Online Video Changing the Media & Entertainment Experience
Video is changing the way many of us communicate and digest content. As fans of Michael Jackson rushed online, to reminisce or pay homage to the King of Pop’s famous tracks, his music videos held nine out of the ten top 100 iTunes music video downloads. In addition, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ video has now been viewed 52,858,034 times on YouTube and has received 227,257 comments.
According to a recent CNet article, “Fans also began uploading their own videos to YouTube in honor of Jackson. The site is already hosting thousands of fan-produced YouTube clips reacting to the news of his death, according to Google, including vlogs and tribute dances.”
Did You Know?
On average, American respondents who use a PC or laptop to view video spend 1.5 hours per day doing so. They are well ahead of the Swedes (who spend 0.7 hours per day), equal to the Germans (1.5 hours per day) and slightly below the Chinese (1.9 hours per day).
It is clear that consumers are embracing online video and social networking capabilities to express themselves more than ever. I personally feel that our natural tendency to want to share our experiences with others is the main driver, including music, opinions, news, etc.
The value in these shared experiences surrounding a brand can be extremely valuable as social networking platforms allow us to share our own content as it relates to the brand; facilitating user generated low-cost viral advertising. One can also argue that when consumers go as far as to share content online, we begin to establish a greater connection to area of focus, or greater ‘brand loyalty.’
Social networks and online video are new opportunities for artists to connect with fans and I am very interested to see how this will impact the purchase decisions and consumer loyalty, compared to the likes of Elvis or Frank Sinatra in the past. The On-Demand nature of online video and music is one obvious difference. When Elvis died, fans cleaned out the stores of LPs and 8-tracks from the artist and would have to wait weeks from them to restock. If you compare it to the instant gratification of searching for a Michael Jackson song on YouTube or iTunes, you can see how the media and entertainment experience is changing.
How do you feel online video and social networking platforms are impacting the media and entertainment industry and user experience? Let us know in the comment section below, you can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted by Johanna Fry at 07:09AM PST
Johanna Fry
Jeff Jul 10, 2009
I think it will have a big impact on sports too. When big stories happen, everyone has an opinion - especially if it’s your team. ESPN recently launched SportsNation which incorporates instant viewer polls, audience tweets and viral videos (experiences managed from your computer/online). These interactions may eventually integrate directly with broadcast TV and vice versa.