Association Studios staff and friends recently attended the "2010 Big Champagne Bash" held at Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, Florida.  The event benefited Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend.  Association Studios' staff member, Maurice Moulton, was on the planning committee for this spectacular night of bountiful bubbly, beautiful people, delectable hors d’oeuvres, dancing, a boudoir photo booth, prize giveaways and more. 

Internet video marketing is the growing craze of online advertising. Many businesses are turning to meet the demands and needs of consumers who prefer web video to gather information over other methods. If you are a business who is looking for more creative ways to promote your products and services, here are a few basic reasons of how internet video marketing can boost your traffic and sales.

Online videos have proven to be highly effective and more reliable in relationship to returns on investments rather than the dreaded pop up ads that are blocked, advertising banners, and other tools. Internet video marketing is an excellent tool for bringing your products and services to true life. When used creatively you will get the engagement of your traffic.

Top search engines are weighing videos with a higher relevancy over the sites that don’t have video at all. Businesses of all sizes are realizing this and are jumping on board to capitalize on reaching this new audience of online viewers. A high quality online video will not only draw more customers to your message, it helps you stand apart from your competition. Using video quickly will help you capture your share of the market fast and plunge forward in a competitive marketplace.  How do you you turn a video into an extremely powerful form of online advertising?

Here are some best practices and tips you should incorporate when developing your video campaign.

You think your car radio is broken because it doesn't display the name of the song and the artist. You tap a word on a paperback and wonder why the definition doesn't automatically pop up. You swipe a digit across the screen of your cell phone and all you get are fingerprint smudges.

Then you remember: That isn't a satellite radio. You're reading an actual book, not a Kindle. It's not a smart phone, it's a dumb one. You were expecting the cool capabilities of new technology--from old technology.

“It used to be we wanted to keep up with the Joneses,” says Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World. “Today all we want is to keep up with our gadgets. Technology pervades every aspect of our lives. Our touchscreen existence has literally rewired our brains. Our behavior is also informed by the technology we use. We tap, ping, and Skype [download], all day long.”

So sometimes we get a little flummoxed when confronted by something that isn't digital--like a door that actually requires a key, or a book whose pages don't turn by themselves, or a TV that plays shows in real time with no skipping past the commercials.

Is this a common problem, or are we just spoiled geeks? We asked around. Turns out we're not the only ones who regularly have out-of-technology experiences. Click here to read about some typical ones reported from PC World.

Facebook Inc. on Wednesday issued its own eye-popping status update: The world's most popular social networking site had surpassed 500 million users.

And now, the Internet phenomenon that has transformed how the world communicates is eyeing another distinction — connecting one out of every seven human beings on the planet.

The 6-year-old firm is already the most popular social networking site but aspires to reach 1 billion members. At its current growth rate, it could reach that goal within a year.

Read the entire article reported from the Los Angeles Times here.

Congratulations to the Florida Society of Association Executives for another successful event!  View the Hangover parody played during the closing night reception below.

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Adobe Systems has started work to bring 3D to its Flash platform, and will preview the technology at the company's upcoming developer conference in October.

A session titled "Flash Player 3D Future" will outline a future version of Flash that will be capable of playing 3D content, according to a program listing for the Adobe Max 2010 trade show, which will be held in Los Angeles Oct. 23-27.

The session will take "a deep dive into the next-generation 3D API coming in a future version of Flash Player," according to the listing. The Flash Player is available as a browser plug-in that allows users to play games or view multimedia content. Google's YouTube uses Flash for video distribution on its Web site.

Adobe already offers tools for 3D animation in Flash, but the new platform could bring richer 3D experiences. This could be an important development as games and videos are increasingly produced in 3D. 

Read the entire article here.

Internet TV is fast coming into its own, as high-profile players announce products that promise to change the way consumers digest video content. 

Google is rolling out services with partners like Sony this year that will blend streams from the internet and broadcast programming on television screens.

Hulu, the popular online video site, recently unveiled plans for a paid service that will deliver broadcast shows over the internet to computers, TVs, the iPhone and iPad, as well as several gaming consoles.

Meanwhile, Sonic Solutions struck a deal with Sears Holdings to provide its retail customers online rentals and downloads of movies and TV shows over an assortment of internet-connected devices.

The approaches vary, but they all present alternatives to what most of us have come to think of as normal: Paying to pipe in a handful of channels we want -- along with hundreds we don't -- in order to watch the few programs we're interested in, largely at the time we're told.

Read the full article here.

Goodbye YouTube software app, hello YouTube Web app. Google aims to kill off the YouTube mobile software app with a better mobile Web version compatible with iPhone and Android phones. The new YouTube mobile Web site was introduced Wednesday for smartphones and uses higher-quality HMTL5 video, a more polished user interface, and features video search suggestions.

