On Wednesday, November 7, 2018, we held a panel discussion with Wacoal Corporation, a Brightcove user, at a seminar on the latest video marketing case studies hosted by Sendenkaigi Co.
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking at Streaming Media West in beautiful Huntington Beach, California. Throughout the engaging two-day conference, much of the conversation revolved around the ongoing convergence of the digital and linear worlds. In particular, my panel, The Future Of Server-Side Ad Insertion, addressed how this trend is projected to affect SSAI today and into the future. Intrigued? Read on for an overview of the major themes we discussed during the session.
Before we dove into the future of SSAI, we opened the conversation with an overview of the technology. Server side ad insertion is a mechanism that dynamically stitches targeted ads into your content on the server — allowing you to deliver one continuous stream.
SSAI has three main value propositions: improved user experience, ad blocker prevention, and increased device reach. By leveraging this technology, you can prevent ad blockers from detecting your ads and eliminate undesirable buffering. In turn, you can deliver a better viewing experience to your audience and preserve your revenue. SSAI also gives you improved reach to connected devices like set top boxes and game consoles, where the concept of a client may not exist.
As panelist Michelle Abraham (senior research analyst, media & communications, S&P Global) explained, current industry data supports the notion that audiences like choice. In this way, presenting tiered business models can be crucial to your success. During the panel, Abraham shared her belief that advertising will take a more native form within the content itself (as more content-driven creatives take hold of the marketplace).
Well, what about measurement? Amit Shetty (senior director, video & audio products, IAB Tech Lab) discussed the newly released VAST 4.1 and some key highlights of the new spec including standardization of the ad request, the SSAI spec — and splitting VPAID into verification and interactivity. He also expressed enthusiasm for expanding the Open Measurement SDK beyond mobile and into CTV down the line. Stay tuned for more major advancements in this area!
There was agreement amongst all panelists that in order for the advancements in measurement and targeting to be successful, the OTT marketplace needs to expand and catch up. Without the appropriate buyers in place, these advanced targeting and measurement standards and technologies are worthless. Once buyers are more comfortable driving their decisions based on these new metrics, the possibilities will be endless. This industry shift will pave the way for exciting innovations like interactive creatives and in-content or in-app purchasing.
In an effort to control the bad behavior of some Twitter users — particularly those who use social media applications to spam and bully — Twitter has instituted new policies, and deployed automated systems to detect and enforce these policies.
One policy states that an application will be terminated if the monitoring system detects the use of @mentions that are not replied to by the mentioned party within an unspecified time period. In a sample use case we saw, the players mentioned during coverage of a high school football game did not respond to tweets while they were on the field. A network bot that was monitoring the feed misinterpreted this as bullying behavior, and automatically blocked the application’s access to the Twitter platform. Reinstatement required filing an appeal through the support team, and the outage lasted for several hours.
The situation that caused the outage was innocent, accidental, and in compliance with the spirit of Twitter’s policies. But Twitter is dealing with these issues on an enormous scale and is forced to automate their processes. Over 143,000 applications were suspended in Q118 alone.
To address this policy change, Brightcove Social will not allow @mentions when publishing tweets. The Brightcove Social user interface will detect the condition and issue an error with recommendations and an explanation. @mentions will be converted to #mentions for tweets published using Autosync. The impact for the users is that the tweets will not automatically appear in the feed of the mentioned party. This will go into effect on 11/19/18.
While not ideal, this change protects all Brightcove Social users from inadvertent and unplanned shutdowns. If you have any concerns, please contact your account manager.
For more information about the Twitter policies, please read The Twitter Rules.
On Thursday, October 18, 2018, we held an event titled “A Must-See for B2B Companies! The Key Points of Video Marketing and the Latest Case Studies” in collaboration with Human Centrics, a video production company. In the first part of the event, Mr. Okazawa from Human Centrics gave a talk on “The Latest Video Utilization in Companies and Future Video Production”.
