With the constant demand for newer, faster technology, is it possible that the attention span of your target audience is shrinking? How does that affect online video? Have the rules changed for emerging viewing platforms, like BlackBerries?Whether watching breaking news clips via mobile phone or YouTube videos from their laptop, today’s consumers devour information quickly and move on. But, cutting content to avoid losing your consumers’ attention may not be the best strategy. A recent New York Times article supports that notion, because online users have the ability to stop/start and search for alternate content. And, once your target finds worthwhile material, they’re likely to stick around for the conclusion. In fact, it’s a smart idea to direct them to other related content at the end of the video.However, there is a balance. Remember, most online viewers are potentially sitting at a desk or are on-the-go with smaller viewing screens, and content probably shouldn’t be as long as programming created for those watching from comfy sofas and La-Z-Boys. Otherwise…click.
The national analog to digital broadcast "switch" does not mandate HDTV. High Definition (HD) refers to a specific set of video formats, and Digital Television (DTV) refers to signal transmission. Think of a parcel and its delivery truck. Digital signal transmission is a more efficient "delivery truck" than analog, which allows for one bigger parcel (HD content) or several smaller parcels (streams of SD content) than previously would fit in an analog stream. Standard-definition programs are still broadcast over digital transmissions (i.e., your SD-shot footage will still transmit just fine in a standard-definition digital broadcast.)So, because many stations are upgrading, does that mean we can only submit footage that is HD?No, you can upconvert it, or graphically "mask" it in an attempt to disguise the difference in quality/size (best option when budget is tight). But when quality is key, there is simply no way around it — you must reproduce your media for HD.
How many times have you been called upon to make a snap judgment and, without knowing why, you sense a bad feeling? And how many of those times did your feelings of discomfort turn out to be correct? That innate sense is our intuition. Intuition speaks to us in many ways on an unconscious level, appearing to have no logical explanation as to why we feel wary or comforted. This is valuable information, yet is often ignored, as it’s not based on logic, reason and analysis. But yielding to our intuition can save us from hassle and heartache and, even, result in happiness. A feeling of discomfort should serve as a red flag in situations like taking on a new client, a new project, a new partner or a new job. Listen to your intuition. First, analyze the circumstances logically to uncover possible reasons why you are feeling this way. If intuition and logic are still not in alignment, then proceed with caution. And, if you find that they are aligned, you can be confident that you are on the right path…and glad that you listened to your gut!
Doritos launched a $3-million Super Bowl commercial that was written and directed by the winners of its "Crash the Super Bowl" contest. TurboTax ran a similar, highly publicized contest in 2007. It's a trend that will continue to grow, and for good reason: its central concept is to leverage the power of consumer input.Starbucks has embraced this concept with "My Starbucks Idea," a message board that allows consumers to post ideas on how to improve the Starbucks experience. After all, who knows what it's like on the other side of the counter better than the customers do?Its message board offers advantages in several areas:- Resource: The users effectively become a large focus group that works for free.- Public relations: It's moderated by company representatives, so consumers feel their feedback is considered and valued.- Increased exposure: It builds interest in the company and its products.- Efficient: Its built-in voting system allows moderators to easily discern good ideas from bad ones.- Financial: Low startup and maintenance costs mean excellent ROI (Starbucks used a customized third-party message board platform).- Increased consumer participation: For the consumer, it's faster and more direct than sending letters to a corporate headquarters.There's a large focus group out there, waiting to help your company. Use it!
We’ve all heard of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube — these are different social media vehicles marketers are using to extend the reach of their brand or product. While the world is atwitter about Twitter, we’d like to bring your attention back to the social bookmarking site we mentioned in this newsletter last June: StumbleUpon.com has now surpassed 7 million users, 50% larger than Twitter! What is StumbleUpon and social bookmarking? Instead of going to your favorite search engine, you simply register at StumbleUpon, tell it what you are interested in (travel, music, politics, cooking, etc.), hit your "stumble" button and sites approved by users with the same interests will be served. Then it’s your turn to give the site the thumbs up or thumbs down, which will then help the next user. Why might you care about StumbleUpon? Because it is a proven traffic-driver for your site or blog and, for a nominal fee, you can have your website inserted into the “stumble stream” and served to users with relevant interests. If your site is engaging enough, prepare to see StumbleUpon as one of your top traffic referrals.