It has been an exciting week in the world of net neutrality. This week, Julius Genachowski, the Chairman of the FCC, announced the Commission’s intention to enter into a formal rulemaking process to codify the four principles of net neutrality currently in use and to add two more principles. The additional principles include a statement that consumers must be able to access the lawful content of their choice, subject to reasonable network management. Essentially, ISPs cannot block traffic to say, NBC Video, just because they have a partnership with Hulu. However, they still may prioritize all video content over all file sharing in order to manage the use of the network. In addition, networks must be transparent about what they are doing to manage traffic. This would give small business and direct response marketers more information about how consumers are experiencing online offerings like video advertising. Specifically, if you are providing an application for wireless devices or making videos available on sites like YouTube, you will know if some of the network providers are slowing certain services during peak hours. You will then be able to adjust your content delivery accordingly.
When utilized correctly, YouTube is quite the sales force to be reckoned with. On a recent conference call with ERA’s Internet & Emerging Media Council, certain members discussed how some direct response products have found success simply from videos being uploaded to YouTube.
Creative YouTube videos are a great way to drive incremental sales, if even on accident. If you’re Chris Brown, a singer recently convicted for felony assault against ex-girlfriend Rihanna, how do you get a year-old single onto the top 10 most purchased songs on iTunes? Oh, by being an integral part of a wild fire-spread YouTube video. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen this “Forever” wedding video.
While perusing iTunes when this video hit viral fame a few weeks back, I noticed that Chris Brown’s “Forever” was listed in the top 10 purchased singles. A web hit featuring one of his songs couldn’t have come at a better time for this artist whose image is tarnished in the press. I too, drank the Kool-Aid. I watched the video and loved it, logged onto iTunes and purchased.
Consequently, aside from user-generated content, YouTube also plays host to professional content, sometimes to the chagrin of the content creators. Monty Python’s producers found their content all over the web illegally, however they decided to be proactive and take control of their content in these channels, which turned out to be a very good idea. According to a recent release:
The Pythons created a YouTube channel in November 2008 just to stop their content from being released illegally on the Internet. “We felt the time had come to deal with the ‘YouTube problem.’ On the one hand, we were surprised at the number of clips that had been uploaded to YouTube in clear infringement of our copyright, and while we didn’t want to be spoilsports, it was getting pretty much out of control and we could see no real benefit. So I arranged a trip to meet the YouTube guys on the Google campus in San Jose and discovered that they had a program that would enable us to have our own Monty Python channel on YouTube where we could put up clips from the movies and TV shows of far greater quality and order that might also encourage viewers to want to see whole movies or TV episodes via links to Amazon and iTunes and expand our Monty Python fan base,” says Monty Python producer John Goldstone.
When Goldstone launched Monty Python’s Channel on November 14, 2008, he took advantage of YouTube’s click-to-buy program. The Python’s DVDs quickly climbed to No. 2 on Amazon’s Movies & TV bestsellers list and DVD sales increased 23,000 percent. “The click-to-buy ability was exactly what we were looking for to make the link from video to the right Amazon page much more effective than the URL by the side of the video description. We are only now beginning to address premium advertising, which is only possible when you can show the size, composition, and consistency of your viewers,” he says.
I guess the moral of the story would be that while YouTube may be struggling to support itself with a successful advertising platform, it currently sits as a lucrative marketing channel for the opportunistic, inventive marketer.
Using video on your website is a powerful way to reach you audience. A well-crafted video with a catchy title can quickly go viral and is an excellent way to bring links to your site. In turn, links will help give your site search engine authority and ultimately higher search rankings.
The problem with video is that you can have great content full of all the keywords you are targeting, but search engines are going to have no idea what that content is. Here are some tips to help optimize your video content:
• Transcribe your video. Transcribing your video is a great way to let the search engines know what your video content is. There are many affordable transcribing services that will do this for you.
• Keep it short and sweet. Internet users have a short attention span. Keep your videos under six minutes. If you have a longer video that you can’t edit down to a reasonable time, consider breaking the video into chapters.
• Use catchy titles. Using a catchy title will give you much higher click through rates on your videos. Even if your subject is dry, be creative in how you title your video.
• Understand 3rd Party Hosting. Posting your video on video sharing websites like YouTube, Meta Cafe and Vimeo is a great way to increase your video views, but understand that these sites will have very high authority and will likely out rank your site. If the video becomes popular, the links will point to the hosting site instead of your website. One way to combat this is optimizing the on page factors on your site using the desired keywords. If you decide to post the video on a sharing site, change the titles and tags as not to compete with your site. Also, be sure to include a watermark of your website name as part of the video being posted on hosting sites.
• Offer the option to embed your code. Offering the code so visitors can post the video on their blog or website will help to make your video viral. Be sure to require a link back to your site for people who use the code.
• Use a good thumbnail image. Using a compelling thumbnail will greatly increase the chances of your video being viewed.
Time Warner is planning to end access to free content online by making consumers of Internet TV prove they’ve already paid for it.