For more, including key differences with the web app as well as new advantages, click here.

The 2010 FSAE Annual Conference is approaching quickly.  Take a look at how FSAE used internet video to keep members informed and excited about the upcoming events!

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If you were creating your dream wireless device what would it look like? Two cameras and video chat so you can say goodnight to your children when you are away on a business trip? Simultaneous voice and data, so you can call in your take-out order while you look at their menu on the Internet? The ability to plug your phone into your HDTV, so you can let your children finish the movie they started watching in the car's backseat when you get home? And a huge screen for watching the videos you download in seconds -- not minutes -- with the fastest wireless data speeds available in America today? Stop daydreaming and get ready for Sprint (NYSE: S) to make your dreams come true on June 4 when the highly anticipated HTC EVO 4G debuts.

The critics agree that HTC EVO 4G is this summer's must-have wireless experience as it continues to win their accolades and endorsements.  "HTC EVO 4G is a fantastic 3G device, but when you use it in our growing 4G coverage area, it becomes a multimedia powerhouse," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "The EVO 4G experience is much like going from TV to HDTV. But EVO has more than just an impressive list of features -- it is also fun to use with remarkable gaming, video and web-browsing capabilities."

With the launch of HTC EVO 4G, Sprint customers will be able to enjoy capabilities they have never experienced before with a new video chat service from Qik. The two-way voice and video capability will be available as an upgrade to the preloaded Qik app on HTC EVO 4G to enable conversational, interactive, real-time sharing between mobile devices or from mobile-to-desktop.

Read more about the HTC EVO in the complete Wallstreet Journal article here. 

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Check out the latest highlight from this years North American Veterinarian Conference in Orlando, Florida! 

Unless you have been on another planet, you have probably noticed the incredible surge of video on websites and blogs. Internet videos are not the future, they are now! So let's look into why you should be creating inexpensive and easy internet videos to promote your company. 

Everyone knew it was going to come eventually, but Skype finally announced that the latest version of its video-calling software will now support HD-quality VoIP calls. But that’s not all — Skype is also planning to partner with Panasonic and LG to eventually bring the HD video calls to Internet-compatible TV’s, too.

That means that you don’t have to sit in front of your PC when you have to take or make a Skype call — now you can do so right in your living room.  Skyping on your HDTV will be possible later this year.

You’ll need an HD webcam to make video calls on your HDTV, though, and Skype will be unveiling a line of HD webcams very soon. The FV Touchcam N1 will be available next month for an estimated $70 to $100, and the FreeTalk HD Pro ($120) will hit virtual shelves the month after.

It’s great to see Skype making their already great VoIP service even better.

Read more about Skype To Bring HD Video Calls To Internet TV’s by Coolest Gadget Reviews

Two primary drivers of technology today are video and the internet. Video anywhere and the mobile internet have now entered into a new technology cycle and are poised for explosive growth for many years. A new technology cycle will last about 10 years which means there will be tremendous wealth creation opportunities in video and the mobile internet for about 8 more years.

This technology sector should garner outsized relative gains as the mobile internet market develops and a large portion of incremental profits go to companies that drive innovation and gain scale. Companies with the foresight to combine superior video technology into their mobile internet products stand to potentially see the greatest success. 

For the full article and a brief overview into video and the mobile internet, the primary drivers in the new technology cycle, click here.

I don't care how you look at that, 21.4 Billion videos is an impressive number. Read the Todd Spangler article here.

Interesting stats from a Gavin O'Malley article...

"The duration of the average online video was 3.7 minutes, while the average online video viewer watched about 500 minutes of video, or 8.3 hours, according to the research company." Check out his article, The Whole World Is Watching (Online Video).

So how many videos did you watch? Better yet, how many did you upload?

It doesn't look like things are going to be getting any easier for movie retailers like Blockbuster or Hollwood Movies. According to the   article, Internet-Enabled TVs Threaten DVDs, Physical Formats, Internet-enabled TVs are expected to represent 24% of TV sales by 2013.

It kind of makes you wonder what all the fuss was about between blu-ray and HD DVD doesn't it?

Leave it to Google, the folks that pioneered popular revenue sharing models such as Google AdWords and Google AdSense. Now they're ready to split a little revenue with you if your video "goes viral".

Check out the article, YouTube to share ad money with video makers of unexpected internet hits.

"Just when you've traded up to a flat-screen and figured out HD, a new trend is poised to cause major ripples in the market: Internet-ready TVs."

