The Oklahoman/NewsOK featured by NAA
We’ve been working the past couple weeks on a corporate video to be included with the Newspaper Association of America’s report on newspapers doing video.
In February 2008, Internet users viewed 10 billion videos, a 66 percent increase over February 2007, according to comScore, a leading Web measurement firm.
Meanwhile, local online video advertising was a $400 million business in 2007, according to Borrell Associates.
While still a small percentage of total and local online advertising, online video represents an enormous opportunity for newspapers to grow revenue and audience.
“Zooming In on Online Video: A Development & Growth Guide for Newspaper Web Sites” is intended to help newspapers of any size develop profitable video applications. As competition heats up for online video mindshare, newspapers have an excellent opportunity to leverage their skills and content and capture an even larger share of online advertising spending.
Here’s the report on The Oklahoman with a link to the video we produced.
Vegas: Day 4, the recap
Last day in Vegas. I could come back this weekend.
Got an email from Ed Kelley, Editor of The Oklahoman, earlier this week. He’s in DC attending the NAA conference.
Says Ed: Here’s a quote from a trade pub covering NAA/ASNE in DC, from Martin Baron, editor of the Boston Globe: “Collecting audio and video is supplemental. We try not to do NPR style reports online. We look for video and audio that complements text but doesn’t replicate text. We would like to do three videos a day essentially, and I think we’ll get there relatively soon.”
Whoa. That’s some old school thinking there. I’m sure Boston.com is not realllly thinking that. Right?
Meanwhile, lots happening in the world of online video:
- Web video views are up 66% over last year, according to Comscore report found on LostRemote.
“The service estimates that close to 135 million users spent an average of 204 total minutes each viewing Web video over the month. Users watched the videos for an average of 2.7 minutes, with an average monthly consumption of 75 videos per person.”
NewsOK.tv viewers watch a similar 2-3 minutes per visit.
- People continue to say attendance is down at NAB. Some of the vendors note you can find similar information online. And some vendors are simply saying “go to our web site” to learn more. While some of the “booths” are overwhelming, like Microsoft and Sony, others are not here at all. Apple and Avid, two majors players in video, decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Apple said something like it wasn’t the best way to reach their audience.
- I spoke with the Associated Press yesterday, eager to learn more about their online video and online graphics packages. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn much from the guys at their display. In fact, they seemed puzzled as to why we wanted video or graphics. Yet at the same time, they announced this week a new OVN 3.0 and mobile video. It’s one thing to promote your new stuff, but you might communicated it through the ranks for those of use eager to use the products.
- The Las Vegas wifi is really slow. And everyone here is smart-phoned out the wazoo. The NAB site is not exactly user friendly for the on-the-go 411.
- Check out these numbers from Hitwise on online video usage.
“YouTube accounted for 73.18 percent of all U.S. visits among a custom category of 68 online video websites. MySpaceTV received the second highest percentage of visits with 9.21 percent followed by Google Video with 4.06 percent.”
Again, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a lot of credit to LostRemote.com for their coverage of the NAB Show conference and the online video industry as a whole.
NAA Conference, Wednesdaymorning session
Went to the morning session of the NAA Marketing conference in Orlando.
Topic: innovation and new ad ideas. Here’s one for example: the Chicago newspaper and its niche pub for young peeps had a “roadblock” ad for one day. Advertiser was Gap. Here’s how it worked, they blocked out an entire newspaper or section with Gap’s Red ads from the front page stickie to the back page full ad. Effective.
Other good ideas to, like a Friday automotive section. Typically it’s Saturday. With a bonus radio buy.
It’s cold in Orlando
I won’t lie. It’s cold today. Overcast, breezy and cold. How cold? iPhone weather reports 48, and I’m pretty sure it’s warmed up in the past 3 hours I’ve been up.
And what’s up with people’s dedication to Starbucks? Nothing against Starbucks, I’ve spent my share of cash on their brew. But here at the Marriott World Center, there is a Starbucks in the lobby. And people will line up 20 deep and wait forever for their drink. That’s crazy.
Maybe they don’t know there is a coffee shop downstairs that isn’t as busy. $2.50 for a large.
I know, it’s not the same.
Answer: the digital age
Most of the sessions here in Orlando at the NAA Marketing conference have dealt with the future. Quit whining about the past, the good old days of the newspaper industry – whether you come from sales or the newsroom – and focus on the future. And its strengths.
Today, the message continued to be preached. One of the afternoon speakers had this to say, “Think of digital as the core product and print as the support product.” That’s a dramatic shift, but it indicates where the audience is trending.
Earlier this week, newspaper execs were warned to develop a high percentage of overall revenue from the digital side in order to survive.
Rather be a newspaper than a TV station
Interesting statement. From Merrill Lynch.
The late Tuesday session at the NAA Marketing conference in Orlando dealt with innovating past the economic slump. Lauren Rich Fine, former managing director, said the innovation many newspapers are trying is a sign of hope. It shows there is hope because of the effort to fight the slump and meet needs of the industry. It’s all about new business models.
She said despite the worries, she’d rather be a newspaper than a TV station. Interesting. I don’t think she was just playing to the crowd.
