This year, we saw viral video advertisements taken to the next level in production quality, with companies hiring big-name directors and filming in high definition. Several “unauthorized” video ads were released this year as well, supposedly without the knowledge or permission of the company represented. The JC Penney “Speed Dressing” ad is a good example, and the spot did stir up a lot of controversy. Not surprisingly, it also got a lot of views. One of my favorites of ‘08 is a Nike commercial, directed by Guy Ritchie:
Below is a list of some of the most watched viral video ads of 2008:
Just announced yesterday, Google and LIFE have partnered to bring more than 10 million of the magazine’s archival photos to Google’s image search. Many of these photos have never been seen before, and about 20 percent have been uploaded so far, with the rest to become available over time. Influential 20th Century photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, best known for his famous “VJ-Day kiss” picture, are featured, as are images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Nina Leen, Ansel Adams, Bill Ray, Dorothea Lange, John Dominis, and a host of other contributors.
Video is becoming an increasingly vital and important component of internet marketing, and I thought I would take a look at three hotel brands that are currently using this medium as part of their campaigns.With Universal Search and blended search results (videos, photos, news items) appearing towards the top of the organic rankings, a video with the proper meta data in place stands to get excellent positioning, so the search engine benefits are clear.Effective video marketing can go a long way in increasing brand awareness, and can also provide a lot of valuable information to your client base, which in turn can take some of the pressure off of call center and customer service staff.
The following are examples of three hotel brands that are currently using YouTube channels for promotion.The first is the InterContinental:InterContinental Hotels YouTube Channel. Their channel has been around since January of 2008, and so far, they have a collection of 298 videos, which is quite impressive. The narrators of the videos that I watched were Chef Concierges from their different locations, which adds a personal feel. The background music can sometimes be a little distracting, but the videos are short and easy to watch, and they use the approach of a mini-travelogue highlighting the city rather than the hotel itself. Here’s one of my favorites, filmed in Costa Rica: InterContinental’s Costa Rica Video.
A second hotel with its’ own YouTube channel is the May Fair in London: May Fair Hotel YouTube Channel.There are only 14 videos in total (they’ve been on since August of this year), and they’re obviously going for more of an MTV/VH1 feel, with clubby/ambient music and beautiful people throughout.Aside from showcasing some of the suites at the hotel, the May Fair posts interviews with celebrities who have stayed with them, and also an interview with their chief personal trainer.If you don’t mind seeing people who are probably having a lot more fun than you’re having, the videos are very watchable.Here is one that I liked, which features their “Bamboo Suite”:
This third channel is by the Westin, called WestinTV: Westin Hotel YouTube Channel. On since September, there are only three videos, all which have a television commercial feel to them. I’m posting this channel because, with the videos the have so far, WestinTV may be an example of what NOT to do. One of the most important qualities of a good promotional video from a Web 2.0 and social marketing standpoint is to not make your viewers feel like they are watching a TV commercial or promotional video.
Finally, one area where all three channels can show improvement is in the amount of subscribers that they have. The InterContinental had the most, and at this writing, that was only 14 subscribers. A quick and easy way to boost the number of subscribers would be to have hotel employees, many of which will already have YouTube usernames, sign up. It will be interesting to see how these channels change and improve over time.
Currently in beta and open for comments is the first search engine exclusively for video content. Introduced on September 10th of this year at TechCrunch50 in San Francisco, the founders of VideoSurf wowed the audience with the first public demonstration of their product, which has been in development since August of 2006.
VideoSurf is different from anything else available today because the technology is actually able to understand, analyze and essentially “see” the video content itself, where current search engines rely on reading the text and tags surrounding a video to deliver results. The videos are pulled from popular websites such as YouTube and Revver, and also from networks like ESPN, and the results are displayed to the user in a list of screenshots with accompanying segments.
“Video publishing on the Web is exploding, making it frustrating and difficult for consumers to find and discover what they want”, said Lior Delgo, CEO of VideoSurf. “VideoSurf uses propietary, cutting-edge computer vision technology to deliver a vastly improved video search and discovery experience.”
The technology behind VideoSurf will change the face of search as we know it, and makes leaps and bounds on the progress of universal search. By creating a better way for surfers to discover and watch videos, VideoSurf wants to position themselves as the “go to” place on the web for video search. From the looks of things so far, they are on the right track. Below is an overview of the company, followed by their presentation at TechCrunch 50:
