Great article by Jim Meskauskas in I Media connection talking about the value of online video compared to the traditional method of TV advertising. One of the big predictions of last year was a cataclysmic shift in advertising budgets from TV to online. Some talked of an 89% increase in online video ad spending. So we are already into March. Have we seen that shift. No. Jim compared online video to soccer in America. It is predicted to be popular, everyone assumes that it is being strongly supported, but where are all the fans? The drawback to online video advertising from an advertiser standpoint seems to be that it is difficult to measure. The success of a campaign cannot be monitored in the same way as TV, so people are suspicious.

But the growing reach of online video cannot be ignored. I did a search today on Google for “shoes”. The number 2 and 3 listings were a Youtube video of some band. If sketchers had done some video optimization and rocketed to the top of Google with a catchy watchable commercial, I think someone would be getting a raise.