So the numbers above show that there is avid consumer interest for broadcasts that happen over the net, in realtime and streamed. But what of Interactive Video Conferencing? Though the events above offer social media integration they aren’t ‘true’ interactive video conferencing events. To date, most of these livestream broadcasts allow people to chat with one another about the event as it’s happening or to pose questions that a moderator will ask the subject of the livestream itself. But is this true ‘interactivity’? I would argue a definitive no.
Skype and live 1-to-1 video conferencing systems offer interaction between connected hosts in a live, connected video feed. So there’s already an inherent difference between the current examples of ‘livestreams’ and the systems in place for ‘video conferences’. Conferences being the keyword that implies basic live video interaction between stream members. But, apart from making headlines on Techcrunch or Mashable, most videoconferencing and livestreaming hasn’t achieved a level of critical mass adoption yet.
Twitter was the catalyst to help microblogging explode onto the scene and even went so far as to create an ecosystem around it – url shorteners, service clients (Tweetdeck, Seesmic) and so on. Similar patterns are emerging with the recent massive growth Chatroulette is experiencing. Part of this is due to curiosity (like every new trend) but I would wager that Chatroulette itself has just become the catalyst for interactive video conferencing and will accelerate adoption of video conferencing by the masses.
Here in no particular order are a few stats on the webcam and videoconferencing ecosystem:
Markets for webcams at $1.8 billion in 2008 are anticipated to reach $3.2 billion by 2015. You can see by this stat alone that by 2015, most new computers should be webcam ready or have an integrated webcam installed.
As of March 2009, 40% of video uploads on Facebook were via webcam. I would guesstimate that by now this number is in the 55-65% range as webcam usage has most likely continued to gain traction on the Facebook platform.
Gartner predicts that 200 million people will pay for desktop videoconferencing by 2015. I’m not sure how pay is being defined since it will be extremely hard to change current consumer mindset as Skype and like services are either ad-supported or free to use for video conferencing.
Note: Chatroulette is a new video chat service that can be very NSFW (Not Safe For Work). It is suggested you read here before going to the site so you know what to expect.
So these are ‘official stats’ but what of Chatroulette? Since the service has only been out a few months, there’s not much in way of official stats but here’s what I’ve been able to dig up or have seen after using the service:
Traffic has almost doubled in a week from 20,000 concurrent users on 2/13 to almost 40,000 on 2/20
Approximately 75% of users seem to fall into the 18-24 age group.
Though there is still quite a bit of obscene content, it seems to have diminished ratio wise with the larger traffic numbers. Maybe more ‘normal’ people are starting to use the service
An ecosystem around Chatroulette is already developing. The 1st out of the gate – software that allows you to modify your live video stream. Manycam is one such system which allows for Augmented Reality-like features such as applying animations to your face through facial tracking.
The most important observation – clones of the service are already appearing in record time – Redditroulette, Tinychat and others.
So what Chatroulette has shown is that there is definitely consumer interest in and a market for interactive video conferencing – especially with the Gen Y demographic. This is not surprising as both Gen Y and Gen Z are demographic sets that will be growing up with these types of interactive systems in place (similar to initial text based chat systems that were in place for Gen X.)
Furthermore, Chatroulette has shown that a simple UI and Flash based video conferencing system can work – efficiently and effectively. This probably isn’t good news for startups and tech companies that have been trying to sell 5-6 figure teleconferencing platforms and systems to businesses. Expect to start seeing ‘generated backlash’ against the Flash-based technology even though the genie is already out of the bottle.
Finally, this recent surge in traffic with Chatroulette shows that desktop based video conferencing only has room for growth. As adoption grows, we’ll also see more advanced uses of video conferencing which include more advanced interactivity. This is the main reason we developed ZugSTAR technology to allow Augmented Reality based interactivity between video streams.
In summary, it remains to be seen if Chatroulette itself is a fad or the next Twitter. However, what is has shown is that interactive video conferencing is here to stay and is positioning itself to be the de facto method of communication very soon.
Any comments, hit me up on Twitter @kobrakai or leave comments below.
