The state of video today. Does anything surprise you? On which platform do you consume the most video?
[Flickr: ARQCARLOOS]
Think about this: How often do you watch video every day?
Video is all around us. We don’t even realize how often we
watch them. We’re watching videos so often, that Comscore reported in 2007 that “Americans viewed more than 7 billion video streams
online.”
And Youtube dominates the pack (as if that’s a surprise to anyone…).
Comscore stated: “YouTube.com drove the lion’s share of the video streaming
activity at the Google Sites property, with 53.5 million unique streamers and
1.1 billion streams initiated.”
It’s easy to respond skeptically. Many of the videos, especially
on Youtube, aren’t marketing a product or brand;
they’re just for fun.
But some companies have used video in such a great branding
method that others have copied. Case in point: Apple vs. T-Mobile.
When I saw the new T-Mobile MyTouch 3G commercial, I
immediately thought of the Apple iPhone commercials. The solid-color
background. The zoomed-in hands demonstrating the features of the phone. The
mellow music.
Of course, there are some differences. Well, you can take a look for yourself:
Apple iPhone commercial:
T-Mobile MyTouch 3G commercial:
It seems obvious that T-Mobile at least modeled their touch
phone marketing Apple’s. It’s well-known that Apple’s marketing is famous,
whether in a good or bad way. Apple is known for creating a brand demonstrating
that you’re in the cool, modern crowd if you use their products. It’s less
about the quality of the product and more about the reputation the product
passes on to the consumer.
Much of this brand has been established through video. In
addition to the commercials, Apple products are used in many top TV shows.
The characters on NBC’s comedy “30 Rock” all use MacBooks, iPhones and iChat. Does Apple pay for the spotlight? The
show’s creator, Tina Fey, stated in the show’s earlier years that no product
placement deal is in place. The use of the Apple products is simply a
reflection of real life in the entertainment business. (Whether that situation
has changed over the years hasn’t been discussed, but the show continues to use
the products in plentiful amounts.)
Whether the feature is purposeful product placement or not,
the power of video is still demonstrated. Consumers see their favorite characters or actors using the
products and hear them talking
about them, and they want to as well. Seeing and hearing is something that can
occur on no other medium.
Video can even be used to express grievances. Case in point:
Verizon’s new anti-Apple commercial. The
commercial uses the signature solid-color background and mellow music, in
addition to the signature lower-case ‘i’ Apple is known for. Although the video
is critical, it still contributes to Apple’s marketing because the Apple branding
is used, critical or otherwise.
Summary of today’s lesson: Video is all around us. It is
used to brand. It is used to copy. It is used to criticize. It is used to
demonstrate how to be hip, modern and cool in a manner no other medium can
provide.
How do you use video to market your product?
Alyson (follow me @alyandthecity)
TubeMogul has always been a great way for video content creators to save time and kill multiple birds with one stone. You simply upload your video once and it syndicates it to over 20 different video sharing sites online. The analytics for both on-site and syndicated video performance data (including audience engagement) are also pretty stellar.
Now you can kill even MORE birds with that single stone, because TubeMogul has introduced sharing via Facebook and Twitter (it was only a matter of time, right?) Select which sites you want to share your video on from the Update Social Networks section of the launch page and it will send out a status update/tweet that reads "VIDEO: [Video Title] {link url}"
New Blendtec video is a Ford Fiesta Promo: A+
So I love the Blendtec YouTube Videos and the buzz they create. They launched another yesterday. And in my opinion. Boring. Sell out. Rubbish. Still 22K views in one day. Not bad right?
Some thoughts:
- It can't blend Boron Steel (guess Fiesta's must be safe then)
- It can blend left over food, crap sitting around in someone's brand new car, ice and a couple of Brittany cds.
- But – it is brilliant that they probably got Ford to pay for a product placement! Good job guys! Love it when social media marketing can pay for itself!
5 innocents that spent 15 minutes – then poof!
Fifteen minutes of fame. They say we’ll all get ours at some point in life. Some people work for years to have a chance at those precious minutes. Others depend on the right time and place. A few log on to Youtube and click ‘upload.’
As the summer is wrapping up and, consequently, major procrastination time is coming to a close, let us take a moment to remember those Youtube stars whose innocent video shot them to international fame…for a short time.
Charlie Bit Me
It all started with a mom capturing a funny moment with her two sons. It ended with international fame, British talk show airtime and countless parodies by fans. Although Harry and Charlie’s other videos haven’t warranted as much attention as the initial nibble — the original video has more than 113 million views — the phrase “That really hurts!” said in a British accent will forever make people smile and envision these British boys.
Chris Crocker
Who is this, you ask? Well, you might recognize him by his most famous words, “LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!” He shared his love and passion for Ms. Spears in a dramatic and tearful video posted in 2007 and became the automatic punch line to every late-night talk show joke. Since that time, Chris has expanded his topics of passionate rant. If you’re interested, check out his Youtube page <http://www.youtube.com/user/itschriscrocker>.
David After Dentist
The backlash toward David’s dad has been intense. Bill O’Reilly <www.foxnews.com/oreilly> was infuriated at the so-called “exploitation” of David. When David and his dad were on Tyra Banks’ show <www.tyrashow.warnerbros.com/> and “Today,” <www.today.msnbc.msn.com> the question of exploitation was brought up. Some commentors loved it. Others agreed with O’Reilly. But we’re not here to discuss morals. We’re here to pay homage to a video that generated national buzz and nearly 27 million views on the original video.
Kittens Inspired by Kittens
This five-year-old girl is an impressionist. She looks at pictures of kittens and creates what they’re thinking and/or saying. Like the others, her initial success prompted other videos and appearances on talk shows everywhere. I’m just waiting for this kid to get a movie or TV show deal…
Obama Girl
Obama Girl has the 2009 Presidential Election to thank for her 15 minutes. Her first music video, “I Got a Crush…on Obama,” was posted in 2007 when President Obama was an Illinois senator, but it took a few years for her to be a household name. Amber Lee Ettinger, as she is less commonly known, became a well-known face during the 2009 election season, appearing on magazine covers, comedy shows and several cable news channels, including Fox News <www.foxnews.com> and MSNBC <www.msnbc.com>. At least she was politically impartial where her publicity was concerned…
Where are these Youtube sensations now? Who knows? Who cares? Their 15 minutes are up. Whose are next?
- Alyson (follow me @alyandthecity)
Indianapolis’ Scofield Editorial captures vendor client relationship dark side
If you live in the marketing, PR, social media, website, or any related field – you can feel this Youtube video. The metaphors are spot on. The virality was presumably driven purely by word of mouth – I’d say email, facebook, and twitter. Its very clever. Here’s a quick look at some of the results:
- Comments: 1,079
- Favourites: 7718
- Ratings: 3.053
- Average rating: 4.91
Consider that this video is B to B, and the 1,013,255 views are more impressive. Also interesting is that the most popular demographic is male 35-64 broadly. Nice job, Scofield Editorial – I’d say they deserve an award for great Indianapolis social media usage! Content is king! I’d be interested to see how they’ve used the virality to generate additional business.
