Video marketing can be broadly defined as video content, produced by a brand that while may entertain, also aims to inform, sell or persuade. Furthermore, It can be seen as different from TV advertising in that video marketing products are shareable, targeted and the results, infinitely more measurable.
Back around 2006 YouTube was still a bit of an unknown quantity in the online world, as with many new platforms and technologies it wasn't entirely trusted or understood by businesses and for a long time YouTube was the home of very amateur content and pirated commercial material such as music videos. Internet speeds and other web technologies weren't refined enough for YouTube to be a household platform but its raw and desirable content did mean that it started to generate an audience and a user base. As the user base continued to grow then of course marketers started to take notice - you go where the people are, but even then very few brands managed to capatalise on the platform. One of the earliest success stories however was Samsung, who created one of the first examples - in my mind - of genuine, viral content.
It's Flicky was created to promote the new X830 mobile phone, and in order to blend in with the rest of the YouTube content it was created as a rough amateur production that centered around one small concept - the flick of the phone cover. At the time, it was hugely popular and I remember browsing the user comments when I discovered it. The young demographic that favoured YouTube were captivated by the creativity of the video and so many of the comments positively praised the phone and showed strong intent to buy one. That truly was early video marketing. Unfortunately the original upload has since been removed and while there are rips still in place on YouTube, the original comments and view count has since been lost.
Over time though the concept of video marketing has expanded. We're no longer looking just at YouTube but the whole web structure - websites, social media spaces, email, mobiles and apps - all capable of delivering and measuring video content and video has now become a very important and lucrative marketing tool.
Since then YouTube has become of the big players in the eyes of marketers and has earned the respect of business. However, video itself has become far more attainable with cheaper equipment, higher broadband speeds, more mobile access, greater share-ability and the ability to interweave with so many of the digital online platforms.
So going forward, where is video marketing heading? Attention spans continue to get shorter, but creative brands are still winning with great ideas and new avenues for delivery - such as mobile, smart TVs and targeted ads. Entertainment videos are not the only types of video marketing either, and business websites, new products and major news are all expected to offer some sort of serious video content to benefit the audience or most importantly - the customer.
However, the landscape is continually changing and evolving. When once 3 minute videos were the norm, attention spans and engagement are becoming increasingly less and so video formats are shifting towards smaller bite-sized productions but in increasing number. Mobile is shaking up how and where people consume video and we're even returning to our TV sets to watch videos that are now being produced for the web! As interconnectivity continues web, entertainment, advertising and quality productions are all rushing towards each other culminating in a new and fascinating genre.
Back around 2006 YouTube was still a bit of an unknown quantity in the online world, as with many new platforms and technologies it wasn't entirely trusted or understood by businesses and for a long time YouTube was the home of very amateur content and pirated commercial material such as music videos. Internet speeds and other web technologies weren't refined enough for YouTube to be a household platform but its raw and desirable content did mean that it started to generate an audience and a user base. As the user base continued to grow then of course marketers started to take notice - you go where the people are, but even then very few brands managed to capatalise on the platform. One of the earliest success stories however was Samsung, who created one of the first examples - in my mind - of genuine, viral content.
It's Flicky was created to promote the new X830 mobile phone, and in order to blend in with the rest of the YouTube content it was created as a rough amateur production that centered around one small concept - the flick of the phone cover. At the time, it was hugely popular and I remember browsing the user comments when I discovered it. The young demographic that favoured YouTube were captivated by the creativity of the video and so many of the comments positively praised the phone and showed strong intent to buy one. That truly was early video marketing. Unfortunately the original upload has since been removed and while there are rips still in place on YouTube, the original comments and view count has since been lost.
Over time though the concept of video marketing has expanded. We're no longer looking just at YouTube but the whole web structure - websites, social media spaces, email, mobiles and apps - all capable of delivering and measuring video content and video has now become a very important and lucrative marketing tool.
Since then YouTube has become of the big players in the eyes of marketers and has earned the respect of business. However, video itself has become far more attainable with cheaper equipment, higher broadband speeds, more mobile access, greater share-ability and the ability to interweave with so many of the digital online platforms.
So going forward, where is video marketing heading? Attention spans continue to get shorter, but creative brands are still winning with great ideas and new avenues for delivery - such as mobile, smart TVs and targeted ads. Entertainment videos are not the only types of video marketing either, and business websites, new products and major news are all expected to offer some sort of serious video content to benefit the audience or most importantly - the customer.
However, the landscape is continually changing and evolving. When once 3 minute videos were the norm, attention spans and engagement are becoming increasingly less and so video formats are shifting towards smaller bite-sized productions but in increasing number. Mobile is shaking up how and where people consume video and we're even returning to our TV sets to watch videos that are now being produced for the web! As interconnectivity continues web, entertainment, advertising and quality productions are all rushing towards each other culminating in a new and fascinating genre.
About the Author:
Ryan Stone is Creative Director of Lambda Films, a Video Production Norwich company. If you're interested then learn more about the benefits of online video from the Lambda Films video blog series.
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