For marketers, the future of online video isn’t about waterskiing squirrels or candid footage of celebrities picking their noses. It’s about interactivity and creating a dynamic personal experience for viewers, says Matt Kaplan, vice president of solutions and chief strategy officer of Waltham, MA-based Permission TV.
“Remember in the early days of television, when first thing they did was put guys around a mike like they were on the radio and filmed them?” he said. “Now many people are doing the same thing on the Web. They’re taking liner video content and putting it online. When newspapers first went online, they posted the print content with no variation. Now they’re thinking about what people actually want online. And that’s evolution of video, to a permission based, non-linear medium, providing enough value so people will want to engage.”
Kaplan points to Google as a model, noting that for users, even the paid listings can be considered valuable content. “Video advertising needs to take that same model. Say you’re watching an episode of ‘Lost’ online and you’re in the market for a car. Wouldn’t you want to see a car commercial, or hear about a promotion in your area?”
Another good idea, which no one is really doing yet, is to let users choose the ad they see before a video—Starbucks, for example, could ask viewers if they’re rather learn about a new latte flavor, or learn about fresh ground beans.
Intercontinental Hotels is one company trying to create a personal experience for users with video. At IntercontinentalVideo.com, visitors can take a tour of any destination the chain has a property in, with locals as diverse as Prague, Sao Paulo, Tel Aviv and Cleveland.
“The brand is a very high tough premium brand, and they want the local concierge to be your tour guide,” says Kaplan, noting this means not only presenting the hotel but the local shopping, dining and sight seeing offerings as well.
And the goal isn’t just about getting people to book a room. Rather, notes Kaplan, Intercontinental wants to cross promote its properties; users can send videos to a friend or download them to their iPods.
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