Perception Is Reality

Streaming has taken me to some interesting places in the past. I got a call one night from a little company called Enron (circa 1999). Seems they fancied becoming a CDN. Everyone was doing it you know. They wanted to discuss some “head end optimization” techniques my company had devised that could dramatically enhance the quality of streaming media, regardless of the delivery network. Enron had what it called an “intelligent” network. They told me “One of our jets will pick you up in Atlanta”. Sure enough, a few hours later I was on a private 727 with a posse of Enron executives including some who are infamous today. The food and drink and BS was abundant. As I recall, I didn’t really get the chance to inspire them with the value of my technology. They liked to talk about all of their great ideas instead. I think someone wrote a book a few years later about their secret club: “The Smartest Guys In The Room”.
Last night was another one of those “I never thought I’d see myself doing this” moments. The CEO of an amazing medical technology company was introducing me as a guest speaker at an annual Bariatric Medicine conference in Dallas, Texas. I took the podium and was surprised by how interested all of the surgeons in the audience were-in streaming media. You see, theirs is a solution that offers grossly overweight people what is often a last chance at normalcy. After dozens of failed diets and exercise programs and years engaged in the battle of the bulge, patients turn to these doctors for surgical intervention that appears to have downright dramatic results. The doctors are understandably excited about their solution, and they want to tell the world about it. Hence, their interest in streaming. We talked for about an hour about different ways they can integrate streaming video into their web and marketing efforts. We talked about how video is an amazing way to inject emotion, make a call to action and move the viewer to the next step-something that’s just a lot tougher in a purely text-based environment.
One of the most interesting questions was the simplest: “How do we ‘DO’ streaming video”? To that, I offered that there is indeed a wrong way…and a right way. This is where perception should become a paramount concern. Sure, a surgeon, or any business person for that matter can plug in a web cam, record a bunch of videos, upload them to YouTube-and stick them on their website. But in my mind, that is exactly the “wrong way”. Why? When you handle the production piece yourself, and use free tools to post your online media, your final product will reflect your obvious lack of technical and creative skills and you’ll create a substandard experience for the viewer. You will ultimately create a false perception in the minds of your viewers. It’s similar to the difference between a snapshot…and a professional portrait. One captures an image. The other takes into account light levels, framing and composition and a myriad of other intangible factors. The same is true with the creation of streaming content.
“But we’re doctors…we don’t know, and we don’t WANT to know about all this stuff”! After thanking God for actually being in the company of the smartest guys in the room…I suggested to the doctors that they would be better served to enlist the assistance of a competent partner-versed in all of these intricacies. It just so happens my host at this event is one of the nation’s premier medical-centric interactive agencies. It was all good. I’m reminded of the GIGO statement again though. It’s certainly true when creating content for streaming. As long as you’re going to spend the money to publish and track your streaming content…you may as well make sure that the source content is a true reflection of the quality and focus of your organization and of what you’re really offering. I don’t think a web cam and a homemade backdrop is the right way to do that. Remember: Perception is reality.