by Erika Trautman | Feb 4, 2014 | In the Media, Mobile and HTML5
This article was originally published by Entrepreneur.com on February 4, 2014.
Companies whose products many of us use daily – Dropbox, Twitter, and, of course, Facebook – all sprouted from tiny startup seedlings. And while these all serve as great success stories, the truth is that most startups won’t see this level of achievement. It’s no secret that for every Instagram, there are hundreds of other apps that fail simply due to oversaturation. And yet that fact hasn’t slowed the startup buzz machine.
But the promise of the next big startup win may be losing some of its luster, leaving both investors and brands to look beyond the glam and glitter, instead focusing on business fundamentals and results.
David Berkowitz, CMO of marketing agency MRY and AdAge contributing writer, postulates in his article, “Why Brands Will Focus Less on Startups in 2014,” that lack of results, along with clutter and PR, is the reason why startups’ relationships with brands and agencies will fade like a tired high school fling this year. And I couldn’t agree more. In 2014, brands are looking for results, not hype.
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by Jen Bergen | Jan 29, 2014 | Company News, In the Media, Mobile and HTML5
If you didn’t get enough of Cinemax’s original action series “Banshee” last year, you’re in for a treat. We’re thrilled to announce that Rapt Media is once again powering the interactivity for Cinemax’s “Welcome to Banshee” video microsite for the show’s second season.
Using Rapt Media’s Interactive Video Solution Suite to support the revamped digital microsite, Cinemax delivers viewers an unprecedented and immersive dive into more than 74 background “Banshee” clips that amplify the season’s story. Each viewer will drive their own interactive experience of the content by following characters, storylines, and symbols, to piece together a unique narrative.
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by Jen Bergen | Jan 6, 2014 | In the Media
Static online video doesn’t harness the nature and power of the Internet. In a recent article published by AdExchanger, a trade publication focused on data-driven digital marketing and programmatic media, author David Kaplan talks with Rapt Media CEO Erika Trautman about how “placing online video’s value in ‘sight, sound and motion’ overlooks the true power of new media,” and how Interactive Video is changing that.
“Interactivity is not just living within the video, but tying it to the rest of the Web,” Trautman said in the article. “Most videos are just dead ends that sit in a player, display unit, or on a site. But we want to seamlessly integrate with all parts of the Web.”
To find out more about what Rapt Media’s doing to make the online video space more interactive, check out the full story on AdExchanger.com.
by Jen Bergen | Dec 23, 2013 | In the Media
This article was originally published on Venture Beat on December 23, 2013.
Though Interactive Video (IV) isn’t totally new, projects like Philips’ “Designed to Play,” Maybelline’s “Glamour Eye,” and Bob Dylan’s interactive music video helped spread the gospel of IV in 2013, leading us to believe that 2014 will be a breakout year for IV.
As technology exponentially evolves each year, it’ll soon be difficult to remember a time when we did our online shopping through something other than an Interactive Video, or when we just watched static YouTube videos online. No, we don’t think Interactive Video is going to take over the world, but here’s what we do think is in store for online video in 2014.
Check out our 2014 predictions for online video below.
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by Erika Trautman | Dec 5, 2013 | In the Media, Mobile and HTML5
This article was originally published on Adotas.com on December 5, 2013.
Video is no longer just a lean-back experience. With the touch-heavy world of mobile devices, video is becoming more of a lean-forward, interactive experience. Digital video can support user interaction through gestures, voice, touch and clicks, and brands in the know are implementing Interactive Video (IV) projects into their marketing campaigns.
These brands are seeing remarkable results in terms of engagement with customers and brand awareness, and their viewers become more informed buyers likely to make a purchase.
But some brands aren’t. According to the recent Forrester report “Move Beyond Awareness with Interactive Video,” most brands’ video campaigns just aim to inform as many potential customers as possible about a product. Most companies think of online video advertising as just an extension of TV advertising, simply posting their made-for-TV ad on YouTube.
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by Erika Trautman | Nov 22, 2013 | In the Media
This article was originally published on Wired’s Innovations Insights blog on November 19, 2013.
Online video is the single most powerful tool companies have to communicate with customers. Videos can grab attention instantly and forge an emotional connection in moments – something a website alone almost never achieves. Videos travel well and can be distributed across owned sites, ad networks, and social networks alike. And let’s face it; the average customer is much more likely to click on a video for additional information than they are to pick up a phone or even send an email.
And yet, as Forrester pointed out in a recent report, most companies fail to optimize their online videos for effective content delivery. Instead, they resort to the lowest common denominator: using video only to drive broad awareness.
The thing is, marketers already know the principles behind turning videos into effective tools for promotion because they use them every day on their own sites, giving viewers the ability to effectively self-segment.
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