It’s been over a year since we posted the piece called “The Future of Video Brochures” and we thought it was time to check in once again with this topic, and review how things have progressed in the last 12 months.
Screens
The two areas we looked at in depth were screens and wireless technology and how these could be used to improve the products. Bendable displays would have multiple uses with video brochure technology, allowing for more unique card shapes etc. Unfortunately, bendable displays haven’t really progressed an awful lot in the past year, particularly from a consumers perspective. The main issue has been durability and a company called Kateeva are working to bring these to the market. At the moment though, they aren’t quite there and so to implement them into video brochures, would mean conducting extensive research and the result at this stage, would most likely lead to a more expensive product.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been any progression in the area of screens. The past year saw high definition screens being made available at the same cost as the standard definition screens. This means that both the 5.0″ and 7.0″ screens are HD as standard. They were also joined this summer by a brand new 4.0″ HD screen and an added perk (other than the much better quality) is that the screens accept better file formats such as MP4 (whereas before they only accepted AVI files). The memory has increased as well, with all HD screens having a standard 512mb of memory as opposed to the previous screens, which had 256mb of memory. The 5.0″ HD screen also had an extra upgrade in that it is now an “All Angle” screen that has viewing angles similar to a smartphone or tablet.
These small improvements have made a big difference, bringing much better quality at no extra cost. As time progresses, there are sure to be more improvements in screen quality, both in function and visibly. Of course, we will be sure to let you know as and when they hit the market!
Wireless Technology
One of the other key areas we discussed last year was the inclusion of wireless technology. While this is something that could be used to help with measuring and tracking, there has not yet been a full proof solution. Wireless technology, while not exactly expensive, is still something that would bump up the costs quite significantly. Video brochures are not a cheap tool and so keeping the cost down is very important. As mentioned last year, there is the risk that trying to link video brochures with online services too much could result in the video brochure becoming a vehicle to deliver the online tool. Of course, that’s not to say that there isn’t a way to connect video brochures offline and online. There are many ways that would enhance the brochure campaign such as an app (also mentioned last year). Again, the major hinderance is cost.
There is a wifi option that people have tinkered with, but this is just a tablet PC wrapped in card and after much testing, it does not deliver the quality that is expected and as such, we don’t believe it is the best option for incorporating wifi into video brochures as it becomes simply a wrapped tablet, not a video brochure.
Exciting, Continued and Organic Growth
Video brochures are certainly not stagnant. They continue to evolve over time with the introduction of better and more capable screens, improved memory and the future is still looking extremely bright, which is exciting. We hear from lots of clients every day who very often present a new, unique use for video brochures which is fantastic as just when we think we’ve seen it all, someone finds another use for them. The growth feels organic, in that there are markets that haven’t yet even heard of video brochures but are starting to do so through an interesting way. One such market is the United States. We have worked with numerous companies who have a global reach and a common occurrence is that we will produce cards for their European office and then shortly after their launch, we hear from their US branch, or their Asian branch, or their Russian branch. A lot of the growth of video brochures can be attributed to them being distributed, capturing the interest and attention of the recipient and then that person getting in touch to have their own cards produced. It’s almost as if the video brochures market themselves!
It is a great thing to be involved in; being able to work with different companies from around the world to produce an innovative, unique and powerful marketing tool and as they continue to grow and develop, they will only bring more value to a businesses campaigns.
Keep in Touch, and we’ll be sure to let you know
Video brochures are our sole business and so we have a vested interest in making sure we are bringing only the best quality products to the market. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to keep up to date with all things video brochures and we’ll be sure to keep you posted on the latest developments and advancements.
As always, should you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.