The video revolution is a top priority for marketeers in 2009

Advertising, marketing and media executives will increasingly migrate from a planning and experimentation phase to significantly increase implementation of their online video initiatives in 2009, a recent survey of more than 400 senior-level decision makers, has revealed.

The survey, conducted by PermissionTV, identified online video as the top priority for digital marketing budgets, and also demonstrated a strong preference among marketers for increased sophistication and interactivity in online video capabilities to help promote their brands.

“As corporate and brand marketers look to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of digital marketing initiatives, online video will play an increasingly critical role in all interactive campaigns,” said Matt Kaplan, VP of Solutions and Chief Strategy Officer of PermissionTV. “These survey results demonstrate the strategic importance of online video in the overall marketing mix, as well a growing requirement for more sophisticated video experiences.”

This is an encouraging survey, reflecting the take-up seen in the small medium business world to online video being part of the website communications and marketing mix. Not only the volume of expected take-up but the creativity that appears to be coming through. We think we’ll see brands and businesses deliver incredibly creative video that will make consumers and the market revalute their position, plus also wake-up traditional TV advertisers and their agencies. This is a revolution and its coming to you.

Key Findings

• More than two-thirds of respondents (67 percent) identified online video as a primary focus of their 2009 digital marketing campaigns, versus social media campaigns (41 percent), search (34 percent) and podcasts/webcasts (32 percent).
• In Q2 of 2009, more than half (52 percent) of respondents expect to be implementing or extending an online video project, whereas currently less than one-third (32 percent) are doing so.
• Nearly 60 percent of respondents consider interactive video experiences to be the next evolution for online video. Also, 62 percent believe that non-linear, interactive storytelling will become the most effective medium for marketers. o Links to other videos is the most widely needed interactive capabilities for respondents, followed by graphic overlays, user comments and user-defined contents paths.
• Respondents expect their 2009 digital marketing efforts (33 percent) to be least affected by budget cuts, followed by traditional marketing (24 percent), tradeshows (21 percent) and guerilla marketing (14 percent).
• A majority of respondents (63 percent) are most likely to invest in a branded content/video destination next year. o Viral video (39 percent) and interactive experiences (38 percent) follow as the second and third priority, while only 22 percent plan to invest in simple syndication.
• When asked how online video will enhance customer engagement, a vast majority (71 percent) stated it would help build brand awareness.
• Driving lead generation was the second largest objective (47 percent), followed by enhancing loyalty/retention programs (44 percent) and converting customers (41 percent).