Hitviews Pro: Web-Celebrity Endorsements are Authentic, Credible & Valuable - Walter Sabo - MediaBizBloggers

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Cover image for  article: Hitviews Pro: Web-Celebrity Endorsements are Authentic, Credible & Valuable - Walter Sabo - MediaBizBloggers

Smart brands are discovering new celebrity endorsers among emerging online video celebrities, many of whom gathered at their own convention recently in Los Angeles, attracting crowds of fans and brands eager to capitalize on this new wave of global personalities who are emerging from the Internet. And wait, yes there's more if you keep reading: Free Ice Cream!

While there have been several gatherings of web video “stars,” including one hosted in Manhattan in May 2008 by Hitviews, the first company to connect marketers and agencies to WebStars, this latest event was a fan convention. The stars attracted gaping and screaming crowds who lined up for autographs and photos. These fans emulate their favorite WebStars' purchases of fashions, electronics and entertainment.

Hitviews first started working with WebStars in July 2007 and has connected them and coordinated their online video campaigns for CBS, TiVo, FOX, Microsoft, Logitech, Sony, Universal Music, and more. Unlike “viral” videos, the videos created by WebStars for these marketers are more comparable to cinema advertising: the fans are already in their seats waiting for the videos. These talented stars know how to gather a large, loyal crowd online who are eagerly anticipating their next video release. Through Hitviews, marketers are tapping into this star-fan relationship.

WebStars make online videos that are a few minutes in length using their own talents, skills and resources. Their average video will pull 224,000 views in 72 hours compared with less than 300 views for most videos in their lifetime. Many stars have had over 500,000,000+ lifetime downloads of their videos.

Rabid Fan Clubs

It is not unusual for a WebStar to have over 1,000,000 e-mail addresses of their fans who are waiting to watch their next video. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the traditional fan club with the most members is Korean boy band, Dong Bang Shin Ki with 800,000 members. After about 15 years, New Kids On The Block has 200,000. By comparison, NigaHiga, a video WebStar has over 2,140,000 email registered fans.

Three Biggest Mistakes

When Hitviews started, we thought the first clients would be groovy brands who were too cool for school. That has not been the case. Our first round of clients were those who had tried to make their own online “viral” videos or tried to work directly with WebStars. Such brands typically suffered embarrassment and some executives were even fired for their blunders. Three of the many mistakes they made that killed viewership to their brand backed WebStar videos:

1. Erasing the star's authentic voice with a script from agency “creative.” Disaster. WebStars know how to relate to their audience. Hitviews has never handed a star a script. We give them the product, work up an entertainment vision with our Creative Officer thehill88/Caitlin Hill. As a result the star's credibility is shared with the brand instead of destroyed or camouflaged by Don Draper.

2. Deciding for the WebStar where to distribute their videos. Disaster. Surrounding a video with the wrong elements can destroy its impact and credibility. WebStars instinctively understand where and how to reach the best and largest audiences, and they do it very well.

3. HOLDING UP THE PRODUCT. Disaster.

At no time has Hitviews ever allowed a client make any of those mistakes because over three years ago we did an exhaustive study of what works and what doesn't to engage audiences with online videos. It's this knowledge and focus on representing the interests of both the marketer and the talent that has led to our exclusive relationship with many of the leading WebStars.

We have updated our research on effective online video advertising and we will be hosting a luncheon on the strategic secrets of online videos, including Q&A with our clients Hitviews' Chief Creative Officer, Caitlin Hill. If readers of Mediabizbloggers.com would like an invitation to this complimentary, exclusive luncheon (Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday August 3rd) please send me an email at Walter@hitviews.com before July 24th. (Yes, we will serve ice cream. It's August.) (Invitation subject to space availability)

Walter Sabo is the Founder and Creator of the business concept. He is an experienced leader of new organizations and is currently CEO of Hitviews. Walter can be reached at walter@hitviews.com.

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