Waiter, There are TV Ads in My Internet

Who was it that said “Content is King.”? Well, apparently it’s a King with no country because Online Video marketing content, for the most part, continues to be a re-hash of traditional TV advertising. On one hand I understand that experienced TV producers need to follow the money. As Online Video spending grows exponentially year after year, traditional media dollars trend downwards.

But seriously, Online Video is NOT Television. Lazy producers must stop trying to cram their TV shaped peg into the amorphous, ever-changing expanse of the internet. That’s like taking a job as an Italian chef when you’re training and career has been cooking Mexican food. Sure, people like Mexican food, but not when they show up at an Italian restaurant.

Melissa Chang hits the nail on the head in her article at TheStandard.com.

“With this much money being spent, you would think that the creativity and variety of ads would be flourishing. But instead, the majority of today’s video advertising is fairly rudimentary and comes in a number of often-criticized formats that piggy-back on existing advertising…”

Lord knows there is enough Online Video work to go around, and I welcome fresh, talented people into the industry. But there’s a very real need for producers to learn the dozens of defining characteristics that separate Online Video Marketing Content, from Television Marketing Content

To name a few:

• TV is a passive media (sit and watch). Online Video is interactive (move and control).
• TV is a short pitch. Online Video is open ended and flexible depending on venue.
• TV is slick-polished-whiz-bang-boom kind of content. Online Video is a child of the internet. The most transparent, interconnected, user driven experience in history.

Drop the posing. Burn the shallow script. Quit re-purposing old school TV production methods. Online Video is a fresh medium with unique considerations. Producers finally have the freedom to effectively use authenticity, relevance, and here’s the best part… That’s what people have always wanted!

Clients shouldn’t be afraid to promptly acknowledge and address the weak points of their business either. No one expects you to be perfect. As long as your value is effectively communicated, that kind of transparency and dedication resonates on the net. (but that’s another post entirely.)

Yes, a company should appear respectable through their marketing efforts. This is business, and you should play to your strengths. But they have to be Real Strengths. The moment you start pushing half-truths and plastic words, your credibility jumps out the window. This generation can smell posers a mile away, and the polished ad-speak of yesteryear is either being met with cynicism or ignored. Unfortunately, TV marketing efforts are usually riddled with hype, unsubstantiated claims, patronizing promises, or stylized fluff.

Please don’t misunderstand. I still watch TV. (as indicated by my waistband) My wife and I spend wwaayy too much time hopping through Tivo. But you wouldn’t see a video banner ad as 30 second spot would you? Beyond just “Content” being King, I think we should also try to remember the Kinglyness of “Context”.

• Where are people experiencing the Online Video Marketing content?
• What brought them there? What indicators do you have to reveal their likely mindset?
• What’s going to be the most relevant and compelling video content during that specific experience?
• How can you be less like an ignored ad, and more like an intriguing invitation for them to come closer to you.

To those professionals who see the differences and cater to the innate strengths of Online Video over the traditions of Old-Media, I salute you. To everyone else, shift gears and join us in the 21st century. The restaurant is packed and we could use some more good chefs. Just don’t cook up anymore of this.

/rant off
/going to see: Forgetting Sarah Marshall