As the largest owner of cable networks, which include TNT, Cartoon Network, CNN and HBO, Time Warner has been closely watching broadcasters ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX work through the process of distributing TV online. Bewkes, Time Warner CEO, is planning to provide cable programming on the web in places like Hulu, MySpace, Yahoo TV and even YouTube.
The catch: To view the content for free, you have to be able to prove that you subscribe to pay TV through cable, satellite or Telco.
Free access for those already paying for service. Beweks told Advertising Age, “If you want to watch your favorite TV network or shows through broadband on any device – PCs or mobile – you can do it as long you subscribe to any multi-channel provider.” He goes on to say, “It’s a natural extension of the existing model.”
What’s the benefit? Some media experts are skeptical of Beweks’ plans, but there are also many who feel like a change is in order. After all, a year ago most doubted Hulu would be found appealing to online users. Some fear online programming distribution could soon replace cable TV and destroy the industry.
Time Warner’s cable CEO Glen Britt sees the phenomenon of viewers dropping cable for free content online as a significant growing problem.
What do you think?
Peter Koeppel is a Wharton MBA and president of Koeppel Direct, a full-service media buying agency based in Dallas.
Watch as ERA CEO Julie Coons delivers a sneak peak of what attendees can expect from ERA’s upcoming 2009 D2C Convention in Las Vegas September 13-15. Register now!Early bird ends July 1!
The California Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, has sparked statewide protests. As discussed on this blog before, social media has changed the way in which people organize their efforts for a united front.
The recent Prop 8 protest in West Hollywood was publicized by blogger Perez Hilton via posts and tweets and brought out not only celebrities, but also readers that may have otherwise been unaware of the protest. As can be backed up by abysmal ratings, the only reason Hilton’s recent spat with Miss California over gay marriage got any traction at all was through social media, not because hordes of people actually watched the Miss USA pageant live. Either way, utilizing social media to organize and reach mass audiences for marketing purposes or otherwise may soon be considered a luxury for U.S. citizens.
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square this week, Chinese authorities have rounded up dissidents and shipped them out of town. Now, they’ve even shut down Twitter.
Along with their usual methods of muzzling dissent, the authorities extended their efforts today to silence social networking sites that might foster discussion of any commemoration of the events of June 3-4, 1989.
The action is a new sign of the government’s concern of the potential of such technology in an authoritarian society where information is tightly controlled.
China has the world’s largest online population, and Internet communities have proven increasingly influential in spreading word of events to everything from student protests to group shopping excursions.
People are going outside the normal, controlled channels to set up communities online, spreading information about campus unrest and other potentially subversive activities taking place in this vast nation.
Government Internet monitors have shut down message boards on more than 6,000 Web sites affiliated with colleges and universities, apparently to head off any talk about the 1989 events, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy.
Numerous blogs maintained by edgy government critics such as avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei have been blocked and the text-messaging service Twitter and photo sharing site Flikr could not be accessed within China on Tuesday. Video sharing site YouTube has been blocked within China since March.
Additionally, CNN reports that even the U.S. military is now using social networking sites to reach out to non-traditional audiences by documenting the war efforts in Afghanistan. One thing’s for certain- whether organizing protests or simply shooting marketing messages out to consumers, it will be interesting to see how social media’s role within our lives continues to evolve.
ERA hosted the 2009 Government Affairs Fly-In in Washington, D.C. on April 20 and 21. Over 50 ERA members came together in our nation’s capital to network and meet with members of Congress to highlight their concerns over the revised Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guides on Endorsements and Testimonials. Attendees participated in over 40 meetings with members of Congress and their staff, enjoyed a dynamic keynote speech by Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), and networked with the movers and shakers of the D2C industry at two cocktail receptions.
For more video testimonials, click here. To learn more about ERA’s government affairs efforts, click here.
Every now and then it’s good to get the creative juices flowing by simply watching some quality ads. Below are a few of my recent favorites that utilize humor, and in Hardees’ case - sex appeal, to further establish their well-known brands. Moreover, Geico choose to emphasize its brand by promoting videos on YouTube incorporating YouTube celeb Numa Numa guy.
Retailers are facing one of the toughest economies in recent history. Experts predict that the first half 2009 will be dismal in regard to consumer spending. Therefore, retailers need to work even harder to engage their existing customers in order to stay top-of-mind during what is likely to be a difficult first quarter. Now, in the wake of a challenging holiday season, businesses must re-think, revamp and reinvigorate their marketing mix in order to succeed in the coming months.
Budgets are tight, so begin by finding free or low-cost ways to engage new customers (particularly those acquired over the holiday season) and give them incentive to return again and again. Among the freshest new tactics are social networks, gadgets/widgets, and community toolbars, which can be used to distribute coupons, release “how-to†videos, announce sales, deploy online surveys and more.
The key to success with this “Web 2.0 marketing†is to increase the amount of interaction you have with your customers and they with each other. For example, one retailer, Incredible Technologies (makers of the Golden Tee golf game), is using a branded community toolbar to activate community building by sharing specials and promotions that they think will appeal to their customer’s interests. They also showcase their customer forum, user international tournament stats, and their Golden Tee YouTube channel where users can post video of their best golf shots. Golden Tee did all of this for no cost.
