This is pretty interesting stuff… a summary of the week's news about advertising and gadgets. It's like this guy was creating a news summary based on my interests. I love the fragmentation of media!
Extra, Extra: The Top 10 Most Popular Video Sites!
At last Hitwise does a public ranking of the online video sites. I use Hitwise in my day job (the company track about 25 million Americans web habits by buying ISP data). However I can't release any of the rankings. Now it's public!
Some highlights & observations:
- YouTube is obviously number one- with 42% market share and an average visit of about 13:20. These "average visit" numbers are less reliable that actual log traffic that measures a "mean visit," and tends to overstate them. Still- that's a nice chunk of time.
- The second highest share is just more than half of YouTube's… MySpace comes in at 24%.
- Yahoo video is ahead of MSN video AND Google video by a few percent. They had a lead, so that doesn't surpise me. Now that Google videos are showing up in Googles search, we'll see that change in the next months.
- DailyMotion, while being low on the list, has a decent average visit number.
- Revver (and CubeBreak) aren't tracking high- mostly because Revver is doing almost no promotion since it's still in beta. Plus- Hitwise would not necessarily track most of the videos viewed via Revver since Revver's strategy is to deploy its videos on other sites.
This quote kinda summarizes why I created this Blog: "The rapid growth of online video sites in the past six months demonstrates a major shift in online behavior" said LeeAnn Prescott, senior research analyst at Hitwise. "The Internet is quickly moving from static web pages to an environment rich with interaction and user generated multimedia content."
Burger King Outsources Order Taking to India, China
I read recently that some fast-food companies are consolidating their order taking into call centers. So the next time you're in a drive thru it's possible that the person taking your order is in another state or country. Then they wire the order to your local fast-food joint. This is supposed to reduce errors, but it got me thinking… what if we eventually outsource these jobs to India like Gateway does? And India is apparently outsourcing to China, right? And China computerizes everything.
So here's a little Orwellian look at what your next trip to Burger King might look like.
Buy Some Post-It Notes
Remember when FLASHY banners were hot? I used to have a pack of post-its that I'd tape over the banner so I could read without distraction. Time to buy 3M stock.
About.com recently announced it will use Brightcove to stream online videos on its site. Here's what you can expect: "Nearly all of these video clips will include standard pre-roll ads… Included will be player-integrated expandable billboards, a full player takeover unit, an interactive overlay unit which lands above the video window, as well as live-read promotional announcements from the expert guides themselves."
It's somewhat true that About.com sees its visitors as a revenue stream and desperate advertisers as its primary customers. But the dawn of online video… embedded everywhere you go online… raises frightening prospects of how commercial things may become… even on sites that try to balance visitor needs with advertising goals.
I Saw That Video on… Um… the Internet.com
I ask my dad what medicine he's taking, and he says "the one from CVS Drugstore." You ask millennials (people born after 1980) and 33% can't name the TV networks (according to a Bolt Survey covered by ClickZ). Such is the dilemma of being a middleman between a creator and a consumer. Nobody remembers you.
You're not going to remember that you learned this factoid — about TV networks fading to obscurity — on WillVideoForFood, much less ClickZ. Maybe you'll remember it was a Bolt survey.
Right now we're all fascinated by the places… MySpace, YouTube, Revver, eBay. But what really matters is the stuff, the videos, the community. That's what will transcend the individual players and channels. Do you care where you got your soft drink? Probably not. Will you drink another brand? Probably not.
One in three millennials (people born after 1980) can't name the TV networks.
Signs You May Have Obsessive Video Dissorder (OVD)
If you're obsessed with making and viewing online videos, there's help available. Answer these 10 questions, and speak with your doctor if you answer "yes" to 5 or more of the following: 
10. I regret any funny moment that passes which I failed to capture on video.
9. My significant-other or spouse sees my online video sites as "another man or woman."
8. I check my views (and income) more than 7 times a day, starting with first thing in the morning.
7. My life is a series of 20-50 second bits.
6. I cannot fathom the commitment of watching a 30-minute television show.
5. My visits to Revver, YouTube and Google Video are surpassing my time spent on Google or e-mail.
4. I have an uncanny ability to know who (among friends or co-workers) will agree to be in a video.
3. I have developed a parasocial relationship with the "celebrities of online videos" like the Numa Numa kid or BowieChick.
2. I can't stand the period between when I upload a video and when it's viewable.
1. The subject of my online videos has come up in my day-job performance review and career pathing dicsussions.
Only a healthcare professional can tell you if you have Obsessive Video Dissorder (OVD). Print this page and ask your doctor about a new drug that might help.
The Awkward Clash of Online Videos and Multi-Level Marketing
Oh, man. It was only a matter of time. The worlds of online video and multi-level marketing have collided. Check out this stunningly awkward video — click the "two minute introduction" about "EVE" (the extendable video engine."
I haven't been this confused since I got drunk and went to an Amway pitch in college. "What are we selling?" I asked.
"Networking," said the host.
"Do we make money?" I asked.
"Yes!" said the host.
"Who pays the money?" I asked.
"They don't build statues for losers," said the host.
Source: Small Businesses Produce Big Returns Using Video Online (Newswire Today).
Online Video Viewers Grew 18 Percent
The number of Internet users watching video online went up 18 percent between October 2005 and March 2006 according to a ComScore's analysis of U.S. Web users' online video viewing habits. In March, U.S. Internet users initiated a total of 3.7 billion video content streams; and we watched an average 100 minutes of video content each during the month, compared with 85 minutes back in October last year. The gender split is almost even, but men spend more time watching videos (should we be surprised?). And the study confirmed its not just college kids watching. It's some of us that still think we're in college too.
And in a statement that gave the founder of CubeBreak a smarmy grin, Comscore said this: In a blow to human resources managers everywhere, the workplace is the favored environment for watching video. People spent about an hour a month watching from work environments.
Source: ClickZ and ComScore news release.
Conflicting Responses to Google’s Video Ads
Yesterday Google announced that it would experiment with online video ads (activated at viewer's request) on websites that syndicate Google's "AdSense" ads. Bloggers had conflicting reactions. I was intrigued, and DVGuru raised an interesting point: "This is exciting news to me for one reason: there will be a lot more paid work for filmmakers." But TechCrunch outlined 6 reasons to "bet against it" and has already received 81 posts reacting to it.
For a sample of a video ad, see the announcement on Google's AdWords blog. One interesting note from Google that reinforces the implication of this news to small video makers: "But, you may say, video is only for big branding oriented advertisers. We beg to differ. This feature makes video ads much more accessible to all advertisers. Now, an owner of a small bed & breakfast in Lake Tahoe can put a video tour of his beautiful chalet right next to an article that talks about skiing the epic slopes of Squaw Valley."
Google and AOL and Video Ads Online
Interesting news. Google will offer video ads through Adsense in a very "non-intrusive" way… meaning the visitor would have to select it before it loads (thank goodness). What I find most intriguing is that Google seems to offer this for its partners (any site that "syndicates" Google ads via Adsense to make money). But apparently they won't be using these on Google itself. Why?
Let's pray that Madison Avenue takes advantage of this new vehicle by creating fun ads. Not 15-30 second pieces that work for a captive audience watching American Idol* without a TiVo remote. But a busy web searcher that, if not entertained, is moving on quickly.
On a related note, AOL bought LighteningCast recently, which gives them the ability to insert ads into video content. According to MSNBC, this gives AOL the ability "run targeted ads within video and even change ads from time to time without replacing the entire video file."
* We at WillVideoForFood are big Catherine fans, but we think Hicks is our next Idol.