| Having a corporate or promotional video for your | | | | exhibition. How about showing some clips from |
| company is often viewed as something of an | | | | the event, with company branding around it? By |
| expensive luxury - useful, but rarely considered to | | | | using more recognisable and popular content, you |
| be an essential marketing tool. Whilst many | | | | are creating a wider 'reach' for the video, with the |
| businesses can understand the benefits of having | | | | added possibility of gaining increased website |
| a corporate video, all too often they are put off | | | | traffic. |
| by the perceived cost and subsequently find it | | | | Re-Package Content |
| hard to justify commercially. Furthermore, the | | | | Lets say you already have a corporate video, it's |
| process of making a video can at times, appear | | | | around ten minutes long and you currently |
| complex and intimidating, with an array of | | | | distribute it on a video tape format or DVD. The |
| technical terms and processes. | | | | most obvious solution would be to have it |
| Streaming video provides a number of useful | | | | transferred to a streaming format in it's entirety |
| opportunities for maximising the potential of an | | | | and loaded up onto your website. Whilst a ten |
| existing corporate video. And compared to other | | | | minute corporate video sequence may be useful |
| distribution media such as DVD or CD-ROMs it | | | | as a backdrop display in a trade exhibition or |
| also offers a cost-effective solution for | | | | screened to a captive audience in a conference, |
| broadcasting a new corporate presentation to a | | | | it's often far too long to use as a streaming video |
| wider audience. | | | | clip on your website. Who really has the time to |
| Although streaming video is certainly not a new | | | | sit and watch a corporate video clip for this length |
| concept and has been around for some time, it's | | | | of time? It's often far more useful to break the |
| now easier than ever to add streaming video | | | | sequence down into a series of individual clips or |
| content to your website. The technology required | | | | re-edit into a shorter, condensed version that has |
| to enable video streaming is widely available, it's | | | | greater impact. |
| relatively inexpensive and with the dramatic | | | | Following on from this, you might also want to |
| growth in high speed, broadband internet | | | | distribute streaming video clips around different |
| connections, a growing number of internet users | | | | areas on your website. This way, the clips |
| can now view high quality, streaming video on | | | | featured can be targeted to match - and |
| their computers. | | | | complement - the page content. For example, on |
| In this article, leading corporate video & | | | | a page detailing company clients and case studies, |
| business television producer, John Howarth, | | | | the video clip could feature customer testimonials; |
| explains some of the ways in which streaming | | | | situated on a contact details page, the video |
| video content can be made to work effectively | | | | sequence could feature some generic shots of |
| for your business and produce tangible results. | | | | company locations and building exterior shots. |
| Provide Compelling Content | | | | Brand The Video |
| Try to provide content that creates a real | | | | Whatever streaming video clips you use, try to |
| interest for the viewer. Instead of simply | | | | ensure they are branded with your corporate |
| informing them of your key corporate values - | | | | identity. This could be a small logo in the top |
| the typical narrative being 'how successful we are, | | | | corner of the screen or a 'picture frame' wrapped |
| the great products & services we offer, our | | | | around the moving images. Taking it a step |
| featured clients' - why not turn the message into | | | | further, you may want to add an introduction |
| something that is actually useful and engaging to | | | | sequence with animated corporate logos at the |
| watch. | | | | beginning and end of every sequence. Another |
| Take for example a company that manufactures | | | | option is to create an HTML or Flash 'player' |
| kitchen products. Whilst you could produce a video | | | | customised with your corporate identity. The |
| to establish company values by highlighting such | | | | video clip would then play within this frame and |
| areas as quality of craftsmanship and original | | | | could be complemented by some animated |
| design of the product, this information is almost | | | | product or service information around it. |
| certainly available more easily on the web pages. | | | | When reviewing website statistics, it is frequently |
| It could be far more interesting for the viewer to | | | | pages featuring streaming video content that are |
| provide them with a series of recipes, which | | | | the most 'sticky' and have the longest viewing |
| feature the products being used in context. | | | | times by site visitors. Use this factor to your |
| Another technique is to provide content that is | | | | advantage - it's an ideal opportunity to get your |
| not centrally focused to your company's core | | | | core brand values, products and services across |
| products & services. For example, your | | | | to the site visitor. |
| company sponsors a sports event or art | | | | |