Adobe’s Flash Platform – What Does it Mean For PR?
Posted by Alecia OBrien on Fri, Oct 23, 2009
For the better part of the last decade, advertising, marketing, and media thought leaders have all predicted a massive increase in mobile technology - that our mobile devices would eventually replace television and computers as the #1 place where consumers follow the news and watch videos. (See here, here, and here as examples of years past where the mobile industry was predicted to be the "next big thing").
While the average consumer's use of mobile technology has remained relatively low due to limitations such as small screens and compatibility issues, Adobe's recent introduction of its new mobile Flash Platform may change all of this.
As Stan Schroeder of Mashable noted, "this is the version of mobile Flash you've been waiting for. You can expect faster rendering, lower memory consumption and less battery drain."
It's not just about the ability to watch video; Adobe Flash has the potential to change the way consumers gather and disseminate information, and it's something PR professionals need to be aware of. The ability to easily view and distribute video on a mobile device increases the speed at which any message can go viral.
With new opportunities for multimedia viral marketing campaigns, as well as an increased potential for a widespread crisis, this is not a development to go unnoticed. Video has always been more viral than text, and with Adobe's release, video's sharing capacity is now greater than ever.
The best way to address this development is to start integrating videos as part of your company's public relations plan. Start thinking about ways to include a social media release or a product launch in a simple video that captures the attention of consumers - it just may prove to be vital in achieving the bottom line.
The next time you see someone on the subway looking at their Blackberry with their earphones on, just think - it could be your company video that they are watching.