Online video is as age neutral as it gets

This data from comScore is a bit out of date but I doubt if the profile has changed much in the past 15 months. If you want evidence to show the age neutrality of online video, this is it.

You can listen and view the presentation on the comScore site. Dick Stroud

RIAS’s aquatic customers

Back in September I talked about RIAS’s TV advertising campaign featuring the "real life" of an over-50s consumer.

The company has just launched a new home insurance ad that recognises that today's over 50s are active, individual, busy and experienced. This tale of the everyday 50-plus features a volunteer lifeboatman.

I expect that the choice of the lifeboat theme has a lot to do with the popularity of these people and their charity with older Brits.

What made me smile is that RIAS is perpetuating the fascination that companies have with older people and water. The first ad featured a women long distance swimmer. So many ads have older people on the beach, wobbling around on surf boards or running hand in hand through the waves. I am sure the reason I notice this water thing is that I hate the stuff – not the washing or drinking variety but the sort that get you wet.

Anyway, RIAS is highly successful company and I am sure they have done their homework and tested the ad to destruction with the target market.

Finally, a personal plea to the new marketing director of the company who is on record as saying that she intends to make more use of digital media. After spending a pile of money on a new ad and PR campaign why not ensure that you digital media, like this ad, is at least available on YouTube or your the web site? Dick Stroud

Mr Google looks into his crystal ball

When the CEO of Google gets his crystal ball out and looks to the next 5 years it is worth 6 minutes of your life to listen to what he has to say. If you have 45 minutes that you are willing to spare then you can listen to the complete version of Eric Schmidt’s interview in front of the assembled hoards of CIOs and IT Directors at last week's Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando.

Nothing specific about the 50-plus but essential listening for all marketers, irrespective of their target market.

For me the most interesting comment was his prediction that the distribution distinctions between TV, radio and the web will go away. Certainly video will (is) dominate the Web. Don’t forget that there is only one company that focuses on Web video made for older consumers. Dick Stroud

Prudential - new advertising campaign

This weekend the quality newspapers were full of a new advertising campaign from Prudential.

I like it.

I like it because it clearly understands the concerns of the older consumer who has seen their investments and pension expectations taken a hammering by the recession.

Another ad, that uses the same guy, has the copy:

At 65 you should have a lot to look forward to.
And it isn’t just being 66.

The body of the copy says:

Clichés about retirement often pain a pretty picture. Twenty years of gold, grandchildren and pottering about the garden, but you probably know from your own parents it’s rarely that simple.

Life’s day to day demands have a habit of scuppering long term plans……..

I really like the style. Note that the ad appears to be targeted at the children of the 65+ but I am sure it will also have an impact with the older consumer.

I was also impressed to see that Prudential was making use of Web video. It a long (25 mins) pension surgery with Alvin Hall and a retirement specialist from Prudential. Impressive stuff. Dick Stroud

Web video goes mainstream

In the middle of last year I started a company called InTwoFocus that produces Web video for companies wanting to communicate with the older consumer.

Since then the world has moved on and Web video has become a mainstream part of many companies marketing communications.
For instance, video as a form of collateral for “White Papers” nearly doubled between 2008 and 2009.

This article “Thanks To Technology, Video is Everywhere” provides further confirmation of the explosive growth of video as the preferred mechanism for online communications.

If you haven’t got Web video as part of your marketing plans you should have! Dick Stroud

The perils of hosting content on third party web sites

As usual, a fascinating posting on the UseIT web site. This is not specific about the 50-plus, but if you have any responsibility for web content then you should read.

Most of the article is about the risks you take when your video hosting is a third party, like YouTube, because they control the thumbnail of the video presented on your web site.

It is a subject I have never considered before but when you look at the examples it is blindingly clear how the usability of the site can be degraded. Dick Stroud

Is social networking the new WOM?

We love it when the lowly consumer gets back at the big bad corporation.

Just look at the success of the “United Breaks Guitars" video on YouTube (5.4 million views and counting). Not bad for content that was posted on the 11th July 2009.

Of course the number of views is trivial compared to the viral effect of the video (like what you are reading now).

As we have seen in Iran, where there are zillions of disgruntled citizens going around with their mobiles videoing the awful violence of the fascist state, there are no hiding places.