"Several TV manufacturers, among them LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, currently have or will soon introduce models that are Web-enabled, meaning viewers can watch a show and simultaneously look online to get news, view photos -- even check out what Ashton Kutcher is blabbing about on Twitter."

Check out Reed Tucker's article in USA Weekend Magazing by clicking here.

Seeing Internet, and inparticular Internet video flourish on handheld devices is a personal favorite of mine. This was an important step for Verizon to compete against AT&T.

Check out the Information Week article on their website here.

It's always enjoyable to read an article about increasing Internet video usage on the web, even if it's predictable. Unless you've been living under a rock we all know Internet video is just begining and will continue to rise.

From the Mike Sachoff article on webpronews.com:

"More than 157 million U.S. Internet users viewed online video during the month of June, the largest audience recorded for a single month, according to a new report from comScore."

Check out the latest figures and the rest of the article here.

You have a Roku box? Probably not but hundreds of thousands of people do. Roku   allows you to stream movies and TV episodes from Amazon and and Netflix directly   over the Internet. This isn't brand new technology, but in fact just taking off. Roku just   announced it will be streaming Major League Baseball games.  

Learn more about Roku at roku.com.

Read Dan Frommer's interesting article, "Cable's Grip On The Living Room Is Getting Weaker" by clicking here.

What's interesting about this article is that it suggest that viewers, especially young adults, are watching entire full length movies and TV shows on the Internet. From the article by Geoff Duncan:

"The digital video revolution is no longer centered on short clips via YouTube; it is becoming an important distribution channel where any type of full-length video can be instantly accessed for immediate consumption without a fee."

Read the rest of Geoff Duncan's article by clicking here.

No real surprise here, especially after buying Youtube for $1.6b. Now Google has announced it's buying On2 for $106.5m. On2 produces video compresion technology which Google is looking to integrate into its Chrome browser, its Android mobile operating system, and possibly into Youtube.

Catch the latest article, "Google bolsters internet video" by David Gelles by clicking here.

*On another note, we're not saying Association Studios is for sale, but if Larry Page or Sergey Brin calls we're answering the phone. :)

It doesn't get much more straight forward than this...

"Fully 62% of adult internet users have watched online video on a video-sharing website, a   figure that has nearly doubled from 33% in 2006, according to a research report (pdf) from   the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life project, which also found that 19% of   online adults use video-sharing sites on a typical day (compared with 8% in 2006)."

This article references the Pew Internet & American Life Project that I mentioned in a post   here.

Read the article on Seeking Alpha by clicking here.

 We couldn't be any more excited to partner with the South Carolina Society of Association Executives (SCSAE) to bring first class Internet video communications to SCSAE members.

We're looking forward to becoming a productive member of the South Carolina association community.

 If you're wondering if your members are watching videos on-line, you might want to read this Gavin O'Mally article published today on mediapost.com which summarizes a recent report from the Nielsen Co.

"The number of U.S. consumers who frequent online video destinations has climbed 339% since 2003, while time spent on video sites has shot up almost 2,000% over the same period. In the last year alone, unique viewers of online video grew 10%, while the number of streams grew 41%, the streams per user grew 27%, and the total minutes engaged with online video grew 71%." - Online Media Daily

We always have a great time working with Associated Industries of Florida. They allow us to show off a bit and have lots of fun. Like most session updates, this video is shot against a green screen in our studio using a virtual set. Watch all the videos on AIFtv.

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Check out this interesting article today from the Washington Post. If nothing else it simply confirms what most of us already know, the Internet is an increasingly popular choice for your members to seek information that effects them.

More Than Half of Americans Using Internet for Political News and Activities

Jose Antonio Vargas, Washington Post April 15, 2009

For us, the 2009 legislative session has been everything we thought it would be... maybe a little more. We knew the intense amount of shooting and editing would push us to work harder than ever before, and it has. In the first half of the session, Association Studios has created over 100 videos for our subscribers. That kind of output requires a lot of team work and dedication to get the job done.

Personally, I am very proud of the work being done by the Association Studios team. There are few things more rewarding than seeing your team come together to serve our subscribers and achieve challenging goals. That said we know we are only half way through and that we are nothing if we don't finish even stronger than how we've started. From the entire Association Studios team we are committed to creating the best videos we possibly can for you.

What an exciting and fun year! We hope that you get a chance to unwind a little bit with your loved ones this season.

Association Studios is proud to launch it's new corporate philanthropy program. The program is designed to help non-profit organizations promote events and create awarness for their organization and cause.

Currently under this program, each member of the Association Studios team selects an organization and Association Studios will go to work with its full resources to create impactful videos.

If you would like to suggest a non-profit organization for this program please contact community@AssociationStudios.com.