Usability standards have changed

Think back to that indelible image from the hey-day of television: little Timmy lying on the living room floor cradling his head in his hands, mouth agape just taking it all in.

Even though the Timmy of today might lie down with a tablet, or glued to a hand-held device, for the most part, he’s still a passive viewer. We haven’t come as far as you’d expect and, critically, we haven’t come as far as existing technology permits us.

Social media platforms and content streaming companies are shifting the paradigm, turning the Timmys of this generation into active users. That’s a massive shift. Look at the way TikTok and Netflix (with 2018’s choose-your-own-adventure film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) are transforming the viewer experience. Yet much of the market at enterprise level still delivers content geared towards that passive, mouth-agape viewer.

Interactivity is nothing new. The gaming industry has grown into a $150 billion money-spinner through increasingly complex interactivity. Small elements have crept into video content, like YouTube cards, but the opportunity has yet to be fully exploited.

The problem for brands is that when game changers like TikTok and Netflix set new usability standards, they shift the needle and viewer expectations change. Of course, as they say, every problem is just an opportunity in disguise.

Let’s say Timmy 2020 is a keen TikTokker, accustomed to interacting with videos but the content from his favorite brands is still a passive, one-way experience. Brands willing to leverage the usability standard set by other channels, delivering interactive video content at scale, will cut through.
Hence why Vudoo exists.Brands looking to innovate using Vudoo interactive video are wildly diverse, like Politix, a youth fashion label, and the Australian Taxation Office. But they have a commonality: they’ve identified the need to create content that meets the standards of the channels their consumers are watching. They’re determined not to be one of the many that fall behind.

And because interactivity lets brands unlock content insights far beyond views, view times and percentile, there’s a lot more to gain. When you ask viewers to engage specifically at points in your content, you unlock data and studies show interactivity drives positive brand uplift and memorability.

Timmy is never going back to the living room to lay down and watch the world through black and white. It’s time to move on, before your customers do.

Ready to move on? Our Vudoo team is here to help, simply get in touch today for a chat.