September
18, 2006
Copyright Mediaware Infotech Pvt. Ltd. |
With
Internet bandwidths burgeoning, video podcasting is the latest trend on the Internet
arena.
It all started a few years ago as illegal song downloads facilitated
by sites like Napster.com. This progressed into the phenomenally successful
"paid song download service" by Apple's iPod and iTunes Online Music Store.
Next,
it was YouTube.com who demonstrated the new "online video clip culture" - where
the wild popularity of short, mostly amateur video clips left most media pundits
clueless ! As expected, almost every Internet co. followed YouTube starting with
AOL, followed by Google Video, Yahoo - the latest being Microsoft Soapbox.
So,
what started as a trend in audio (called podcasts after iPod, the pioneer of MP3
downloads), has over the last couple of years graduated firmly to video. So much
so, that even the big media are experimenting with the video clip format!
In
Case You Missed It
The recent format of CNN TV's daily news review "In
Case You Missed It" is a case in point: this short (2 minutes) clip is a chain
of the day's top stories with no narration. The video format seems like a polished
version of the amateur video found on sites like YouTube or Google Video or some
Citizen Reporting Sites - short, no frills, to the point. As a quick review of
the news of the day, it is one of the first mass media products that not only
conforms to today's video clip format but even compliments it.
What's noteworthy
is that there are thousands of videocasts available on the Internet, and most
all of them seem to attract more eyeballs than the "professional" TV programs
found in the iTunes video store.
Now does that mean that Apple Computers
losing its "anti-establishment" position? Or is it just another sign of commercial
success?!
Promote
It On Craigslist.org
A recent "invitation" to join a free half-hour tele-seminar
titled "Using Craiglist to Grow your Business" serves as a reminder of today's
market trends. The seminar is conducted by one Nancy Mills who runs a "community-based
WEB PR agency" and is a self-confessed Craigslist publicity expert.
And
the objective of the seminar seems to be an exercise on how to use the uber-popular
community site Craiglist.org. (With more than 10 million individuals logging in
every month, Craigslist is certainly a PR man's paradise.)
As Nancy's promo
proclaims, "Write a newsletter? Promote it on Craigslist. Teach teleseminars,
workshops, classes? Promote on Craigslist. Sell products or consult others? Craiglist."
Gaming
the System
In short, Craigslist is the marketing person's dream come true!
However, Nancy also wisely cautions us that Craigslist requires a specific writing
skill along with a lot of rules to be followed - to avoid "getting kicked off
the site". (Google Search Engine Optimization, anyone?)
With the line between
brand promotion & news fading rapidly, today's trend seems to be an affirmation
of the age-old "slip in the brand message". Whether it is a paid promo. of celebrities
endorsing a brand (in the "guise" of a news item) or getting into a professional
online workgroup or community to spread awareness of a new brand. Or even ensuring
that your web-site gets top ranking in Google.
The principle remains the
same : catch the consumer unawares - leaving no chance for rejection ! . |
Mediaware Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
The New Mahalaxmi Silk Mills Premises,
Mathuradas Mills Estate, Opp Kamala City, Senapati Bapat Marg,
Lower Parel
(West), Mumbai 400 013.
Tel: 6660 2634 Fax: 24923765 Email : response@mediawareonline.com
Mediaware Gulf
P.O.Box No. 182620, Dubai Media City, U.A.E.
Tel: +9714 3681655 Fax: +9714 3688058 Email : m-e@mediawareonline.com
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