markettiers4dc blog - Convergence

The Importance of Putting Convergence Into Practice in 2011

nospam@example.com () — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:12:21 +0000

If you think back to a campaign you ran five years ago, we’d wager the process of delivery would bear only a passing resemblance to those of 2010, let alone the campaigns you’re planning for 2011.

Of course the skill and expertise used to deliver your campaigns is a constant, but the timings, tactics and platforms which you have adopted to achieve your success (or your clients) will have evolved significantly.

The same is true of the broadcast element of your campaign – we firmly believe that the days of including a ‘radio day’ as a bolt on at the end of the process are changing.

Thankfully the emphasis has shifted much more onto identifying where audiences are and communicating with them accordingly. Which means that from our perspective your broadcast event should not only have regional BBCs sitting alongside traditional TV, but also video interviews with major newspapers online also channelled through social media.

Creating packages for audiences online can obviously be very powerful, offering you the chance to target a core audience, in a way that is just not achievable in other media. There is no doubt that the number of opportunities to speak directly to your audience is increasing, so rather than marginalising online as just text and image the focus needs to be on optimising levels of engagement.

Video particularly is widely supported via social media, but how many of you currently look to Facebook as you would the Sun online to carry the video content you’ve produced? After Google, Facebook is the now the leading source of video referrals, followed closely by Twitter. Why is this important? Well the Facebook population is vast and if the currency it uses shifts towards video - can you afford not to consider them within your broadcast strategy?

Radio of course still has a crucial role to play – but as 2011 unfolds we believe that it should be considered part of the broadcast mix and not a standalone route to audience.

There is no doubt the radio landscape has experienced a tumultuous few years with much in the way of consolidation. Over the last four years the number of stations across the UK has reduced and regional news teams for stations such as Heart are now having to cover a much bigger TSA whilst
ensuring the news they deliver is still locally sympathetic.

Interestingly, the reduction in station numbers has not diminished the loyalty of listeners across the UK. According to the latest RAJAR statistics, nine in 10 people across the UK listen to the radio every week, an increase of one million on the previous 12 months. Listening via digital platforms also continues to grow – indeed over 20 million of us listen to the radio digitally, an increase of 16% on the previous year.

So to make the most out of broadcast schedules in 2011, flexibility will become the watch words. A case in point is Sky News Radio, (who syndicates to over 200 local radio stations across the UK), as more often than not they prefer to capture their content the afternoon before the story is released from its embargo. Access to spokespeople is clearly crucial to ensure that opportunities are maximised and this needs to be pinned down, in the case of celebrities, during contract negotiations.

In addition broadcast opportunities don’t solely exist between the times of 8am-2pm. With pressure on resources and news and feature teams more stretched, if spokespeople can be flexible with their time and accommodate live evening and late night show opportunities relevant to end audience, then
end coverage will only be more impressive and targeted. Programming for travel and gardening for example will tend to fall on the weekend – so only setting aside two hours of spokesperson time on a Tuesday morning is not going to necessarily deliver your objectives.

So with much to consider as we enter the brave new world of 2011, the recognition that broadcast is actually increasingly all encompassing should translate into a new approach to your broadcast planning.

Long live the broadcast day.

Freedom of the Internet?

nospam@example.com (Russell Goldsmith) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:21:51 +0000

Just my opinion and apologies if any political allegiances shine through in this following blog rant (these are not the views of markettiers4dc) but our Chancellor is hardly a 'Darling' of the online world as he confirmed in this morning's Pre-Budget report that he will be introducing a new broadband tax next year of £6 a year

Whilst 50p a month may not sound much to begin with, the question is how long will it be before this new tax becomes an easy target to be increased in future budgets just like petrol or alcohol, should Labour win the next election? The alleged use of the money will be to help rural areas of the UK gain access to super-fast broadband with a target reach of 90% of the population by the end of 2017. However, this figure is estimated to fall way short of what is required to achieve that goal - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8403273.stm - and so it will surely be only a matter of time before Mr Darling comes knocking on our virtual doors for more cash?

Now I have no objection to my hard earned taxed cash going to help those in hard to reach parts of the UK connecting to the web in super fast time so they can join in this very blog debate, but didn’t he also announce today that our National Insurance contributions are going up, oh, and VAT is back up again too? Sure, these other increases are earmarked for other expenses . . . ah, there's a word we could debate too. I wonder if Mr Darling will expense his broadband connection so that he can work from home a little more - after all, what's an additional £6 when you've already been accused of claiming over £70,000 - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1145574/Alistair-Darling-accused-doing-Jacqui-Smith-lavishing-70-000-family-home.html

Are brands stuck in a traditional media timewarp?

nospam@example.com (James Woodroof) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:46:26 +0000

That’s certainly the view of WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell, claiming that brands are not spending enough online because the people who run their agencies are too old and resistant to change.