Not a techie? Don’t worry about it. All this stuff is really easy to use. Give it try? What have you got to lose but customers?
This product was a topic of discussion at my aunt’s house on Christmas morning. I believe my uncle said something along the lines of: “If someone wore that to a Steelers’ game, they’d be shot.†You too, may have recently been involved in a casual conversation about it. ERA member Allstar Marketing Group’sSnuggie has made a splash in both traditional and new media. Electronic Retailer’s Tom Dellner was recently quoted in a Time magazine article devoted entirely to the Snuggie and DRTV.
While “The Cult of Snuggie†YouTube video is pretty harmless, others don’t take it so lightly on the product.
This video withstanding, I’d tend to agree with Allstar’s CEO Scott Boilen as he was quoted in Time’s article saying, “Publicity is publicity. At least people are talking about it.â€
Mock commercials have been discussed on this blog before, whether it’s “Saturday Night Live†or others that find creative inspiration from direct response or general advertising. However, a recent independent commercial supporting Obama has blurred the lines of advertising and advocacy. This example is intriguing because it’s a new take on an old, famous Budweiser commercial. It also shows how commercials can at times have the power to transcend into pop culture. The actors from the original, infamous “Whassup†campaign have taken a hard line at McCain in this updated version.
Original Whassup Bud Ad:
Obama Whassup Ad:
This also becomes an issue of branding. Could Budweiser’s brand be somewhat tarnished for Republicans? Did all the references of Teresa Heinz Kerry harm the Heinz brand in 2004? I can tell you this much, my college roommate ordered “W- America’s Ketchup†off the Internet after refusing to buy Heinz products. A lot of Americans wouldn’t buy it, regardless of the fact that her role at the company is limited to philanthropy projects and that her former husband was an admired Republican senator. The same could be true for die-hard democrats that declined to buy Coors products while republican Pete Coors was running for the Senate in Colorado.
According to The Wall Street Journal, “But the video is causing a ripple in industry circles, because Budweiser—which clearly has no interest in backing a presidential candidate—is powerless to stop it. In a departure from normal industry practice, neither Anheuser Busch nor its ad firm, Omnicom’s DDB Chicago, own the Whassup slogan or concept. Instead, the brewer paid Charles Stone III, who created and starred in the ads, roughly $37,000 to license the idea for five years. That deal expired three years ago.â€
But, regardless of this particular political ad’s positive or negative impact, it does further prove that advertising campaigns can have a long-standing impact in American culture. Having already received well over 2 million views, they’ve taken something straight from the ad world to create an organic, viral marketing phenomenon.
As part of this year’s ERA Awards Gala, our home shopping obsessed sock monkey reappeared in “Satisfaction (I Can’t Get No).”
The short, created by Rick Petry and Richard Perris, is described thusly on YouTube: “Hilarity ensues when a sock monkey husband turned cuckold tries various infomercial products to win back his sweetie.” Have a look and if you like it, please rate it!
It has been an exciting week in the world of net neutrality. This week, Julius Genachowski, the Chairman of the FCC, announced the Commission’s intention to enter into a formal rulemaking process to codify the four principles of net neutrality currently in use and to add two more principles. The additional principles include a statement that consumers must be able to access the lawful content of their choice, subject to reasonable network management. Essentially, ISPs cannot block traffic to say, NBC Video, just because they have a partnership with Hulu. However, they still may prioritize all video content over all file sharing in order to manage the use of the network. In addition, networks must be transparent about what they are doing to manage traffic. This would give small business and direct response marketers more information about how consumers are experiencing online offerings like video advertising. Specifically, if you are providing an application for wireless devices or making videos available on sites like YouTube, you will know if some of the network providers are slowing certain services during peak hours. You will then be able to adjust your content delivery accordingly.
When utilized correctly, YouTube is quite the sales force to be reckoned with. On a recent conference call with 
Using video on your website is a powerful way to reach you audience. A well-crafted video with a catchy title can quickly go viral and is an excellent way to bring links to your site. In turn, links will help give your site search engine authority and ultimately higher search rankings.
Time Warner is planning to end access to free content online by making consumers of Internet TV prove they’ve already paid for it.
The California Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, has sparked statewide protests. 
Every now and then it’s good to get the creative juices flowing by simply watching some quality ads. Below are a few of my recent favorites that utilize humor, and in Hardees’ case - sex appeal, to further establish their well-known brands. Moreover, Geico choose to emphasize its brand by promoting videos on YouTube incorporating YouTube celeb Numa Numa guy.
Retailers are facing one of the toughest economies in recent history. Experts predict that the first half 2009 will be dismal in regard to consumer spending. Therefore, retailers need to work even harder to engage their existing customers in order to stay top-of-mind during what is likely to be a difficult first quarter. Now, in the wake of a challenging holiday season, businesses must re-think, revamp and reinvigorate their marketing mix in order to succeed in the coming months.
This product was a topic of discussion at my aunt’s house on Christmas morning. I believe my uncle said something along the lines of: “If someone wore that to a Steelers’ game, they’d be shot.†You too, may have recently been involved in a casual conversation about it. 
Mock commercials have been 
