In a recent PermissionTV survey of 400 senior marketing executives, 67% of respondents said identified video as the primary focus of this year’s online marketing campaigns. Video is also expected to evolve in sophistication and interactivity.
Most likely video-based promotions will revolve around the production of branded content and online video destinations, said 64% of respondents. Developing viral video and interactive video experiences were also identified as likely initiatives by close to 40% of participating marketers.
Advertising agencies are increasingly recommending the use of video in campaigns. According to Chad Ciesil, president of WhittmanHart Interactive, the use of online video leads to greater customer engagement and better return on investment.
Marketers agree. Currently, less than a third are involved in an online video project, but over half expect to be either extending or implementing such projects in the second quarter of 2009.
The majority of marketers (71% of survey respondents) believe that online video helps increase brand awareness. More direct ways in which marketers think video enhances customer engagement include lead generation (47%), customer retention (45%) and lead conversion (42%).