Similar to how traditional advertising people love to interchange “Digital”, “Interactive” and “Online” to mean, well basically anything Interactive..I’ve also noticed lately that Point of Purchase (POP) and Point of Sale (POS) seem to be used interchangeably as well. However, is it just me or do younger generation (X and Y), interactive people seem to favor POP while the older traditional people seem to still favor POS? I have a feeling there’s an aversion to calling it POS from the younger generation as like most 3 letter acronyms, it has quite a different meaning socially than what it might be intended for professionally…
Shopping for a camcorder: Learn what to look for before buying one
Button basics: Master the most important buttons on the camcorder and how each of them works
Light and filter it right: Creative tips on lights and filters that will improve the look of your videos
Microphone techniques: Get the best sound from your mic with the least amount of hassle
The art of composition: Simple composition rules to set your video apart from ordinary videos
Smooth moves: Handheld camera techniques
These are very basic video production techniques but it will be interesting to see how far YouTube goes with this. They are already the #1 destination for aspiring filmmakers looking for mass distribution and have cultivated and grown their “YouTube All-Stars” base who create original content that amasses large numbers of subscribers and traffic. By holding these Webinars, YouTube is positioning itself to capture original content creators before they develop an affinity for competing sites such as Vimeo and Metacafe.
Will YouTube ever replace Film School? No. But from a filmmaking perspective, YouTube is quickly becoming a version of Film and Video 2.0 where the future of online film and video techniques can be found:
Revenue through Adsense and, if you’re lucky, Motion Picture Film Deals. Yes, Fred someone got one..
These are amazing digital tools for any aspiring filmmaker to have and should help usher in a new wave of “Online Educated Interactive Filmmakers” from the Gen Y / Gen Z demographic set that grow up using them.
There’s moments in life when a new gadget or toy comes along that you might look at and go, “Man, I wish I had that when I was a kid growing up.” For me, it’s pretty much the entire Internet.
I get that same “Only If” feeling every time I see a new YouTube “Brand” Contest and some of the creativity that Gen Y is able to put on display for them. For those who are not familiar with YouTube Brand Contests, they’re exactly what they sound like – contests sponsored by brands that YouTube promotes and enlists their vast community to partake in. You can see a whole list of them here.
Granted, some of the contests are very lame or look like an idea that was once cool but was subject to corporate legal counsel’s tool of ‘cool campaign death’ – the track changes function on Word. However, a recent YouTube Contest caught my eye and is a very good example of a contest that does everything right execept in one key area (more on that below). This would be the Slam Dunk Challenge presented by Nissan. Sure, enlisting amateur slam dunk videos is not new (we pitched this type of idea 6 years ago to a brand we worked with that got whacked by legal) but this is a great example of a YouTube contest that appeals to the core demographic of YouTube – Gen Y. So what are the key elements for a successful YouTube Brand Contest?
Cool contest idea? Uh Slam Dunk (pun intended.)
Timeliness? Big check. Right smack dab in the middle of the most exciting NBA playoffs in years…
Authenticity factor? NBA Athlete judges. Check. And bonus points for getting Chris Bosh and Jalen Rose who both have very active YouTube channels.
Brand revelenacy to Gen Y? Check. But only if you’re 35 and younger. If you’re driving a Z over the age of 35 or trying to show how you can slam dunk, we need to have a talk…
Promotion? Not only is this promoted off of YouTube’s blog but also on the YouTube Channels for Chris Bosh and Jalen Rose.
Active Community Participation (i.e. entries)? Here’s where we run into problems. Though there’s a few quality entries like the video embedded below, there are only 95 total entries, many of which have been ‘removed by the user’. For a contest that’s enlisting NBA talent, a cool Gen Y brand (Nissan Z) and an appealing idea, you would think it would be a no-brainer that people would be lining up with submissions. But there’s a reason why (below the embed video)…
Prizing or in this case, lack of it. It doesn’t matter how cool a YouTube Contest is – If the prize sucks, you’re not going to get many people to make the effort to shoot a video for it. Any brand manager that’s run any type of contest before knows that. So it’s all the more confusing for this contest once you try to find what the actual prizes are. From looking through everything, it looks like it’s just a chance to hang out with the Team Flight Brothers…really? I assumed (like probably most initial entrants) that the prize was a Nissan Z. Granted that’s definitely a high-end prize in a down economy, but let me know what you think on just an initial look at the home page graphic below:
I get that Nissan needs to promote the Z, but in this instance, it’s definitely over-promoted to the point that you would think it’s part of the actual contest. Maybe that’s the reason there were only 95 total submissions when, with the idea and talent / brand involved, they should have had at least 10X that amount of submissions. Other than the glaring omission of any intriguing prizing, the rest of the campaign is completely solid and is a good example of some initial requirements you’ll need to get started on your own YouTube Brand Contest.
