Nov
14
YouTube Live
Filed Under Marketing | Author: Stu Fedt |
This past week, GoogleTube started a sponsored video service for advertisers. It only makes sense that Google is seeking to create some revenue from the site since purchasing YouTube for $1.65 billion two years ago. The sponsored videos work similar to Google AdWords. Advertisers bid on search terms and in return YouTube serves up the advertiser’s video content based upon the on-site searches. The medium is very new so there are not a lot of examples on the site yet, but this could be of real value to certain “visually stimulating” or vertical markets such as entertainment and recreation.
Now would be a great time to experiment with this new service for a couple of reasons. First, the cost will be low as there will not be many competitors for adjacent placement at first. Second, most marketers will not be aware of this, nor will embrace this technology until it becomes mainstream. Third there should be no clutter of “advertisements” which could increase effectiveness. All of this assumes an appropriate message is developed and designed for the medium.
On Saturday, November 22nd at 7pm Central Time, YouTube will launch a new service called YouTube LIVE. The service will provide live streaming programming. The first event will be part concert, part variety show and part party. It will bring together some of the videos and individuals that have contributed towards making the site what it is today.
Why is this important? This year YouTube/Google made big strides in building infrastructure to sustain higher data throughput to support higher quality video streams. Will this event be the culmination of their technical efforts to provide a high quality stream that would be accepted as an alternative to the television? I think we will find out on Saturday as there has been a lot of buzz on the net, but no facts that I have found about the expected image quality.
Live, high quality image programming is another major step in the direction of making the Internet the delivery platform of choice for viewers, content producers and marketers. If YouTube applies the model it has used since its inception, then content producers could, theoretically, more easily create an event online for a very specific niche at a lower cost for distribution. Marketers could, theoretically, get instantaneous market analytics to become more effective and responsive to the consumer/viewer.
Still not convinced, check out the sponsors already on board, Lionsgate, Virgin, Guitar Hero, Flip, etc.
ABC, CBS, and NBC, are you ready for this?
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