Sorrell criticised brands for investing an average of just 13 per cent of their marketing budget online despite the rapid increase in digital media consumption.

"The companies that win are those that innovate successfully," he said. The shift from traditional to digital media will be helped by the fact that brands are becoming increasingly focussed on ROI.

Letter to PRWeek - The XXXX Factor – Unmoderated Brand Funded YouTube Channels

nospam@example.com (Russell Goldsmith) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:01:16 +0100

My letter to PRWeek got published in this week's issue but they edited it slightly, so here's the full version . . .

Before I rant, I need to confess to two things.

1. I wish I was Gary Barlow.

2. I entered the X Factor with my colleagues Howard Kosky & Scott Jackson as the man-band ‘Redeemed’ (we didn’t get on TV!)

However, these two facts have not biased the following, which instead, is based on the fact that, as a father of two kids aged 12 and 9 who are both massive fans of the X Factor, I was dismayed and disgusted to see on the individual video page for Stacey Soloman’s audition on its official YouTube channel, postings that include graphic sexual references to what some men would like to do to her, or are already doing to themselves, and strong racist remarks too.

This is an official X Factor YouTube page from ITV, sponsored by Talk Talk. I hope all three parties are proud of the individual that has been tasked with keeping it updated.

Aggregating content into social networks such as YouTube is a risky strategy for any brand but one that can be managed. Leaving comment fields unmoderated is lazy and irresponsible. I appreciate that moderating so many comments for one video is quite a task – Danyl Johnson’s audition has over 11,000 comments – but given just how much money the X-Factor franchise generates, would it be too much to ask the show’s producers to invest in a couple of moderators to monitor the comments?

Who’s in control?

nospam@example.com (Russell Goldsmith) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:41:32 +0000

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the IAB's Annual Engage conference and for the second year running was asked to submit a Digital Essay for their conference handbook - the topic being who is in control between brands and their audiences in terms of the world of Digital media.

For those of you who were unable to attend the Conference, here, as a markettiers4dc blog exlusive, are my 736 words. Enjoy!

Who’s in control?

To reassure brand guardians that they still have as much ability as before to influence the buying habits of their audiences, I wanted to refer to the words inscribed on the back of the book ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’ and remind you ‘Don’t Panic’. However, in a severe twist of irony, the place where I found out why those words were on the back of the book – which for the record, was partly because the device "looked insanely complicated" to operate, and partly to keep intergalactic travelers from, well, panicking - was in fact, Wikipedia(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Panic_(Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy), a website controlled by it’s users! So have I lost my argument already? Possibly not . . .

Now is the time for brands to win back control. Whilst our target audiences are more empowered than they have ever been, we still have the ability to influence what they watch if we embrace the new rules of engagement. In return, we will discover a highly responsive and welcoming viewer, whose mouse clicks could be interacting within our own content rather than away from it.

The online audience tend to want to be informed and kept up to date with latest news and gossip, be educated and taught about specific tasks or simply be entertained. If brands can provide touch points that tick at least one of these boxes, then there is a strong chance of engaging on a one-to-one basis with the viewer and strongly influencing their online habits.

One of the biggest opportunities for brands to influence the audience is through the use of video, the viewing of which now accounts for 15% of all our online time in the UK.(Comscore March 08) In fact, in June this year, 27.4 million UK Internet users watched over 3bn online videos.(Comscore 2008) Coupled with the fact that video increases purchase intention by nearly 50%, there’s strong evidence to show that video can engage an audience more effectively than static content.(Dynamic Logic 2007) The challenge, therefore, lies in providing video content that your customers are actively seeking out and want to engage with. This will enable you to create a meaningful dialogue with your potential customers, especially if it is viewed in an environment that they can trust.

A recent study identified three types of online video typologies.(Simply TV Work Research March 2008) The report revealed that viewers could watch either ‘Snippets’ (YouTube moments, 5 seconds to 5 minutes of user generated content shared in social networks that tend to be watched for entertainment and to kill time), ‘Catch-up’ (such as BBC’s iPlayer), and finally, ‘Boutique’ (needs based, task driven content that gets the full attention of the viewer as they have actively sort out the content). In the case of Boutique viewing, the content tends to be 2-5 minutes and professionally produced, and it is in this area that brands can take back the control and influence the audience. Once you have that captivated audience, you can engage with them to a level that will encourage them to carry out an action such as purchasing the products featured in the videos or opting in for more information.

