This post at epolitics.com argues the point that online video can be (perhaps already is) more powerful than paid TV ads in the context of political campaigns.

My sense is that this is largely true. As mentioned in the post, watching an online video requires an active choice on the part of the viewer… “Hey, I want to see this.” You already have some amount of buy in. A successful TV commercial may result in some teensy bit of negative or positive sway on the part of the viewer but as soon as one comes on the immediate reaction is likely antipathy towards whoever put the ad on in the first place… “I didn’t ask to see this, I don’t want to see this, this guy is an idiot, are those wolves going to attack me? I don’t get it.”

Other advantages include built-in self-promotion tools. Most every online video can be forwarded by email. Try sending a TV commercial to someone. It is easier to throw the TV out the window.

TV ads won’t go away. At present, the two mediums are still targeting slightly different audiences, though I think online video viewing is quite pervasive in terms of both numbers and demographic groups (where are some useful stats when you need them?). And lets not get into the greasy relationships between political consultants and TV broadcasters.

But online video has certainly opened up venues for advocacy campaigns and non-profits that couldn’t (and shouldn’t) be able to afford TV time and “super high production values.” At The Wilderness Society we are inching towards online video projects to help communicate our messages. Slowly perhaps but it is happening.