Socially Adept

ABC's i-Caught Doubles Traffic to Popular Video

A few weeks ago, I posted on the premier episode of ABC's new show i-Caught.  During the show, several videos were featured, including the incredible "Battle at Kruger" video in which a baby water buffalo escapes the jaws of several lions and crocodiles.  At the time of the premier episode, the video had 7,861,609 views.  Today, that number has doubled to 15,018,379 and CLIMBING! (Content can be viral more than once!)

Consider that the video was launched on YouTube 3 months ago and that ABC's i-Caught premiered the video 16 days ago, that's pretty impressive.  Clearly, there is a way to bridge traditional and social media together to extend the life of your campaign.  There is no question that as a result of i-Caught, the Battle of Kruger video was launched into another stratosphere in the world of online video.  My guess is the same success was had by the other featured videos as well (but I wasn't able to move fast enough to capture all of the stats.)

There is no question that launching your content on social media platforms should be the first step moving forward.  If you've done your job effectively, it won't be long before that content makes it's way into the traditional media (TV, Radio, Magazines, Newspapers).  If you've missed the mark, you're investment was probably minimal compared to traditional advertising, PR and marketing efforts so you can afford to take another chance.

And for those of you who think that corporate content won't transcend to the traditional level... keep watching i-Caught to see just how wrong you are.

Online Video Catagories - How Many Are There?

No online video is the same.  I'm not talking about clips from movies and TV - this is straight Consumer Video analysis.  As has been discussed many times before, there is no method or format for creating a viral video.  It's hit or miss.  With that said, here are some categories I have seen in the past and am interested in any thoughts on additional categories I may have missed.

1) Brand Obsession - Be it Apple, Coke, or Heinz there are consumers out there who express their love via video.  What's important to note here is that it is usually NOT the brand involved that causes the video to go viral.

2) "Check Me Out!" - The video talent show.  This one get's me every time!  If you can sing, I'll watch your video (like these guys).  No matter what your talent, there is always the possibility that your video can go viral.  And I use the term "talent" loosely - think Numa Numa... which leads me to....

3) The Kick in the Crotch - Embarrassing videos are bound to get some attention, but it can't be your traditional America's Funniest Home Videos kick in the crotch shot.  Shoot yourself in the foot while teaching gun safety and reap the benefits of instant notoriety.

4) "Did You See That?" - Capturing a once in a lifetime experience on video like the Battle of Kruger or a natural disaster is definitely worthy of a view.  (Be advised - creating a scenario similar to this for marketing purposes will backfire)

5) Cheap Thrills - Let's face it, sex still sells even in social media.  Take a peak at the top videos of the week on YouTube and 60% of them will feature a woman in a bikini. 

6) This is My Life - Personalities are still a big part of YouTube.  Personal Vlogs (whether real personalities or manufactured personalities) are still compelling. 

There are so many more (spoofs, weird, disturbing, etc.) that I can't capture them all here, but the big question is:

Is a viral video with 3 Million views more valuable to a brand or is a dedicated following of a vlog with consistent views of 100,000 return the better ROI?

Do Advocates of Blogging Need to Blog Themselves?

I've always prided myself on being someone who practices what they preach.  As a client partner and consultant, I feel it's important for me to have first hand experience in all marketing, communications and advertising tactics.  However, a question was recently posed to me in regard to why there are many proponents of blogging out there that don't actually blog themselves?

Interesting question.  Well, it depends on the proponent; wouldn't you think?

Blogging is slowly but surely moving into more of an art form that only certain people have the ability to master.  Based on the nature of the space, there will always be Blog Pro's out there like Godin, Jaffe, BL, Mack, and Armano as well as what I like to refer to as the "Weekend Webloggers"... like myself.  There is an incredible amount of self discipline required to run a blog (aka. Small Business) and one doesn't necessarily need to be a blogger to understand the reach, influence and benefits of blogging.  For example, I know the value and influence a fresh coat of paint and a bathroom remodel would have on selling my home, but don't need to do the work (or sell the home for that matter).

Also important to note is that Blogging hasn't been around for 20 years, but just because the platform is new, doesn't necessarily mean that the message is always different.  If the proponent of blogging is a superstar marketer, does he/she need to blog to understand the impact and influence the blogosphere and social media will have on his/her brand?  If a PR executive understands the value of delivering a message and can effectively communicate that message to an audience, do they need to be a blogger to understand the value of the space?

What are your thoughts on this question?  If you believe in social media, blogging, YouTube, Podcasting, etc... are you required to participate?

Obsessed with "This Next/This World Activity Map"

I stumbled across This Next Blog a long time ago and loved the content.  Unfortunately, I never captured the feed and it was one of the many blogs and websites that fell through the cracks and off my incredibly large radar screen.  Until this week...

Not sure where I saw it, but I heard the rumblings about This Next/This World, a mashup of google maps showing people all over the world finding great purchases online.  It was launched last week and the reviews have been incredible - "MarketingVox, who dubbed us a ‘Marketer’s Wet Dream and Yahoo! Tech who said we are ” … easy to use and a pleasure to get lost in.” Awww, thanks. Wired also thinks we are pretty nifty saying ” (from This Next Blog)

For the past three days, I have been watching the map and it is absolutely amazing what people are viewing.  I would guarantee within 5 minutes you see something and say, "I want that... but I never knew it existed!"  If you're in need of a Hello Kitty Pet Carrier, Transparent Toaster (only concept, sorry), or a Zebra rug you can find it here!

I need to do some more research on this, but this was just too good not to share!

 

Myspace or Facebook? Which side of the tracks are you on?

