Adding Rich and Streaming Media into the mix

As users become increasingly familiar with audio-visual content delivered through their PCs, the opportunities for problem-solving via the web have expanded for business people. There has been a rapid increase in the use of rich and streaming media to generate leads, stimulate and facilitate knowledge transfer, deliver e-learning and provide stakeholder communications.

Interview with Charlie Blackburn, Co-Founder & Chairman, BrightTALK

What is rich and streaming media?

Both terms have been around for a while and originally they started out as separate techniques. Rich media usually refers to audio visually, or interactively, enhanced content. The interactivity is provided by the user making choices within the content window. These choices provide the navigation through the pre-recorded movies, animations or images. Streaming media refers to a continuous stream of data that is being sent to your computer. Most often this is video and audio content, and most people who watch, for example, news broadcasts on their computer will be watching streaming media. These two techniques are finally beginning to merge so that we can deliver more intuitive, and natural, user experiences.

Is it commonly used in B2B and if so how is it being used?

Sophisticated rich media experiences, like those you find on the leading consumer brand sites, are expensive to develop, so you tend to find less ambitious examples in B2B that meet the available budgets. Streaming media historically has tended to be used to solve specific problems, for example, providing financial results to hundreds of disparate investors. As users get used to more audio and video on their computer, so to has the range of problems business people want to solve. Now you will find rapidly increasing use of rich and streaming media to generate customer leads, provide customer service, deliver e-learning, and provide stakeholder communications. It is still a business problem specific solution and should not be treated as a brand and communications ‘panacea’. Obviously you must know if your target audience can watch your beautifully crafted rich content. Reasons why people cannot receive are varied, for example, some of the high street banks block most streams from crossing their firewalls, and some organisations, like Law firms, frown on their employees being seen to be wearing headphones in the office, when they should be ‘working’. Over time these technologies will be fully available to everyone as they are too important to be ignored.

What differentiates rich and streaming media from the other online tools available to B2B marketers?

There are three clear advantages of these technologies and they all relate to the critical blend of technology and people.

Differentiation. For many companies their people are truly the only source of difference. Rich and streaming media are the difference, between monochrome and colour, in their ability to share people’s experience, insights and passions. We know that in many buying situations this will be the key decision.

Live. Company websites can be dull things, full of the providers jargon, brochures and me-too-isms. However delivering live experiences, rather that static content, where people can get real time answers to their questions are energising for the company and their audiences. For example, getting sales to help recruit and audience for a live ‘show’ is a great way for marketing to involve their sales colleagues in the lead generation process.

Measurement. Page impressions and unique monthly visitors are interesting overall metrics but specifically are these suppliers preparing to pitch unwanted services, competitors copying your services or recruiters trying to name your best people. Streaming media, especially live events, allow you to track who is consuming and most importantly, for how long are they consuming your media. Most business people are tremendously busy and measuring time is the simplest way to their level of engagement with you.

What do audiences get out of it?

Audiences get a couple things. One, they get their travel time back. Gone are the days when a trip to a meeting or a conference was a way to escape the daily work pressures. Travelling has become and nightmare, mobiles keep us available but in a highly unproductive environment, and bosses prefer us to be in the office most of the time. Using your computer to access content that you normally have to travel to, is valuable to your customers. Secondly we can increase the quality of the content by bringing experts and thought leaders to a wider audience. If we also make easier for key note speakers to present from their own offices, then we are truly offering value to presenters and audiences.

What are the benefits for Advertisers?

Lead generation was described, rather politically incorrectly, as the crack cocaine of business. We have seen a single event generate over 5,000 named people, with company and email contact details, many of whom consumed an hour of content, all of whom agreed to be contacted by the sponsor. We think this is powerful. We also see it as a cost effective way of reaching large audiences. The ability to archive material is also valued by executives who guard their time jealously. A single product launch oriented piece of media can be watched by customers and internal audiences alike. All of this reduces the time demands of the ‘talent’.

How can agencies and companies add rich and streaming media into their mix?

There are some things people can do easily, as they do them already in print and at events. These include event organising, storyline development, brand tone of voice and development of visual imagery. To add rich media you typically need providers who have the hosting and tracking systems to deliver the large audio visual files. Video on the web is different from offline delivery and many production houses do not yet have the encoding skills for web delivered content, so you many want an online specialist production company. Live is also very much a specialist skill and you would definitely want someone who is comfortable having 500 of your best customers sitting at their computer waiting for the event to start!

Biography of Charlie Blackburn

Charlie has 18 years experience in Systems Integration and during his career has held various management positions. Initially he spent 8 years at Accenture, and then four years at Pyramid Imaging in San Francisco . While at Pyramid Charlie set up the Investment Banking practice and ran the New York office. Charlie then joined Scient, the eBusiness Consultancy, and as VP of Europe had responsibility for building their London , Munich and Paris offices.