Traditional publishers who embark on an online video strategy tend to quickly realize that they are wading into unfamiliar territory. Operating from a traditional print standpoint is an entirely different ball game than running an online digital business.
When publishers think about monetizing their online properties, revenue sharing is often a quick-fix solution to a complex revenue decision. Here are the top three reasons why revenue sharing is one of the worst business strategies for publishers looking to build a sustainable business online.
The old adage goes that if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Video content is an important strategy for digital publishers as a means to drive audience engagement and monetization. With the likes of YouTube, DailyMotion, and Vimeo all offering revenue share options, publishers may not realize the extent to which they are relinquishing a certain level of control of their businesses to these companies — leaving their business and revenue outcomes at the whim of any changes these companies make to their platforms, publishing technologies, or policies.
When publishers adopt a revenue share model, they often come to a decision that an in-house sales team is redundant. Without an in-house sales team, the publisher relies solely on the revenue share platforms to fulfill its sales targets. Any illusion of true partnership is lost when the platform partner fails to sell enough inventory or does not meet sales targets. The only revenue streams available on these platforms are through programmatic sales. In the current Asian market, programmatic-sourced revenues form only a fraction of the total available advertiser revenue.
Even though many of these platforms offer content owners the opportunity to sell against their own content, there is a pain and risk associated with this scenario. Pain, as in often-taxing reporting responsibilities, or risk, as in owing a fixed CPM to a platform that permits the publisher to sell inventory.
Publishers are beginning to understand that in addition to their content, their user data is one of their most valuable assets. User data drives content, distribution, and monetization strategies and more granular user data drives more personalized, targeted ads, which lead to higher CPMs and performance. When using a video platform with a revenue share model, such as those offered by Youtube, DailyMotion, Vimeo, and Verizon, publishers are often handing over ALL of their valuable user data. With Brightcove, user data remains solely with the publisher — and this can be monetized throughout each user’s life cycle.
When publishers are served by revenue share-centric video platforms (RSPs) which focus on serving the masses, any publisher is one of many. These platforms are unlikely to create any custom experiences for a single publisher, because their focus is to only invest in innovation if it benefits all of their customers. By definition, publishers will not be able to differentiate. There is no incentive for the RSPs to further their roadmap as a means to evolve a publisher’s business.
So how does a publisher gain a competitive edge? There is no edge. Developing a publisher’s own unique user experience is not aligned with the RSP’s product strategy.
Brightcove actively maintains integrations with a number of hand-picked technology platforms that our customers can leverage (in many cases free of charge) to enhance their business offerings. For example, Brightcove has integrations with third-party ad tech companies, recommendation engines, interactivity tools, and analytics platforms. Brightcove offers a stronger partner ecosystem for publishers to integrate with than provided by RSPs.
Because RSPs operate on the basis of a one-size-fits-all approach, the ability to differentiate as a media brand is significantly compromised for the publisher. If a publisher wants to differentiate — be it by changing the UI, or adding regional-specific payment gateways like AliPay or WeChatPay, or adding regionally relevant social integrations like Line or WeChat — then that would be a change request which would prove to be costly.
For RSPs, improving the UI or adding new features will inevitably become a sticking point between the vendor and publisher if significant revenues are not being generated. And it is not a priority nor part of the RSP’s roadmap to productize such features.
The more YOU earn from ads, the more RSPs earn as well. In other words, publishers are ceding control of their revenues to third parties. With Brightcove, as your video streaming volumes increase, the per unit delivery costs come down so the percentage you pay (the overall revenue vs. the Brightcove cost) is not tied into ad revenue, nor is the percentage fixed as it would be for those revenue share models. It’s worth noting that a revenue share strategy often leads to a significant amount of unsold inventory, leading to disappointing revenue outcomes.
