Today I  began my day no different than most others; I browsed through numerous news articles, blogs and trends related to online video.  I’m continuously excited to see how quickly online video is moving in so many different directions and benefiting people and businesses around the globe.  From YouTube’s new scheduling feature, greater mobile optimization and the speed of social video (most recently surrounding Osama’s death) to effectively leveraging advertising dollars in each of these areas, there is always something going on that’s pushing the online video envelope.  That excitement aside, a reality dawned on me that there are…

So much has changed in the 2 1/2 years since we kicked off the VCC blog.  Now, it’s our turn.  Based on the overwhelming feedback of our readers, we have updated the design and functionality of the blog to better serve our audience.  We hope you enjoy it.
Read on to learn more about the new and enhanced features!

The bar is being raised on the quality of user generated video.  Before I begin, I want to clarify what I mean when I use the word “quality” because it falls into a few different areas.  When I talk about quality video I’m specifically referring to production, content and distribution quality.  In short, production takes into account single or multi-camera set up, type of camera, lighting, sound, framing, angles and editing.  Content addresses what you’re actually saying on camera, along with enunciation, body language, eye contact and word emphasis, etc.  Distribution is how you leverage your final video asset to…

Last week I gave my best shot at defining what is “social video marketing.” In today’s article, I showcase 5 examples from companies that I think are meeting that definition.  These examples  are doing social video marketing not just for sales and visibility, but because it reflects an important part of their own business model and business culture.

Anyone committed to driving social and digital media innovation from inside the marketing machine of a midsize to large company understands well the pressures of proving the value of your efforts. Now, two new studies provide sharp insight into the CMO mindset that must be considered when plotting a course for growth, along with your own internal online video sales pitch.

Here’s the first bit of eye-popping news: According to a new survey by social business software company MindTouch, only 15 out of 143 Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) in Fortune 100 companies have…

Recently Facebook announced that their Facebook Credits virtual currency will be mandatory for buying virtual goods in many games and apps on the Facebook platform. Some marketers are predicting the next major step for Facebook will go beyond simple, social interactions to true social commerce – buying real products and services using Facebook Credits. In this article, we will explore live examples of using Facebook Credits with interactive product video.  We will also explore how real Facebook video shopping examples could be further enhanced by having virtual currency available to purchase their own products.

In Part 1 of the ROI of Video Commerce Platforms series, I outlined the evolution of online video publishing technology: from CDNs, to OVPs, and finally to VCPs (video commerce platforms).  Further, I defined a video commerce platform as “a set of integrated tools that enable businesses to maximize the value of video.”  In this second part in the series, I’ll emphasize the importance of results generation as the focal point of the video commerce platform, provide a simple framework for thinking about results generation using an industry example, and break down the components that, when taken together,…

After our last article on QR Codes in Video Commerce, some of our audience was inspired to share their own examples. Below are some great success stories on using QR Codes in Video Marketing, along with some of my own thoughts on what the extended possibilities of using QR codes as both a user and an entrepreneur could be.

This is not another article about the ROI of online video in e-commerce.  Thank Goodness.  There are plenty of articles on that topic already.  The ROI of video in e-commerce has now been proven by so many companies and in so many case studies that I’m starting to find it a bit of a “snoozer” topic.  Hopefully you agree.

As a sophisticated interactive marketer or digital merchant, you no longer need to justify the business case for video.  You already know it works.  You need to maximize results.  In this 3 part article, I’m going to show you…

“We consider Borders to be in the very elite group of high-quality retailers,” said Linda Farquhar, a securities analyst for Alex Brown in New York.

That was in 1998.

Thirteen years later, having filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last month, Borders now finds itself teetering on the edge of extinction. Once a proud and vital brand, the company has become a cautionary tale, a reminder of the perils of stagnancy and business as usual.

It’s a harsh reality. No company wants the cautionary tale label, but in an entrepreneurial era of high-velocity media and marketing innovation, the sluggish company…