the ability to comment on your videos, post video responses and vote or rate on various elements of your video content. Don’t advertise to Millennials; first entertain them and then weave in infotainment. Be unique or don’t be: Millennials know they have lots of choices and will click away from video content that seems cliche. They’re not that interested in your corporate website Because Millennials influence Have a huge influence on home buying decisions, use this household purchases group to reach Baby Boomers Find anonymous posts on and Matures. Facebook more credible than Advertising 37 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Fully 80% of Generation X internet users buy products A MATTER OF FACT online, compared with 71% of internet users ages 18-31. . Gen X Moms in particular seek out video to enhance their online 76.8% of the total U.S. experience and enjoy spending time on photo upload sites where they share internet population viewed online photos and video clips. video in January 2009 . Gen X men use mobile smartphones for accessing video content - particularly sports highlights and behind-the-scenes interviews. ink bl we . Gen X, parents of Gen We, are heavy consumers of children’s web content subscription services which include learning videos and entertainment ONLINE VIDEO = SHOPPING & KIDS RECOMMENDATIONS Gen Xers love to shop online and will respond well to video testimonials and demos integrated into the e-commerce experience. Many Xers have toddlers and young children at home and are looking for video content on parenting related issues. Xers often feel overlooked by a mass media culture that caters to Baby Boomers and their 75 million children, the Millennials. Acknowledging their generational icons and experiences will drive loyalty. Xers make up a huge percentage of Facebook users. Feeling nostalgic, they are reconnecting with lost childhood and high school friends. 38 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A MATTER OF FACT The social network and blogging audience is becoming more diverse in terms of age: the Contrary to popular perception, the over-45 crowd plays a big biggest increase in visitors during 2008 to “Member role in the world of web video. They are especially interested in video with themes Community” Web sites globally such as health, nutrition, cosmeceuticals, family & children, pets, education, came from the 35-49 year old current events, etc. age group (+11.3 million). . Get used to the idea of Boomers grabbing a large ink bl chunk of Facebook real estate. And BTW, they’re not checking up on the kiddies we so much as they are reconnecting with high school friends. . Boomers love to recall their youthful days backpacking across the US and Europe. Today, many empty-nesters are heading off to see the world again and often complain that travel and tourism related sites have too little video content. RECOMMENDATIONS ONLINE VIDEO = NEWS & TRAVEL Dispel the assumption that Boomers only surf the web reading the news and online personals: they watch more video than any other segment. Test email campaigns that include video links: 65% say they email their friends more than call them. Male Boomers love watching online video (41% to 28% women): create content that caters specifically to their interests. More than 60% are avid social media participants: create video that they can share in these communities. Their preference to take polls, rate and vote on items means video should incorporate this functionality. 39 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

CORD-CUTTERS A select group of consumers who are canceling or downgrading their pay TV subscriptions in favor of online video. Some analysts believe seniors are leading the charge due to the high cost of cable. . Compared with teens and Generation Y, older generations use the internet less for socializing and entertainment and more as a Bobby Tulsiani, senior analyst at Forrester Research in Cambridge, tool for information searches, emailing, and buying products. Mass., said pay TV providers and cable . Some 13% of G.I. Generation internet programmers need to do more to prepare for the growth of on-line users (age 73+) reported downloading videos, up from 1% in 2005, video. and another 13% of the online Silent Generation (ages 64-72) say ink bl they download videos, up from 8% in 2005. we . Half of all seniors who go online report watching online video. They are more selective about their choice of online for seniors 65 and older, broadband video content - which explains why they may appear ‘not interested.’ access has more than tripled. RECOMMENDATIONS ONLINE VIDEO = GRANDKIDS & HEALTH Silents prefer professional content over user generated content. Include a written transcript of your Facebook says its fastest- video content that seniors can read while viewing; better yet, growing demo is 55-plus. include subtitles in a large font. Provide seniors with additional control options for adjusting the volume and video tempo. When appropriate, cast seniors in your video content. Don’t communicate to seniors like they are children. Our hearing and eyesight may suffer as we age, but we tend to retain our brain power and mental faculties. AARP.org is a wealth of best practices and research on how older seniors use video and social media. 40 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

tm video for websites and beyond Videasa is a digital video content agency that produces and distributes viral videos, webisodes, mini documentaries and infotainment for both blockbuster brands and savvy start-ups looking to cut costs and increase revenue. By bringing together viral marketers, studio professionals and experienced web content producers, Videasa is able to offer marketers a highly efﬁcient set of resources and services for today’s evolving media landscape. With expertise and focus that falls outside of the competency of the traditional digital agency, Videasa is able to offer businesses targeted video content solutions by harnessing the power of user generated video content to create brand value and gather consumer insights. Delphine Amato Communications Director Ofﬁce: 888-883-1301, ext. 710 Mobile: (516) 472-8857 delphine@videasa.com 41 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Videasa is a digital video content agency that produces and distributes viral videos, webisodes, mini documentaries and infotainment for both blockbuster brands and savvy start-ups looking to cut costs and increase revenue. By bringing together viral marketers, studio professionals and experienced web content producers, Videasa is able to offer marketers a highly efﬁcient set of resources and services for today’s evolving media landscape. NEW YORK, NY LOS ANGELES, CA VIDEASA SALES VIDEASA STUDIO 1318 Madison Avenue 350 Wilshire Blvd. Terry Mullin Sue Kim New York, NY 10128 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 terry@videasa.com sue@videasa.com 888-883-1301 323-908-2317 888-883-1301 X701 212-600-0743 tm video for websites and beyond 42 COMMISSIONED BY VIDEASA.COM. ©2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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FULL VERSION: Online Video: Superpowered Ideas for Marketers

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FULL VERSION: Online Video: Superpowered Ideas for Marketers Presentation Transcript