In the UK there is great concern about the way in which older people are treated in care institutions and hospitals. This has extracted the traditional knee-jerk political reaction that will will result in a few committees and czars being appointed and no action.

What will get things changed is when hundreds, maybe thousands of people start posting videos of the terrible state of some of these institutions.

My guess is that combination of contributed content and ubiquitous video cameras will become a major force for change. Custome care departments beware. It cannot come too soon. Dick Stroud

Vox Pops interviews

Vox Pops does some interesting work interviewing the 50-plus.

I thought this sample of interviews, with answers to the question - “Are you financially stable for the future - does this worry you?” - gave a good idea of how lots of older Brits are thinking at the moment.

Note the number of them with a concern for their kids not themselves. Dick Stroud

Watching web video is becoming age neutral

According to Nielsen Online, YouTube continued to rank as the No. 1 video Web brand with 5.5 billion total streams in April 2009. During this month, people between the ages of 35 and 49, was the fastest growing demographic in time spent viewing per viewer, increasing 29% during the past six months. This was 13% higher than the growth of time spent viewing per viewer for the overall market, which increased 16% over the same 6-month period.

It’s great to see this increasing acceptance of Web video by the older age group since I own a video production company (InTwoFocus) that specialises in this market. Thanks to Reg Starkey for telling me about this research. Dick Stroud

Web video and the 50-plus

About a year ago I realised that video will transform the way we use the Web. I also realised that nobody was providing a specialist service to provide Web video that works with the 50-plus. Do I smell a business opportunity?

At long last I have got my act together and formed a company that specialises in creating video content that works with older people, the 50-plus, 50+, Boomers – call them what you like. A great rarity for me I even produced a press release that explains what it is all about.

You can cut to the chase and look at the new company’s web site - InTwoFocus.

Hopefully out of small acorns and all of that…..

I somehow think that Web video will take up more of my blogging time. Dick Stroud

Online video goes mainstream

According to Ipsos MediaCT’s MOTION Study the number of women and older people who are streaming video is increasing.

The blue bars are the results from December 2007 – green bars are the results in June 2008.

As you can see, the number of people accesing a streamed digital file in the past 30 days is now pretty much constant between the age of 18-54. Classic age neutral behaviour.

Unfortunatelly, Ipsos makes the usual market research mistake of grouping everybody else in the 55+ category. My bet is that you would see a 60% useage well up into the mid to late 60s.

I don’t know why this should surprise anybody but it is always nice to see the numbers backing-up yourr what your and experieinces. Dick Stroud

Medicine and care - how the Web can help

I received a couple of really interesting responses to my last blog posting about the way the Web can assist in the areas of medicine.

The University of California has teamed up with scientists at The University of California, San Francisco to launch an Internet video channel dedicated to improving understanding of incurable neurodegenerative brain diseases. See the above video.

The channel is intended to increase awareness among patients, their families -- and physicians about the various forms of dementia. The goal is to promote earlier diagnoses and to get more patients into research studies and clinical trials. The site is also intended to educate caregivers, and provide support through caregiver testimonials.

The UCSF team is also reaching out with two other forms of online communication. They've created a widget, containing links to the YouTube channel and the UCSF Memory and Aging Center web site that will help the viral promotion of the facility.They have also created a Facebook group, "Defeat Dementia."

The second contact was from OnTimeRX, a company that is all about reminding people about their medication. Look at the comment on the previous blog posting. How interesting that Microsoft includes OnTimeRx software in their generation-specific “Senior PC” Vista systems for Assistive Technology.

Isn’t it great we live in the Web era.

My guess is that this is just the start. The amount of VC funding that will flow into resolving issues created by the ageing population has yet to start. Dick Stroud

Another look at cosmetics advertising

This posting follows on from my recent comments about cosmetics advertising.
What do you think of this ad? Maybe not.

The really interesting thing is the company behind this shopping channel (The Talk Market). It is like an Amazon market place but using video. Funny I should think of Amazon.

According to Business Week the company has just received an equity investment from Amazon. Looks like a smart move by Amazon - wait and see how things develop, if it looks like the user generated video model is successful, then buy the company and incorporate into the Amazon business model. Clever. Dick Stroud

Web 2.0 for marketers

Last week I gave a presentation about the joys of Web 2.0 and why marketers should wake and leave the house with a spring in their step at the opportunities that the Web 2.0 technologies and applications bestow. I am not sure the audience saw it that way but I thought I would share the presentation with a wider audience.

