Online Video to the Rescue

Among consumers aged 12 and older, 44 percent use online video media. That's approximately 100 million people viewing online digital videos. And one in four Americans has downloaded a digital video file.

The 2006 biannual digital video study by Ipsos Insight from Motion realized that the primary reason for that number not being higher was due to consumers unwillingness to pay for streaming videos. This presents a valuable opportunity for marketers as they may sponsor these short films and move onto full feature films to subsidize the cost. Marketers may utilize this media by coordinating their name with the sought out video and or include product placements within the sponsored films.

This is such a grand possibility to grow brand awareness and establish the companies online identity that it would be unreasonable not to pursue this avenue. The demand for this media is expanding at an amplified rate.

YouTube: no longer sole soucre for CG video

The popularity of YouTube has continued to grow with millions of Internet viewers visiting the site daily. Although several other video sites have tried to compete with this well-liked giant the sites enormous consumer appeal has yet to be matched.

To date, no other company has had the originality, or experience required to go head to head with this untouchable enterprise. However, last September, Microsoft decided to start the process of making a Web site that would attempt to squash YouTube, according to a MarketingVox article. Its new video-upload site named MSN Soapbox, has finally arrived for all of the public to see.

Recently the site went live and the test to see if this site can stand against its rival begins. Like YouTube the site allows users to upload, tag, and categories videos to the website; however, it has another advantages that makes it standout.

Unique to MSN Soapbox is the capability to watch and browse videos simultaneously on the same screen. This is an enormous competitive advantage for the new site. This small addition will allow users to utilize their time and prevent them from becoming bored between video searches and leaving the site. It also allows Microsoft to put pressure on YouTube.

Microsoft saw an opportunity for improvement and exploited it, other companies should do the same. Shortly, you may hear about Microsoft being the new consumer-generated site to compete against.