One example of a brand that has achieved exactly that is Fashion retailer, Oli.co.uk. In this instance, HowTo.tv were tasked by the Otto UK Group to produce a series of videos featuring three of their Fusion range designers, Jasper Garvida, Jodie Kidd and PPQ. In each video, the designer talked through their new collection, and using HowTo.tv’s Interactive Direct Sales Tool(TM), viewers could click on featured clothes and accessories as they appeared on screen, and within one click, add them straight into their Oli shopping bag. Engagement rates (where users clicked on at least one item in the video) averaged 8.4% - a fantastic endorsement of how viewers wanted to interact with the videos. Whilst viewers felt they were in control, there is no doubt that Oli influenced their purchasing behavior.

So my message is ‘Don’t Panic’! Whilst users can control how, where and when they want to interact with our brand, as marketers, we still have the power to control the content, the message, and where we want to drive our audience. Just ensure you take into consideration how your audience want to engage with you and make them feel empowered in doing so.

Now, what else can the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy teach us? Oh yes, the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42 – discuss . . .

Go on Gordon, give it a go

nospam@example.com (Jeremy Gibson) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:24:33 +0100

There has been a media flurry this morning. The FT went to press with a front page story claiming ‘Brown to be star of the show on Downing Street web TV channel’.

According to a spokesperson in the FT ‘The new online channel, accessible via the Downing Street website, will offer exclusive video of the prime minister’s speeches, press conferences, media appearances and news archives'

The announcement caused a little confusion this morning as Downing Street was initially keen to play down the ‘Web TV Channel’ badge.

Either way, this adds a little heat to an online battle that Cameron as been quietly winning hands-down for two years now, thanks to his rather well established weblog.

Despite the launch of his YouTube channel in April/May which encouraged the public to ask Brown a question, he has been playing catch-up in the online webTV arena, so this development can only be a good thing.

Of course, like many things, we’re light years behind the US where both presidential candidates have established webTV channels; Obama and McCain are waging an online video war, which makes for fascinating viewing even from this side of the pond.

An amusing aside, one of the first UK politicians to engage with her audience via the web, was staunch right-wing conservative Ann Widdecombe who’s Widdyweb, was mentioned in a rather toe-curling Louis Theroux show some years ago.

Multi-platform TV becoming a reality, maybe.

nospam@example.com (Jeremy Gibson) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:24:53 +0100

In the last week both the BBC and Channel 4 have announced their latest forays into multi-platform TV. Not surprisingly both have decided to target the ‘yoof’ market to test their propositions.

Hollyoaks ‘show within a show’ idea will see characters talking about, and watching a drama show called Runners. Runners will be about life working as an intern in the showbiz and fashion industries and will include sequences shot at events such as the Brit Awards. Thanks to Broadcast for the info.

As well as brief clips of Runners appearing in the soap, Hollyoaks fans will be able to watch a full three-minute online episode each weekday for the 10-week initial run. Episodes are planned to appear on C4's Hollyoaks website as well as on Bebo, MSN Messenger TV, Facebook and iTunes.

The BBC’s working title “‘Mouth to Mouth’ is a cautionary tale, following the highs and lows of the three members of girl-group Cat's Eyes through individual monologues.” The programme will be made available across selected web and mobile platforms prior to transmission on BBC 3. An un-specified amount of additional content will also be exclusively available online to “expand the narrative”.

This is all well and good, but as the BBC wisely points out

"BBC Three is committed to producing a steady stream of innovative and creative multi-platform projects. The latest of these, Mouth to Mouth, is all about powerful writing and great acting talent. The essentials of quality content are not going to change, whatever the platform."

This advice is totally correct and I really hope they both get it right.

Just when you thought mobile couldn’t get bigger.

nospam@example.com (Jeremy Gibson) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:55:17 +0100

I find it staggering that text messaging in this country continues to grow and yet that’s exactly what keeps happening. In their most recent report the Mobile Data Association shows that texting has grown by 30% in the year to May 2008. Despite the growth of mobile email we’re now sending an amazing 212,616,000 text messages per day.

MDA are also pleased to report that mobile web is maturing finally in fact; it has enjoyed 25% growth over the last two years. Over 16.5 million of us now partake of mobile internet and Steve Reynolds of MDA predicts that before long, mobile internet use could eventually supersede home internet use. Their next report will outline the impact 3g dongles are having, which in my opinion will play a bigger role in online mobile growth than any new iPhone.