You can access both the slides and a flash video, with my dulcet tones, explaining what it is all about. I wouldn’t blame you if you chose the silent PowerPoint. Dick Stroud

Boomer-skewing networks

Every time I go to the US I intend to have a look at the programming from Retirement Living TV (RLTV). You can get a feel for it from the web site.

It appears that the company is seeking to expand its viewership (not sure that is the right word) by using taking a presence on C21screenings. RLTV began life as a distributor working with other boomer-skewing networks around the world. "Boomer skewing" - what a great phrase. Indeed there appears to be seven such networks in Europe, one in Korea, one in Japan and one about to launch in New Zealand.

I wonder how well the US originated content travels? Obviously, programmes like Friends and The Sopranos have a universal appeal but what about stuff on health in retirment?

If anybody from RTLV reads the blog can you tell us something about the European channels? Dick Stroud

Demographics of your YouTube video watchers

Ever wondered who on earth is watching all of those YouTube videos you have uploaded? Now you can.

What a great feature. The above shows the demographic breakdown of the views of two ads on my YouTube channel. Lots of young guys watching the beautiful M&S models. A much more mature group of females watching the Dove Pro.Age ads. Dick Stroud

Goodness gracious me. Is this a spoof or for real?

I am a great fan of Web video. But, when it goes wrong it goes wrong big time.
Chuck Nyren has posted an item about this video:

I guess the target market is supposed to be older execs, mostly Baby Boomers, who make such decisions in major companies. Or actually the target is the sales force (inside and out) hawking Vista to Boomer execs.

It is that sort of experience that makes me squirm, wriggle about in my seat and in desperation slam the stop button. Surely it is spoof? Microsoft could not have produced this, aimed at any age of audience – could they? Dick Stroud

Growingbolder.com - brave venture but will it succeed?

Way back in August 2007 I wrote about a video based social networking site called GrowingBolder. For ages afterwards I received an e-mail newsletter reporting on the progress this site was making toward being launched. To be honest, there wasn’t anything compelling enough to make me want to click back to the site, so I lost track of how the company was doing.

I have just received a press release reporting on the web site’s progress. Since I was quoted I thought I better go and have another look.

Anybody who reads this blog knows of my big reservations about age-centric web sites. I will not go over that ground again. Whatever you think of the business model, you have to give it to the site's founders since they have clearly committed a massive amount of work to the venture.

Since I am a totally sold on the power of video I naturally warm to the site’s use of this as the major communications media. I really do wish them well. Will this be enough to overcome the inherent weakness of a community based on age? Only time will tell. Dick Stroud

Age-neutral content

Last week I recorded some video material for Redwood – a UK content company. It was great to deal with a company that really understands the age-neutral nature of video and how it is changing the rules of the Web. Have a look at their promotional video.

It is even more unusual to encounter a company that practices what it preaches. Have a look at the way the company uses video to describe themselves. Have a look at the “About Us”. page. Dick Stroud

TeeBeeDee interview

Whilst looking at Mark’s new Web site (see the next post) I came across this interview with the CEO of TeeBeeDee.
The venture-backed company is headed by veteran magazine publisher/media exec Robin Wolaner. Twenty years ago, she was the founding publisher of Parenting magazine. She was a senior exec at Time Inc and CNET. An interesting lady. Dick Stroud

ING Direct - good use of Web video

It is great to see a large financial services company start using Web video. ING Direct, one of the world’s largest online banks, uses this video – prominently shown on the home page – to provide customer testimonials. OK, you can argue about the style but I reckon it is pretty good. Notice anything about the age of the ‘customers’? Dick Stroud.

‘Factlet’ Web video

I read about commoncraft on Karl Long’s blog, which in itself is certainly worth a visit.

Commoncraft produce short videos that explain what things are and how things work. This, “I need to know” training mechanism certainly works for me. This example is about social bookmarking.

I bet it could be adapted, that’s assuming it needs to be, for the 50-plus market. You can see lots of other examples on the commoncraft YouTube channel. Dick Stroud

Video and the top performing online campaigns

Dynamic Logic has announced the most effective online advertising campaigns of 2006 (UK and US) by evaluating how well each campaign achieved its branding objectives.The thing that most interested me was the following statement:

Interestingly, most of the U.S. campaigns utilized some form of video ads, which previous Dynamic Logic research has shown can effectively cut through the clutter, yielding higher awareness for brands on average compared to online advertising in general.

