The “Change Agents” panel — moderator Chris Gaither suggests it should be called “the elephants in the room” — is underway and Google’s Jennifer Feikin, director of multimedia search, already has tackled one of the items on her “to do” list: managing expectations for Google Video. She’s stressing the early stages of the Video Store, something that didn’t come across in Larry Page’s hyped intro at CES. “We always get our products out very early in the develolment cycle … High scrutiny of the product doesn’t necessarily change how we release products,” she explained, adding that the practice allows them to improve based on actual user interaction. “We have a lot of learning that we’ve gotten even in first couple of weeks,” she said. Some of what they’ve learned so far:
– Users want a browser experience. “It’s been very search-based to date; we’re starting to have more of a browse experience.” The home page was relaunched Tuesday as a first answer to that issue.
– They need better merchandising and marketing around premium content.
— Users want portability across devices.
What wasn’t addressed: Intense users of Google products are familiar with the eternal beta concept but there’s no telling how many of the grazers who were turned off by the initial issues with Google Video Store — delayed launch, small amount of preimum programs, bare-bones appearance, etc. — will try again.
Feikin’s comments follow Google VP Marissa Mayer’s admission to Bloomberg News earlier this week that Google made “a big mistake” with the launch. “You can’t come out and launch a product like Google Video and say ‘CSI’ and ‘Survivor’ are there if they’re not on the home page.”
NATPE conference coverage is sponsored by Brightcove.
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