the year of online video
2008 was the year when I started thinking that my background in television/video/moving image was a bit of a burden. By nature, I’ve always been interested in change and the not-so-traditional side of things, so I couldn’t help thinking that people with an education and/or experience in digital media started to get a big advantage in the communications industry. Everyone started a digital agency and told clients they needed Facebook apps and a blog or two.
Obviously, that’s all very true and useful and what not, but 2009 is set to be the year of video. On the digital platforms of course.
‘Groundswell‘ already mentioned video as an integral of any good communications strategy, and more and more industry people and blogs are talking about it. What got me thinking was this article on Video Insider, bigging up the importance of video. I particularly agreed with the bit where it mentions that it’s time to be creative with online video.
Creative in production, but very much creative in thinking. So not just re-purposing tv content into shorter ‘webisodes’, but making something that truly complements a tv show.
Not just re-purposing a tv ad into a pre-roll, but creating specific, short, funny, interesting messages that actually make sense in an online environment.
And not commissioning a viral without actively trying to seed it.
Creative in translating your message for that right environment.
If you move to a new country and want to integrate, you speak the new language, right? But to me it seems that brands/clients/communicators seem to struggle with or even avoid that new language.
True, it’s far from clear yet what the online video ‘language’ really is. Correction: make that ‘languages’, plural. Because that seems another pre-conception: that there’s one solution. Not necessarily, me thinks: why not have a variety of ‘translations’ of your core message. Another topic that Video Insider writes about very well.
Why not have different versions of online ads, all based on the same message or tagline. And with all the power to measure online behaviour, you must be able to target different varieties of your message to different people. Why not have…
I’ve been involved in quite a few online (video) projects over the last few years and “It’s only for the web” is still a phrase commonly used. And while they say that, they divide the ‘big budget’ by 8 and give that to online. TV STILL seems to be THE one platform where a lot of people want to be.
Shame, because while production costs are much lower than they used to be, I think the development of concepts and ideas are gonna be key in 09, the year of online video.
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
erwin blom
Question, aren’t you thinking too much as a broadcaster when you talk about creativity? I agree that video is going to be important, but maybe even more as a communications tool. A tool people use when they communicate. The most important thing of internet in my view is the change from publication to conversation. It feels like you’re looking at the changes as a way of telling a story, whereas i think the way people communicate changes / has changed.
Jan 13th, 2009
grr
Hey Erwin,
Good to see you on here.
I would make the distinction between ‘creative communication’ and the more ‘artistic creativity’ (for lack of a better word). And I think they go both hand in hand.
I agree with you that conversation has become a major element in (digital) creative communication.
But I what I’m excited about is that brands seem keen to embrace video. And more importantly, spend more thought/time/money on it.
Which means there will be more creative commercials or branded content or whatever, appearing online. As 1 element to get that conversation going.
I realise I’m talking mainly about how brands can do this, but that’s something the creative in me is looking forward to.
All the best for 09 by the way.
Jan 14th, 2009
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