I came across an interesting article on MSN today that was reposted from Forbes.com about the migration of teenage social networking.  According to the author, affluent kids are making the transition from Myspace to Facebook creating essentially a social networking class structure.

For Advertisers and Marketers, this is clearly an interesting development.  Particularly because many bloggers are also making the transition to Facebook based on the open API.  With almost a 150% spike in newly created profiles for the 13-17 year old demographic, compared to the nearly 30% increase for Myspace, we may finally start to see a shift in power.

As a result of this trend, Newscorp is apparently shopping around the idea of trading Myspace for a 25% stake in Yahoo.  I'm not holding my breath. 

However... I may need to start befriending a few of my nieces, cousins, friends kids, etc. to get a better understanding of what's "cool," and follow the migration to the next big thing that will eventually lead us to the glory land.

Social Media and Critical Mass

While conducting a search today on the utilization of Social Media for solving crimes, I stumbled across Mark Blevis's Blog.  Mark had a post about posting surveillance videos on YouTube, but his most recent post (from April 2007) is what really caught my eye as he states, "The time has come to achieve focus and pick your hang outs," in reference to Social Networking destinations.

Over the past few months, I've seen this comment coming up more in more on some popular blogs.  With the flood of services and products hitting the web, it's no surprise that many people are trying to manage the influx of connections, communication and relationships.  The question is, are these products too fragmented or not fragmented enough?

If I want to talk to a friend online, I use IM or Myspace.  If I am looking to make a business connection, I used Linked In - It's not for friends as many of them have unusual titles that don't fit with the network I am looking to build.  My blog is my personal platform - I speak my mind here, spout out some thoughts and ideas, and see if anything sticks (with one person or many).  I use Twitter when I'm in the mood, but don't feel that I need to tweet 24 times a day.  The list goes on and on.

Am I at my critical mass?  Maybe.  I Haven't even used my Pownce invite yet.  I downloaded Zune which was getting a lot of hype 6 months ago, but only visited once.  The list goes on and on. 

The space is extremely cyclical in its present state.  Early Adopters jump on new services in an effort to provide reviews and claim their space should the technology be the next topic of discussion.  If it fizzles, the feeding frenzy moves to the next potential target, while many others just wait to see what's in it for them.  Many people I know can't see the value in Twitter and make valid points to support their opinion.  Many people have latched on to Twitter so firmly that it has become their primary social media platform.  Me, I'm a middle of the road guy.  Twitter has value, but only a certain kind of value that can be utilized when appropriate.

I could go on and on for days about everything that is out there, but the real point of this rant is Critical Mass. 

Right now, because of the nature of the industry, we have two sides grasping at consumers.  The smaller niche offerings that essential fragment the average consumers online participation and the offerings looking to compile all of this information into one destination.  I don't think either side can win because obviously we need both.  The real decision comes down to how much the user wants to put out there and the level of adoption.  I'm too busy to be an every hour twitter, daily poster, weekly podcaster or vlogger...if that means my viewership is lower and my popularity minimal, so be it.  After all, it's the quality of the conversation not the quantity.

If you're at your critical mass, maybe narrowing your focusing isn't the way.  A simple adjustment of your participation may just be the trick.

ABC's i-Caught A Must See

As I type this, I am watching ABC's premier episode of i-Caught, a television show dedicated to telling the back story of some of our favorite viral videos.  So far, they have featured this incredible video called Battle at Kruger, the famous Thriller wedding dance and the other side of the viral phenomenon - the embarrassing disaster videos that have drastically ruined the lives of everyday people like this.

I love this show.  Instead of just trying to hijack the content currently viewed as popular online, they are taking the time to look into the back story of each video.  I enjoyed listening the the couple who danced to Thriller talk about how the video has affected their lives.  On the flip side, seeing the pain the wrong video can cause is essential and compelling.

This shows recognizes the power of Social Media and Consumer Generated Content (or whatever we are calling it this week) and effectively expands on the stories that people clearly care about based on the YouTube views.  They specifically detail how these videos came to live online and what caused the overwhelming success (metacafe, etc.).  Essentially, this show has the ability to introduce social media to an entirely new audience.  If it takes off, we may see the number of blogs and vlogs climb from what ABC stated during the show is currently 93 million.

The big question is, will ABC take the extra footage and make it available online for those who may have missed tonight's episode?  If I visit YouTube tomorrow and visit the "Battle of Kruger" video, will I see a branded clip from tonight's episode?  I hope so!  What better way to promote the show then post a response video to each of the existing videos they just exposed to a whole new audience?  I am sure each person featured would approve a response video from ABC.

At the time of this post (10:42PM ET) there are currently 7,861,609 views for the Battle of Kruger.  Let's see what that number is tomorrow and the next day.

On a side note, ABC is also using i-Caught to discuss how Myspace and social media are helping people solve crime.  People are actually putting photos of suspects online in an effort to catch murderers and thief's.  They asked the question, "Is this helping or hurting the case?"  Good question... thoughts?

Quick Items

Just saw the new VW commercial intertwined with the Bourne Ultimatum movie.... fantastic!  After the preview of the movie that shows a car chase in which Jason Bourne is driving a VW Toureg, it cuts to the end of the crash scene where VW has an opportunity to capitalize on the fact that everyone walked away.  I tried to find it on YouTube because it is that good, but no dice.  Checked out the site (which is very well done) and it wasn't there either.  VW, share this with the people!!!

Also, new posts up on www.digtrends.com about 1-18-08.  Love the way this is unfolding and kudos to Paramount for taking their time.  I just hope it isn't Godzilla... anything but Godzilla!

Been cranking all week on a new product release which everyone is excited about.  THe buzz should be making it's way to you in the coming weeks.  Keep an eye out!