Research Center >> August 2009

Online Video Continues to Explode
It’s the new word-of-mouth with one out of every three individuals sharing what they see.
from AICPA Custom Media Solutions

Yes, online video is here to stay. Industry reports find that more than one-quarter (28%) of today’s viewers are easier swayed by online video ads compared with television advertising. One in three (32%) view online videos and nearly three out of four (70%) watch videos both at home and work.

How can you reach this crowd and sell your products?

Chief Marketer’s Jeff Maling had the following suggestions:

• Turn advertising into an experience. The digital realm offers possibilities that are difficult to execute in traditional media. Position your advertising as a value-added experience. Provide content that enriches your audience's interaction with and perception of your brand.
   
• Make the product digital. Consider making digital one of your products by creating new ways to experience a product or enhance its value. Evaluate if there is a market opportunity to make a digital product based upon your brand and then integrate a Web experience into your product. Maling provided the following as an example: a respected source of financial information could develop an online desktop for financial advisors.
   
• Save nostalgia for an episode of Mad Men. Nothing is quite as exciting as a 30-second spot. Digital is here to stay and the recession promises to increase its role substantially.

AICPA’s Insider™ E-Newsletter group has successfully launched video ads (see related story in this issue) in their newsletters.

For more information on how you can reach more than 500,000 monthly top finance and accounting decision-makers, contact Shreyas Telang.