Video ads can also provide a successful format to communicate to consumers. Many of the video ads appearing among the top campaigns happened to be repurposed TV spots that were adapted for online, and also implemented a variety of video formats, including pre-roll, in-banner and interstitial ads.

Companion units were placed near the video, allowing viewers to interact with the ads and maintaining constant brand presence while the videos were playing.

The top U.K. campaigns included two cinema campaigns for Adrift and The Sentinel, which utilized video as part of the campaign assets.

I keep visiting Web sites that are trying to communicate with the 50-plus that are crying out for the use of video. Unfortunately, video is still associated with youth in the mind of many web designers. Big mistake. Dick Stroud

Ageing Web video

Like so many developments on the Web, the initial burst of enthusiasm amongst young people rapidly ripples through to older age groups. Just think that the really advanced 18 year old who thought it was the height of technological sophistication to purchase a book using the Internet will just have had their 30th birthday. eBay has rapidly (in business evolution terms) gone from being the thing of the young to the hobby/home business tool of oldies (average age of UK users must be pushing into the 50-plus).

According to data compiled from Nielsen/NetRatings, comScore and Quantcast, Web users aged 35-64 represent anywhere between 48% to 65% of YouTube's audience. The average age of YouTube US users is the US is estimated at 39 years old.

Web video is fast going to go the same way.

Pew/Internet’s recently published report (Online Video) has the latest take on the ageing of Web video. I have reproduced a couple of the charts. The numbers that really interest me are:

The comparisons on use between the 30-49 and 50-64 years olds (just a 11% difference). This about the same difference in the behaviour for receiving and sharing links with others. The difference does increase for the more complex activities like posting video links online.

The difference in the propensity of the 18-29 and 65+ to watch news and comedy videos. A ratio of 1.8 for news and 4.7 for comedy.

Instinctively I feel both of these results are right but it is nice to have a bit of research to back-up your gut feelings.

What this shows, again not an amazing conclusion, is that different ages use Web technologies for their own purposes. What starts as a generic demonstration of a technological leap (like YouTube and MySpace) soon morphs into serving the behaviour and needs of different age groups and lifestyle groups. Dick Stroud

YouTube.co.uk launches

I have already posted my reservations about the Zimmer's video.
I don’t have any doubts that it is a brilliant idea of YouTube to use another older person to launch their UK site. No explanation needed. Just watch. Dick Stroud

Very neat way of viewing video and PowerPoint

Have a look at this very amusing example of how you can merge video and PowerPoint. You have to have a certain sense of humour to find the example funny. I can see a lot of scope for this service. Dick Stroud

More Boomers Watching Online Video

At 39.4 years old, the average adult who downloads video is about five years younger than the average Internet user, according to BIGresearch.

The data refer to all Internet users or Internet video viewers.

Like the BIGresearch data, a demographic profile from Arbitron/Edison Media Research is based on self-reported survey results, but still points to the significant trend of more mature viewers. The survey indicates that over a fourth of online video viewers are 45 or older. Dick Stroud

Social networking expanding across demographics

A rise in the number of niche services (often age related) means that social media is no longer the preserve of the young. My recent blog postings about the numerous 50-plus social networking sites is testament to this fact.

Established networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook have experienced a surge in older user levels as their offerings gain prominence in mainstream media circles. Over 40% of users, aged 18+ who visited MySpace over a four-week, period were 35+ (according to Hitwise).

Another aspect of social networking is the use of video on the Web. Over 60% of viral ads initiated by advertisers are videos, according to a new study by Competitrack. This does not include user-generated spoofs, spin-offs etc.

The number of viral videos climbs even higher when TV ads uploaded by fans are included. Media Post has more details about the study.

According to the research, videos that are produced specifically as online virals tend to be longer, much more narrowly targeted and more outrageous than those shown on TV. The study's archive of 3,000 advertiser-initiated online virals listed 8% as not safe for work (NSFW).

The definition of viral advertising varies. The study used a variant of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's definition: entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion, often electronically or by e-mail.

