Every once in a while you see something that catches you off guard in how amazing it is and how it will revolutionize the way something is done. Today is one such day. On his Facebook Page Mark Zuckerberg announced the 360 Video for Facebook. You can see the video above and if you’re like me, it took you a second to realize that the person with the camera isn’t holding it at a horrible angle but that you control the angle you’re seeing it at. If you haven’t done so yet, stop reading for a moment and move the camera by holding down the cursor on the video and dragging it in one direction or another. Once you’re done that just take a moment to really think about what this means for video marketing.
Alright … now that we’ve all taken a moment to really digest how awesome the technology is I’m going to give you a few things to think about regarding how this will impact marketing. Here’s what’s on the horizon:
- Videos are about to be inherently engaging
- The best videos will require higher end equipment again meaning professionals will once more have the advantage (at least in the short term)
- Contests and even CAPTCHAs can require answers to questions that aren’t even visible on the screen on load
- You will need to up your game. It won’t be long until this is what’s expected.
- This is just the beginning. Already questions are being asked about chaining together 360 videos to create a 3D environment where the viewer can control both space and time in their exploration of an environment.
- Connect this with the new Oculus Rift (need I mentioned it’s owned by Facebook) and imagine the environment you’ll be accessing.
At the end of the day this is a clear competitor to Google’s 360 YouTube channel launched last March but to me the marketing capabilities here and the direct connection and timing with 3D viewing environments gives Facebook the win in both marketability and impact on technology. Mr. Zuckerberg … you may have been behind Google on execution but congratulations – I have a hunch you’ll be leading the way from here on out.
And marketers … watch this space very closely. Now is the time to come up with original ideas.