In my next few blog posts, I want to discuss the power of video. I have been doing some homework on how much video we consume over the Internet. Astonishingly, in February, 170 Million Americans watched online videos representing 84% of the connected US audience. The average amount of video each user watched was nearly 14 hours. Another way to say it: almost everyone is watching video online. And our expectations for quality video grows along with our consumption appetite. The bar has risen on marketing teams to use video in a more powerful way.
Recently Skype introduced group video chat. Rather than create a typical product launch video with a talking head showing how to use the product, Skype created this beautiful word-less video showing the power of visual communications accompanied by a haunting, memorable music overlay: (please don’t blame me if you can’t get this tune out of your head or if you are motivated to try playing it yourself on GarageBand.)
Skype has clearly taken an Apple-esque approach to launching a new feature: focus the viewer not on how to use Skype video chat but on what Skype video chat can do for you.
Plug in Macs and iChat and you’d swear this was an Apple commercial.
I’m a proponent of using others ‘best practices’ to guide marketing strategies, but hopefully company’s intend on improving the Apple approach as opposed to just copying it.
Cheers!