My on-off relationship with Auntie

nospam@example.com (Jeremy Gibson) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:18:52 +0100

When I heard the news that rather than reducing my licence fee the BBC was going to give some of its record overseas profits to the directors in the form of a £100,000 per year pay rise, I have to confess, I considered cancelling the direct debit and tearing the TV aerial from my roof.

Then, I read a release on the fully convergent, new iPlayer and I fell back in love with our eccentric aunt. I’ve always thought the BBC was pretty forward thinking in their broadcast convergence strategy, their use of video on bbc.co.uk/news site set a new standard.

Erik Huggers at the BBC says of the new iPlayer. "The next generation of BBC iPlayer allows UK licence fee payers to catch up on their favourite BBC TV and radio programmes in one place – a completely unique on-demand service.”

The iPlayer’s got it all, in addition to TV and radio in one place you can ‘pop it out’ and continue browsing other pages, it has a better screen resolution, and in a nod to web 2.0, it suggests other content you may like. It will also be available on hand-held devices such as the iPhone and even the Nintendo Wii.

The biggest development of all for me (and many a discussion board) is Virgin Media’s announcement that they are working on implementing a version of the iPlayer on its cable TV network. This means Virgin Media’s already impressive on-demand service has received a significant boost, and it’s another step towards the inevitable standardisation of on-demand platforms.

With the new iPlayer I don’t need an aerial and it looks like the licence fee is safe for now.

Did the internet kill the radio star?

nospam@example.com (Jeremy Gibson) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:08:43 +0100

No, absolutely not.

The second instalment of Rajar’s catchily named ‘Podcasting and Radio via The Internet’ survey was published this week and it makes for encouraging viewing. (Link above opens a pdf)

9.4 million people in the UK are now listening to radio online, be it live or listen again this figure is up by 1.3 million since the last survey in October last year, impressive stuff.

The survey also goes on to show that podcasting is on the up, with 3.7 million now regularly downloading podcasts. Also encouraging is the fact that podcasts are becoming a bigger part of the listening diet with the average respondent subscribing to 3.59 casts up from 3.16.

The best statistic that this report identifies proves our view that Radio is the most adaptable channel. Rather than diluting radio audiences the web is extending radio’s reach with 13% of respondents now listening to ‘more live radio’ as a result of listen again functionality.

As radio continues to grow and the media continues to change, the nature of its influence is evolving. Radio Centre’s latest paper shows that in spite of the illicit, and under threat, bit torrent generation, 56% of people are still hearing new music first on radio.

In short, radio just keeps on delivering.

ITV.com hitting the big time – thanks to a talent show

nospam@example.com (Jeremy Gibson) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:04:23 +0100

ITV.com bosses are rubbing their hands with glee after Britain’s Got Talent rocketed their video traffic figures to over 12 million views in May alone.

ITV credits a fresh site re-design and the growth of ITV local which has grown by 18% since the start of the year. ITV’s investment delivers a site where videos have their own tab in search results and their player puts video content at the heart of each page.

This is all great news for broadcast and shows how a commercial operator is successfully re-packaging content for an online audience, complete with in-line ads on most of its clips. In the light of warnings about reductions in online ad spend it will be interesting to see whether ITV continue to invest over the coming months.

Capitalising on online video viewing

nospam@example.com (Russell Goldsmith) — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:46:00 +0100

NMA had the pleasure of receiving a letter from me which they published in the magazine - here it is incase you missed it!

Jack Flanagan’s fascinating article (Analyst Speak NMA 17.04.08) highlighted the growing popularity of online video viewing, (now the third most popular online activity in the UK behind search and retail and just ahead of social networking); however he omitted to consider the impact of this ‘online video invasion’ upon online marketing.

As he pointed out online video is already attracting impressive levels of engagement compared to other types of online activity; in the UK alone 28.7m people watched over 3 bn videos online, averaging five and a half hours per viewer for the month.

Shouldn’t brands be capitalising on this voracious appetite for online video by providing their own high quality content? Some pioneers are already producing their own TV quality editorial content and placing it on sites where their target audience is likely to be.

That approach is innovative since it is not intrusive, and does not seem like advertising to the consumer, which means that they are more receptive to the presented content which entertains, informs and instructs.

