OPINION: Online Video: Short-Term Hype Or Long-Term Brand Builder?

Nigel Hollis presents an interesting argument: "Doesn't it seem odd that a marketing world that is apparently shifting from 'show and tell' communication offline to 'engage and interact' communication online should focus so much attention on video? After all, most online video content still offers a passive viewing experience that fails to capitalize on the interactive nature of the Web. I believe it is exactly this more passive experience that makes video an effective brand-builder online, now and for years to come."

MediaPost: September 24, 2007
By Nigel Hollis

Online Video: Short-Term Hype Or Long-Term Brand Builder?

Why is online video attracting such interest right now? Doesn't it seem odd that a marketing world that is apparently shifting from "show and tell" communication offline to "engage and interact" communication online should focus so much attention on video? After all, most online video content still offers a passive viewing experience that fails to capitalize on the interactive nature of the Web. I believe it is exactly this more passive experience that makes video an effective brand-builder online, now and for years to come.

Before going further, let's just remind ourselves that referring to "online video" as if it is a homogeneous entity is totally misleading. Recent analysis by Dynamic Logic confirms that, just like TV ads, online video ads vary dramatically in their effectiveness. According to Dynamic Logic's MarketNorms the best online video ad creates over twenty times more brand-linked awareness than the worst. Higher ad awareness typically translates into a difference in purchase intent. This varies from a difference between exposed and not-exposed cells of +6.9% for the best ad tested, to a drop of -1.5% for the worst.

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