Revenue share models often will lock a publisher into utilizing a limited set of features that the RSP offers (i.e. mainly integrations with their own platforms) with little ability to influence their roadmap. Publishers also need to be cautious that RSPs do not have the ability to glean additional insights into their audience through these platforms.
BE SMART: As ad dollars shift online, premium online video offers a new revenue stream for online publishers. This means that publishers who are embracing digital need to retain complete control of their platforms in order to maximize their revenues.
BE BOLD: There is absolutely no doubt that premium video content is attracting an increasing amount of advertising spend. Now is NOT the time for publishers to be afraid of this exciting new world. They should find partners to help them grow, not partners whose brand goals are misaligned or may actually be competitive with their own.
OWN YOUR BRAND: Content is the product that viewers seek and publishers should continue to invest in. They should present their content in an environment that strengthens their own publishing brand, and not be at the mercy of global corporations who tend to be indifferent about local market requirements.
The reality of today’s workforce is that most people have only 1% of a typical work week to focus on training and development. With fragmented working hours and increased flexibility, maximizing the time employees have for learning and training by making these programs more engaging and efficient is critical.
Video is all about engaging audiences and creating content that makes a lasting impression, so it’s no wonder more and more organizations are turning towards communication videos for corporate learning.
So, where should you start?
There’s a common misconception that using video removes the ‘human element’ that comes with onboarding or trainings. This is not true. In fact, video creates a more personalized training experience, as well as informs a two-way dialogue.
Think about how you’d typically introduce a new tool within a company. An all-hands in-person training session would usually take place to upskill the team. But this is something that can be quickly substituted with training videos for employees. You can set up a dedicated video destination using Brightcove Gallery that allows users to easily search and browse for related content in one place. That way employees can participate at their own pace, when it best suits their schedule, and refer back to lessons with ease.
There’s also the option to introduce interactive elements into this video content like quizzes to test participants’ knowledge, or chapterization so it’s easy to flip through to relevant sections based on personal needs. This approach encourages employees to be more active within the training and assists in retaining information.
Plus, you can also use live streaming for trainings, connecting employees together from across the company. Live stream video can be easily powered by Brightcove Live, allowing for cross-country training sessions or company town halls that are enjoyable to watch and participate in.
Measurement is critical in order to track and improve engagement with customers, so it makes sense to place the same emphasis on tracking this with employees as well. A video-centric platform lets you analyze the way employees interact throughout a video by tracking which employees watch which videos, total views per video, viewed minutes, and the percentage of content viewed. This data can then be used to inform future video content based on individual and employee needs, which can range from shifting content in trainings to tracking how employees are actually implementing new skills.
If you need help visualizing what implementing these changes could be like, look at Wendy’s. One of the world’s largest franchise organizations, Wendy’s uses video to drive its internal communications and training programs for all constituencies. By creating its own intranet portal, the company can remain connected through video communications announcing news, updates, and vital corporate information. Plus, it also utilizes livestream video, delivering real-time footage of meetings and conventions to be viewed across the company.
When employees have minimal hours dedicated to training, it’s important to make the most of that time. Bringing in video enables a holistic, consistent, personalized, and engaging training experience that traditional methods can’t. It removes physical and time barriers while personalizing touch points throughout the training process.
Muay Thai, the national combat sport of Thailand, has found its niche on mobile. Bangkok Broadcasting & TV (BBTV), the parent company of Channel 7HD Thailand recently launched MUAYTHAI7, delivering live Muay Thai fights to fans around the world via a mobile app powered by Brightcove.
BBTV’s Channel 7HD is one of the longest-running broadcasters in Thailand, airing Muay Thai fights since 1970. Every Sunday is prime time as hundreds of fans flock to the stadium to watch the fights live. By going mobile, MUAYTHAI7 has circumvented geographic limitations, expanded BBTV’s market share and unlocked an untapped revenue stream via paid subscriptions.
