2007 - The Year of Flash Video
Or more precisely, the year that flash video shifts from being something 'clunky' to being real live 'content'. Our belief is that the time has come for Irish businesses to shift their perception as to what is web content.
Back in the early 1990's it was all about big images and rotating gifs. Eye tracking studies revealed that our brains process words and headlines. Now our sites are constructed to maximize impact and facilitate large amounts of data going into the brain in as few seconds as possible. View some classy examples here and here.
We're moving into a new phase: where video becomes content and key messages are delivered in a way that we've known and loved for decades - through video.
Here's what I mean....
We're seeing Flash blended with video to distil multiple and complex messages, into user friendly videos of no more than 2 or 3 minutes long. My favourite example of this is salesforce.com. Go visit the site, select "view demos" and see how technical sales messages are being delivered right now.
Last week in the US, severe weather conditions caused many JetBlue airline passengers to get stranded. JetBlue responded by issuing a video apology - direct from its CEO on Youtube (and its own site of course). Watch it on Youtube and read the responses - people are responding well to Geoff. That's because he's coming across as real, concerned, and credible.
The New York Times has been broadcasting audio, video and photographic images of key stories on its home page for some time now. Right now, you can choose from stories relating to politics, opinion, sport, and of course whether Forest Whittaker is going to win an Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin in this weekend's Oscars.
Read more about flash video...
|
Interview with the producer of Ireland's First Vzine
In November, eircom was the first in Ireland to introduce 'v-zines' into its marketing mix.
A new way of communicating with customers, and the perfect way for eircom to showcase their services, we caught up with the woman behind the initiative, Debbie Byrne, Director of Consumer Marketing at eircom. Read more...