P.S. (ZUGARA PROMOTION ALERT!) We’ve had our own hits/misses with YouTube contests for our clients but the best part of these is seeing the actual creativity put into some of the videos. This is still one of my favorite videos from a past Dream Digs YouTube Brand Contest we ran 2 years ago for Casio and there were substantial prizes involved which led to many quality entries…
There have already been reports surfacing that the next iteration of the iPhone – version 3.0 – will have the ability to both record and edit video on the handset. As reported by CHRON’s Tech Blog, the 3.0 update to be announced in June, will reveal a new handset capable of video.
There’s no doubt that video on the iPhone will be huge. With the release of the iPhone 3G last year, it was assumed (prior to release) that video would be a major feature. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be and for the last year you had to jailbreak your iPhone to use unauthorized video recorders. It’s assumed that the iPhone will use the current optical lens which will be great for short form video and MMS. Maybe this is the year that MMS finally is ‘the next big thing’ in mobile. (Note: Italics are meant for sarcasm as MMS has been the next big thing in the mobile industry for 6 years now…faster network speeds and popularity of the iPhone should finally make 2010 ‘that year’.)
However, should the iPhone have an optical lens both on the front and back of the handset, you’ve now tapped into a nerve center for Corporate America, Advertisers & Marketers and most importantly, Gen Y.
Corporate America? Easy. Video Conferencing. People do business with People and given the continued economic downturn, being able to interface long distance with a business contact face to face (virtually and mobile) will have a bigger impact than people think. Skype is already in a prime position with an app out for iPhone and due out soon for Blackberry. Actually this will be huge for Corporate AND America.
Gen Y? Another easy one. Webcam broadcasts whenever and wherever. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know I’m pretty bullish on UStream being the next big thing in terms of real-time interactive video. If the iPhone does in fact include a screen side optical unit, then this will help usher in this new era of interactive mobile video that much sooner.
Advertiser & Marketers? Tons of potential opportunities. Could a company like Admob integrate smartphone ads into a consumers MMS message (for a loyalty or rewards based program) or even integrate ads into someone’s own mobile webcam broadcast. You could look at contextual ads or even location based serviced ads depending on the location of the broadcast.
This would also raise the bar for ARG’s or other marketing based initiatives that utilize UGC.
The only downside? How long until AT&T or another carrier network decides to pass along the cost to the consumer for sending larger video files or using video conferencing on their network…
The Chicago Trib has a great article on a theater in Naperville (suburb of Chicago) that runs cult classics with audience participation – by mobile text. The technology is called MuVChat:
“The system works this way: Audience members text to a central number, which runs their comments through software. The MuVChat software then displays the texts in a three-line configuration at the bottom of the screen, like a vertical ticker, as the movie plays. Sitting in the projector booth with a standard computer, Heald uses a profanity screening program and can, on the fly, filter comments and ban abusive users.”
Mobile text to screen (where someone sends a text message that is then displayed), has often been popular at events, but this is the first time I’ve seen it used in a theater to add a level of interactivity to a movie. Though this could be considered a Gen Y version of Rocky Horror Picture Show 2.0 – the audience members are clicking out text messages on their mobile phones to enhance their viewing experience – it also offer a unique look into a unique generational trait of Gen Y from a social perspective. That unique trait being the use of text messaging over actual physical interaction as a major form of communication in a social setting.
Maybe it’s just me but sitting in a theater and texting messages on a screen might be considered anti-social or weird by some, but in a very strange way it seems a lot more normal than say this…
We Are Organized Chaos (WAOC) is Zugara’s (www.zugara.com) interactive marketing and advertising blog where we’ll be featuring some great projects and discussing upcoming trends in the digital world. Work — good and bad — will be critiqued. Hope you’ll enjoy reading our insights and thoughts on interactive.