Power of the personal touch

nospam@example.com (Howard Kosky) — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:21:40 +0100

In this week's PRWeek - 2/5/08 - I was asked to supply a few words for their Financial Essays supplement, so for those of you who haven't got round to opening your copy, or have already had it stolen off your desk, here's my contribution - enjoy . . .

Power of the personal touch

What is the defining image of the Northern Rock crisis? Is it of a chief executive in calm control, clearly articulating a recovery strategy to camera? Or is it rather one of long queues of twitchy customers, snaking out of branch doors and down high streets, united in fear and concern about their savings and investments?

Without question it is the latter. The clarity of these pictures in our collective memory speaks volumes for the power of television coverage. The broadcast media went to town on the story and in the absence of a compelling response from Northern Rock, confidence in the bank was undoubtedly eroded far faster and further than would otherwise have been the case as news broke of its emergency loan from the Bank of England and criticism swelled relating to its high-risk expansion.

In Northern Rock’s case, a more focused broadcast PR strategy would not have averted the crisis but it may well have limited the damage. Of course corporations still need to communicate business stories to traditional outlets such as the Financial Times but in our age of 24/7 rolling broadcast news coverage and online video, other channels are equally effective at reaching investors and other key stakeholders.

Yet despite the capacity to deliver succinct messages backed up by strong visuals, all too often a broadcast media strategy is overlooked. Some research commissioned by markettiers4dc in 2007 found that just 3.4 per cent of companies use television to publicise their interim and annual results.

That’s a shocking finding when you consider that TV and the web – with its capability for streaming video – play such a significant part in a typical person’s daily media consumption. Investor Relations is no longer just about a few key individuals. Organisations must now be aware of how broadcast material can impact upon public confidence.

While Northern Rock foundered, US toy giant Mattel last year provided an object lesson in how to handle a crisis adroitly. Confidence in the corporation might have plummeted following a series of product recalls after safety concerns were raised about toys from Chinese suppliers.

However, Mattel tackled the adverse publicity head-on and a key part of its response was a video message from chairman and CEO Bob Eckert, carried on its website. Eckert apologised for the recalls, set out lucidly how Mattel had immediately tightened up its safety procedures and empathised with worried parents by pointing out that he was himself the father of four children. Clips from the video appeared on mainstream TV news bulletins and were spread virally across the internet.

The crisis hit profits but Mattel’s approach allowed it to see out the year in reasonably good shape. Despite being saddled with charges of approximately US $110 million related to the product recalls, Mattel achieved a minor lift in operating income for its 2007 financial year and a worldwide 6 per cent rise in net sales against 2006.

Using video messages and TV interviews can contribute strongly to bolstering corporate reputation and propping up a company’s share price. But clearly live TV interviews are more perilous than pre-recorded statements and many corporate comms teams will advise their CEOs against participating in them for fear that they will make a mistake or appear flustered, thereby undermining confidence in a brand or organisation.

Yet it is those chief executives able to perform well in front of the camera and who understand the TV medium that will prosper. For example, Sir Richard Branson is known to one and all, thanks in part to his willingness to appear before the cameras – in both good times and crises. Few CEOs can match Branson’s appetite for self-promotion but those that are prepared to engage with the broadcast media will enhance the profile of their company and arguably their own personal job security.

One current example of a company adopting such a positive approach is National Grid. Chief Executive, Steve Holliday announced National Grid is to adopt carbon budgets and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. Working alongside their retained corporate agency to drive awareness of National Grid’s pioneering stance on energy saving, markettiers4dc produced and released controlled audio and video news features of the Chief Executive to targeted broadcast media.

Of course, for the viewing public ‘live’ interviews are not necessarily watched in real time. As exemplified by technologies such as the BBC’s iPlayer, on demand viewing and listening is becoming more significant in media consumption. Rajar research earlier this year found that 4.3m people in the UK have downloaded a podcast, with 1.87m people listening to podcast once a week; while Motoral research last year found that 43 per cent of UK broadband users watch webTV.

Consequently, producing engaging video content that will work well on the web is assuming increasing importance. Video content can draw stakeholders onto corporate websites, allowing corporations to tell their side of the story eloquently. Moreover, it can provide influential input into wider debates raging across the blogosphere and social networking sites.

Businesses ignore such voices at their peril. HSBC, you may recall, was forced into a U-turn on its decision to scrap an interest free overdraft for graduates after nearly 5,000 graduates signed up to Facebook group Stop the Great HSBC Graduate Rip-Off. In this era of consumer power and investor activism, corporations cannot hope to flourish if they ignore effective communications channels and techniques.