Besides video, the other types of viral ad types include microsites, games, social networks and multimedia viral campaigns. Dick Stroud

Boomers hit YouTube.

Nearly a quarter of all online video viewers are 45+, according to research from Arbitron/Edison Media Research .

Earlier research for 2004 and 2005 from the Pew Internet & American Life Project and Princeton Survey Research Associates found that 58% of those who download videos were age 28 or younger – unfortunately this is the kind of ancient data that is still informing too many reporters' views.

There is a big mismatch between the stereotypes about the ‘i-generation’ being the only group who use Web 2.0 features and the reality that all age groups are using video, social networking etc. Dick Stroud

Video – it's early days

The BBC has just launched a new “Food” section to its web site that is stuffed with video.

Not sure how to make Eggs Benedict? Just watch Paul Merrett show you how it is done. If there are any publishers reading this blog then have a ponder what this is going to do to the cookery book market!

This is a beautifully constructed web site, but there is a but.

The 'but' is I wonder how useable it will be for older people with eyesight and dexterity problems. Have a look at the way you scroll through the recipes and the low colour contrast.

We are just entering a new world of video usability and I think the rules are yet to be written. Even Jakob Nielsen has only a small amount of guidance about using web video, even so it is worth reading, containing a beautiful eye tracking map of the way people view video clips.

These are exciting times for companies wanting to radically improve the user web experience through the use of the richest of all media (video). I suspect web designers will give little thought about older users, or indeed any users, and we will see some horrendous examples of video-overkill.

This BBC web site is not a perfect model but it is pretty good. Dick Stroud

Power of viral video

This has nothing directly to do with the 50-plus although in the long term may a have massive impact on the care industry.

Intel has announced a new microprocessor for the UMPC (Ultra Mobile Portable PC)market. Nothing shattering about that.

What is interesting is that an Intel promotional video was released onto youtube on the 11th April. Seven days later it has clocked up 128,000 views and is referenced by countless blogs. Does anybody still need convincing about the viral power of video?

As to the video itself, I suspect we will look back at this within a couple of years and groan. A bit like the HP videos, released a decade ago, showing the “home of the future”.

Whilst we are talking about techie stuff go and have a look at these two web sites.

Twittering might just be the big thing of 2007. I am not going to bother explaining –just and have a look at the web site. Even better have a look at a global map of Twittering in action.

I wonder if Google will have competition on its hands for searching video content? Blinkx is a site that enables you to search 7 millions hours of broadcast video. Try searching for “Twitter”.

That’s it – my next post will be back to the 50-plus market.Dick Stroud

Travel and cookery get the video habit

This is an off-subject blog posting about video. At the beginning of 2007 I suddenly became aware that the future moved. I think video-free web sites will soon start to look the same way that animated GIF's appear to us today.

Here are a three examples of companies using video to bring life (and value) to their Web activities.

Lonely Planet has launched a brand new online channel featuring the best travel videos from around the world. This is a vertical YouTube for travel. You can upload and watch videos created by Lonely Planet as well as other travelers. Users can rate each video, share them with friends and create playlists and friend groups. All good Web 2.0 stuff.

Ocado is a rapidly growing home delivery grocery service. Instead of boring old recipes go and look at how to prepare the meal and with a push of the button add all of the ingredients to your shopping basket. Now that is smart marketing.

The dreaded Martha Stewart has just launched her new web site that is dripping with video.

No video no credible web presence - what do you think - is this the message of 2007? Dick Stroud

YouTube, HisTube and HerTube

This blog posting is not specific to the 50-plus but they are very much affected by the topic. Click on the image to open it in another window.

I hate the term "the new killer app of the Web" but I really believe it is true when applied to video. The combination of the high uptake of broadband, Google’s interest in the video (purchasing YouTube), the simplicity of imbedding video into web sites and the richness it can add to the communications mix makes it a no-brainer. The only question is the speed of uptake.

It seems that right now video it is more popular with men than women. Movie clips is the only area where women watch more than men. This research was published by Piper Jaffray. It is a small sample size (200 people) but is the only research that I have seen about gender. Note to Piper Jaffray’s manager of Web content – if you your research is being published by third parties then make it available on your own web site!

My guess is that as the practice of web video moves into the mainstream we will see a reversing of this gender bias. Dick Stroud