By using Brightcove Video Platform, BBTV’s Channel 7HD can now live stream matches across an intuitive interface, optimized for performance and quality at scale, and get industry-leading support before, during, and after their fights. The broadcaster can also deliver high-quality streams across multiple devices and platforms, as well as across the big screen by using Chromecast for Android and AirPlay for iOS.
MUAYTHAI7 is now available on iTunes App Store and Google Play.
As one of the world’s premier destinations for neurosurgery and neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute provides top-quality care for those suffering from brain and spine diseases, disorders, and injuries. Not to mention, the medical center performs more neurosurgeries annually than any other hospital in the United States. The institute also plays host to the country’s largest neurosurgery residency program.
Impressive statistics aside, Barrow’s guiding philosophy of unparalleled patient care has prompted program administrators to implement state-of-the-art live stream video, giving patients and their families the opportunity to educate themselves on treatments and other underutilized therapies.
In April and May of 2018, Dr. Francisco Ponce performed deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery on John Wagner, a patient suffering from unrelenting tremors due to Parkinson’s disease. Because the therapy isn’t typically performed in the United States, many people, like Wagner, have instant reservations. But Ponce says that shouldn’t be the case. “This therapy is neither experimental nor a treatment of last resort, but it is underutilized,” says Ponce. Coordinators from Barrow’s DBS program provided John and his wife, Judy, all the education possible to put their minds at ease. Part of this educational curriculum: watching other live surgery videos. By the time the surgery came around, Judy was so comfortable putting her husband in the hands of Dr. Ponce, she didn’t even hesitate to watch the DBS surgery on the live stream.
While live streaming surgeries is certainly helpful for people like John and Judy, it also allows Barrow’s neurological residents additional opportunity for continued education. And in order to maintain the institute’s premier ranking, the innovation of live surgery streaming only helps propel its brand even further. That’s why Barrow chose to partner with the leading online video solutions provider, Brightcove.
With the Brightcove platform in place, Barrow not only has the means to manage and distribute video efficiently across its website and social media channels; it also has the most powerful technology to distribute live surgery video to fellow doctors, residents, patients, and people curious about neurosurgery in general. And thanks to Brightcove’s flexible video ecosystem and partner integrations, Barrow’s digital team can easily sync its content management system with the platform, creating an all-in-one solution for asset management.
In one instance, Barrow live streamed a surgical removal of an acoustic neuroma; the live stream was shared on the hospital’s website. The day before the surgery, over 27,000 Facebook and Twitter users clicked on promotional ads, bringing a tremendous uptick in traffic to the site. Within one month following the surgery, Barrow had already recorded over 40,000 viewers who had logged on to watch Dr. Randall Portell and Dr. Mark Syms do what they do best: save a life.
Putting on an event and then streaming it live is a big investment of time, money and creativity, so you want to ensure you reach as many people as possible. Once you’ve set up your live stream, built an audience, and run a successful event, your job isn’t finished—in fact, now is when the real work begins to maximize your return on investment. You’ll want to make the most of the content you’ve just created by turning it into video-on-demand assets.
When your event is over, make the stream available on demand on your website. The content can be gated, so that you can gather viewer information and analytics to be tied into your marketing automation stack. Consider breaking the video into chapters using an interactivity tool, so it’s easy for on-demand viewers to access the moments that are most relevant to them.
The entire stream of your event is a great asset, but you’ll need shorter clips too. Ideally, you were creating clips of memorable moments as they happened. If not, you can edit clips from your video afterward. Once your clips are captured, they can be shared across your social media channels, on your event landing page, and throughout brand promotions.
Your clips aren’t the only content that you can leverage after an event ends. It’s common that as an event ticks down to the closing minutes, not everyone will have a chance to get their questions answered. Use that to your advantage by continuing to engage your audience on social media. Collect the questions that weren’t answered, and create a social post for LinkedIn or Facebook with each question included as a comment on the post. Panelists can reply to the comments with their answers.