Digital Business on FT

nospam@example.com (Russell Goldsmith) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:46:25 +0100

Here's an interesting Podcast that our Director of Media Output, Julian Fisher, passed my way, which I thought you may be interested in subscribing to - http://podcast.ft.com/feeds/digital_business_rss.xml

It's produced by the FT and the series is called 'Digital Business' which looks at the use and management of technology in business.

In the latest show - from April 16th - about nine and a half minutes in, FT Columnist Ade Mccormack talks about a 'new' concept called Hypermedia - where he describes the 'potential' to embed links into video for consumers to click through and purchase products.

Very interesting interview, but just to let you know Ade - markettiers4dc already offer this and you can see an example of how it works on HowTo.tv where their client, Screwfix, uses our Interactive Direct Sales Tool technology to drive sales by enabling viewers to click on products featured in their How To Choose and Fit a Shower show - roll your mouse over the video and try it out!

Power to the People - Onward #23 Extract

nospam@example.com (Russell Goldsmith) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:49:13 +0000

Many apologies for the silence on our blog recently, but we thought we'd kick start things with an extract from our most recent issue of Onward - dont forget, the digital version of Onward is now online at www.Onward.tv with new video content.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE - Onward front page story

As our media has become more segmented and likewise our consumption of it, the task in reaching our end audience has become even more challenging. One of the key reasons for this is that the power of advocacy and influencer groups is shifting away from perhaps the traditional media owner and journalist to the new wave of ‘citizen journalist’ within new media environments.

In a recent survey*, we looked into how important online influencer groups have become when it comes to trust before making a purchasing decision and 70% of respondents said that a positive feature on an independent review website would be the biggest influence on them, compared to just 14% who said that reading a positive feature in a newspaper article would be.

With the phenomenal rise in the popularity of social networking, gaining advocacy from key influencers within these groups has become one of the biggest challenges for the communications industry. After all, it appears that users certainly don’t want to be blatantly advertised to in these environments. Just consider the backlash that Facebook received after the launch of their advertising platform at the back end of last year when more than 50,000 of their own users came together online to complain about it, forcing an apology from the company.

The issue of commercialising and generating revenue from social networks is something that is an ongoing challenge for their owners. However, what is clear from the perspective of the PR and Communications industry is that we cannot ignore the fact that many of our audiences are spending a large percentage of their time interacting with each other within them.

Thankfully for those who have invested in these environments, the producers of some sites are starting to find ways to deliver a better experience for the user whilst monetising their content. Just look at the success of Bebo’s online video series ‘Kate Modern’ that stars Ralf Little from TV’s Royal Family. As reported on Guardian.co.uk, the first series drew an audience that watched an average of 1.5m videos per week, with Bebo successfully bringing on brand sponsors. The sponsors products appeared in the show proving a better way for brands to reach their audience through targeted broadcast quality content. However, if the evidence suggests audience engagement through video content is successful, why stop at sponsoring someone else’s show?

The lack of Ofcom regulations online allows brands to produce their own broadcast content, which can then be seeded into social networks encouraging users to join branded groups, interacting with them, as well as opting-in for more information. Being able to deliver engaging broadcast content that a brand has total control over, to an audience that has chosen to view, is a very powerful tool to possess. If you then give viewers the opportunity to click on the products featured in the video itself to either gain more information, or even be one click from adding them into an e-commerce shopping basket, then you will very quickly deliver a highly effective direct marketing campaign.

Controlling your brand’s assets using broadcast has historically relied on the media owners hosting your content. Now brands can become the media owner themselves. Add to this the huge appetite for watching video online and the fact that, according to Dynamic Logic, video increases the propensity to purchase by nearly 50% - and then consider that you have the ability to tap into the online networks in a controlled manner through content, and it’s very clear that there are huge opportunities opening up.

These same tactics are also proving to be very effective in other parts of the communications mix. Brands can use networks to build panels of very vocal customers, happy to share their opinions on all manner of topics. For example, in our survey, we discovered that 50% of people would like to provide their opinions for food & drink products as part of an online panel. Imagine being able to communicate with these panel members using video and audio when researching them, turning a potentially dull and tedious task, into an entertaining one.

It's for these reasons that we’ve expanded our own Digital and Technical Services division, helping support the work we are now producing for these environments.

If you would like to find out more, please do get in touch with me, whether by phone, fax, letter, email, or even finding my profile on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook…!

russ@markettiers4dc.com

*survey carried out overnight 22/1/07 by Opinion Matters on Tickbox.net, 227 respondents