Brand and retail executives perceive several benefits to be gained from producing live video events, but the main one is to achieve deeper interactions with audiences. More than three-quarters (78%) of participants surveyed by Brandlive and IBM Cloud Video perceive this to be a benefit, while a majority also say that live video can engage social audiences.
Other benefits afforded by live video events include making videos more accessible (66%), adding a human element to digital marketing (59%), and hearing directly from product experts (47%), per the report.
A similar survey released a couple of years ago by Brandlive found respondents indicating that more authentic interactions with audiences led all perceived live video benefits.
This latest study suggests that live video is becoming a greater priority among respondents, taking its place alongside pre-recorded video clips in importance. And while resource challenges persist, slightly more than half of respondents plan to increase their live video budgets this year.
A survey of more than 5,000 social media marketers last year likewise found a strong uptick in interest in live video. While only 28% reported producing live video, 61% planned to do so this year, marketing a surge in interest from the prior year.
Live video won’t just be limited to social media, though. The Brandlive and IBM Cloud Video study indicates that 44% of respondents moved beyond streaming on social media in 2017. Among companies with more than $100 million in revenues, 72% are streaming beyond social media.
Separately, the study reveals that the top 3 use cases overall for live video are training, media/influencer briefings, and broadcasting in-person events.
Internal uses of live streaming video also appear to be gaining traction for corporate communications. The majority of respondents said they would use live video to train sales reps (59%) and retail associates (58%) in the coming year, and half plan to conduct CEO town halls (50%).
External-facing live video, meanwhile, centers around e-commerce sales and virtual tours, with product launches also popular.
The full report is available for download here.
About the Data: The results are based on a survey of more than 200 brand and retail executives. Some 31% work for a company in retail, with 16% working for agencies. Respondents tended to work more for smaller than larger companies.