Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

Digitally, habits between the generations vary. While Gen Yers tend to focus on entertainment and communication, older generations prefer utility and information. So, when I came across Jack Welch's latest online endeavor, Everybody's Business on MSN, I was pleased to see how it bridged entertainment and utility for a Boomer audience.

From a strategic lens, the site is nothing short of exceptional. First, the content is compelling. Jack and his wife, Suzy, are two of the most respected business thought-leaders. And in their web series, they lend their expertise to companies interested in launching new products or services; companies such as Hertz and Dominos. The show takes users on a journey - into the board room, into the back offices, and onto production lines to see how the companies operate and how the business is driven forward. It's like the Apprentice, except from the perspective of senior management instead of marketers on the ground.

Second, the delivery of the content is brilliant. The experience caters to someone that's an information hound. It takes into account that people will likely poke around the site; so as users explore, the video player reacts by pausing and allowing previews of upcoming scenes.

Here are a few reasons why this experience is a best-in-class example of delivering content through an engaging and interactive manner:

Integrated Polling: Viewers participate in polls every few minutes. They appear over the video as it plays, and then shows the results of the community after you enter a vote.

Dynamic content delivery: To the right of the video player, a box presents relevant content to the discussion in the video. For example, as different people speak, it gives their background and some information about their objectives. This experience is like a modern-day take of VH-1's pop-up videos - delivering interesting information that can't be voiced-over.

Smart Previews: Similar to Hulu, the video player allows viewers to preview scenes to come by holding down the scroll bar. Another great feature is that the videos in the Extras section will play in-place when users simply put their mouse over them. These smart previewing options result in a higher completion rate of videos while still feeding the impulse of viewers to explore.

Extras: These "behind the scenes" clips deliver an experience similar to director's commentary. Viewers can see footage that was left on the cutting room floor and get a deeper understanding of each of the executives at the company.

Automatic Pausing: When users engage with content, the video player pauses - allowing people to jump in and out of parts of the site without having to re-start the video from the beginning.

Branded Content: The box above the footer navigation delivers rotating call-outs to Microsoft white-papers. Users can click on the content to download, which does not interrupt the video from playing.

ALT View: By clicking the Overview button in the top right corner, users are given a different way for them to view the content. The simple ability to change the layout of the site is a feature that almost every site lacks, which is another reason that this one is exceptional.

Nailing target behavior proved a hit in this experience. Think of how you might entice your audience to engage more if your delivery changed.

Kai D. Wright