Some companies have been burnt by viral video (and more will be) but an increasing number find it alluring. When marketing firm Deep Focus placed the trailer for “Scary Movie 4″ on YouTube, it drew more than 1 million views in a week; the “Clerks II” trailer had 150,000 views in two days. That’s bupkus compared to the amount of views a traditional commercial might get, but the online video is being watched by people who are proactive, who have been sent a link by someone they trust or find the video on sites they trust. Anheuser-Busch’s advertising on JibJab includes links to download iPod-viewable collections of its Bud Light commercials and ways to share. It’s not too dissimilar from the viral marketing that was all the buzz a couple of years ago; the greatest difference beyond increased access is the central access point video sites provide. It’s not the best alternative for all companies, say, for instance, those that demand control of the environment where their material appears.
The sites carry some of the risk. Get too commercial and users may feel alienated. YouTube CEO Chad Hurley told USA Today the company is expecting ad revenues for the first half of this year but worries about the alienation factor.
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