Thursday, November 21, 2013

A Short History Of Video Marketing

By Ryan Stone


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.

In this article we'll take a quick look at the history of video marketing.

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.

Nowadays video marketing is an integral part of many a company's marketing plan and the idea behind it has evolved from simple guerilla-style content. Advertising is now being considered entertainment, the web is forcing brands to realise that people don't have to watch their messages and they certainly don't have to buy from them. To this end, the advertising now panders to the audience, craving attention and acceptance.

Video is also rarely considered as a standalone product, while viewers are sought, brands realise they must get their video shared and open up a channel for discourse and engagement. To this end, video goes hand in hand with social platforms that allow businesses to reach and measure this added social functionality, and let's not forget the ability to target audiences and measure the returns.

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.




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