• by Tyler Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_tyler, May 17, 2012

Starting off the “Feeding the Beast” panel at OMMA Video, Alison Provost, CEO of Touchstorm, took a shot at brands in regards to the way they handle web. She said, “If brands are left to their own devices, they just can’t help but sell.” This mindset is problematic because “the consumer knows [the ad] is an interruption; especially in the digital space.”

Jonah Bloom, Executive Director of Content, backed up brands. While agreeing with Provost that brands can’t help but sell, he also says that’s changing fast. “They realize they have to have a dialogue with the viewers,” he said. “They have to feed these people with interested content.”

In addition to the necessity for brands to change they way they advertise in the digital space, these panelists agree that praying for a “viral video” is not the way to go. Considering only one in 500 videos go “viral,” brands need to rethink the way they advertise on the web if they want to keep their consumers interested.