Raw footage trend hints at users’ online appetites

New research into video content of last year’s biggest stories across Europe finds a preference for raw, authentic, in-the-moment footage: a finding that could have implications for branded content.

Why it matters

Sony’s research, which also plugs its cloud video production software, suggests that the prevalence of roughly shot, unedited video, and the popularity of archive, point to two useful conclusions about online content: users like to find things online, and users want to put more experiential context into news.

What it says

The research is based on search and social analytics, to identify the highest-interest news stories on Twitter across eight European markets. A team of researchers then explored the trends found among the highest-engagement videos about these major stories.

• UGC (user-generated content) accounted for a greater share of results than content produced by traditional news outlets (39% versus 30% respectively).
• 37% of high-engagement videos were unedited.
• 47% of videos had one or more of the following: tear-jerking moments, offered greater primary material (who said what when) about the news event, or singular perspectives of a news event.

While the aim of the research is to induce media businesses to invest in speeding up their video workflows (and the accessibility of their archives), it helps to illuminate some of the deeper trends in user engagement among an European audience.

Key quote

“This research shows this is a clear driver of online engagement and there is an appetite to feel and experience news as it's unfolding in its raw form” – Clothilde Redfern, Chairwoman of the Rory Peck Trust, a charity for the safety and welfare of freelance journalists.

Sourced from Sony Europe