I was recently at a client meeting during the lunch hour and noticed quite a few staffers in their cubes watching mini-video news clips on the election and YouTube promos. Someone aptly called the event 'video snacking'.  I've heard this term for the last year or so but I have to tell you that I am intrigued - not only from a user perspective but from an advertising point of view.

I guess the midday spike in web traffic is not a new phenomenon and media companies have started responding in a meaningful way -- specifically over the last year. They are creating new shows and timing video posts to coincide with the noon hour. Moreover, advertisers are remapping the way they sell advertising online, recognizing that noontime programs can command a premium. 

Big Win for Advertisers 

From an advertiser’s perspective, the web is a more flexible medium than television, because technology makes it easy to monitor people’s behavior and adjust programming accordingly. Better still, marketers have found that consumers are up to 30 percent more likely to make a purchase after viewing an advertisement at lunchtime than at other times of the day. 

Video Snack Web Sites 

If you have a spare 10 minutes then this video snack web site will keep you entertained. They search out the very best short bite size video on the net. Funny informative, must see clips. Enjoy! 

Using Video Snacking as a Lead Generator 

Video snacking isn’t limited to work computers. With the growing popularity of portable media players, people are video snacking wherever and whenever time permits offering marketers opportunities for both consumers and businesses. Consider providing a coupon or snack to anyone that watches your video over the noon hour - go one step further and offer a viral coupon so that office workers share it with others.  Win/win for everyone!

Best,

Denice MacDonald