I think you have identified a very interesting use for the Flip Camera and using video clips to both inform and extract information. The idea of having a whole town take videos for a commercial is just scratching the surface.
Consider using these Flip Cameras to document daily progress of your project instead of doing a tedious weekly report. Think of the time it would save, plus you gain a detailed project log for post mortem analysis for both the good and bad elements of the project.
Doing a new product idea with a video of the initial brainstorming session sent out on the Internet to let others comment. In one short segment, you can touch potential users, retailers, suppliers, potential customers and very important suggestions on addition uses for the concept. Granted, you may be giving away some information to your competitors, but what you would gain would far outweigh the risks.
Reguardless of the business you company pursues, capturing and analyzing the events during the process leads you directly to the heart of true process improvement. A Flip Camera can easily collect a lot of the information without any tedious forms or rigidly formal processes.
You have definitely lit the fuze to a lot of potential applications. Well Done!
I think this all depends on the culture of the company and whether or not they would want it broadcast. I do see a much more social application to this camera, however, than taking small clips in a work environment to share with others. Think of friends taking small video clips of gatherings, parities in schools where you can take clips to share with the parents that did not attend, graduations, etc.
Interesting, Toms. Your perspective is interesting. I've been following and covering news about companies like Google for the past five, the culture of the company and how management treats employees with perks like free food and daily exercise routines. It appears from your description that Google's open culture is completely different. I realize you wouldn't want to show or share any trade secrets, but you really think clients don't care to know more about the type of environment you work in? A clean, well-organized environment, even a manufacturing floor, shows something about the organization. I understand your commitment to protect privacy. And, understand the fact that you think clients are not interesting to know the working cultures, but rather would like to know more about the end product. Sure, everything that goes into making the end product is a reflection on the company and how well the end product runs.
Thanks for your thoughts Toms. Always appreciated.
Laurie, I don’t think it’s a nice idea to shoot the working environment and sharing the video clip through social networking sites. Many way it’s becomes a violation of industrial security and may against the company’s policy. I think customers are not that much interested, to know the working cultures and other facilities, but may more specific for their end product. Other outside employees, who wish to work with that company, may eager to know working culture and social activities happening inside. More over personally am not entertaining my private things to disclosure through networking media.
if you are interested in HDD flip video camera, you can find some good models from any of these manufactures like Sony, Panasonic, Kodak etc
I haven't bought a Flip and have no intention of doing so. I have nothing against the product; it's just not something I'm interested in doing for now or for the near future. But I do think that some people will get very excited to get their 30 second of fame (maybe then they can look forward to another 14 1/2 minutes down the road to complete the 15 that everyone supposedly gets). Though it is using a somewhat modified medium, it still sounds like the equivalent of offering what exactly you like about the company you "Like" on Facebook.
Hi Anna, I'm not suggesting you shoot happy customers. I'm thinking more about taking a video of the people who work with you. Share the experience of your work environment with your clients. Show them how you manufacture the widgets. What goes into making the products they use.
Cisco actually did this a couple of years ago. They gave nearly everyone in a small town a Flip camera and had them take videos of their everyday life to share experiences with others. Consider it social marketing, but what you're really doing is sharing your experiences with others. I think it's all part of the company/client relationship. Do you?
Laurie, I flip and like it a lot. I don't use it as often as I would like and I've never done any corporate work with it but it is easy to use and the quality is fine enough.
The question I have about your take on the use of the Flip, though, is on public perception. If I compile video testimonies from my clients sounding happy and excited about the products I sell them, how believable really is the output to the viewer. Will they really accept that this is not just another marketing campaign?
eemom, I've been contemplating buying one of these for more than a year. But of course, I want the HD quality Flip video camera, the one with two hours of video record time. I keep telling myself what a great tool to video interviews or places I visit. Could have used it when I visited Google's offices in New York. The price is a bit high, but the quality is pretty darn good. If I ran a manufacturing plant I'd walk around interviewing co-workers sending well wishes to clients. Then I'd post the video on YouTube and send my clients a link to the post. It provides a human element to the digital world that sometimes seems all too consuming. I'd love to hear from some manufacturers. Do you Flip?
I confess that I bought a Flip video camera for my daughter, and I haven't even seen the commercial. My decision making process came down to cost/value. For a pre-teen asking for a video camera, I had to take into account the fact that it may get lost or at the very least not get treated kindly. In searching for an affordable video camera, I could have spent $70 or $80 on a camera that had decent reviews or spend $100 and get one that has gotten excellent reviews. Well, the decision was easy and maybe mom can even borrow it every now and then when I want something easy and small for the road.
I'm not sure just the campaign would have sold me on the camera though. Again, I always do research and try to find the best value for the dollars I'm spending.
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