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Technology is transforming the online shopping experience. With interactive and shoppable video, retailers can now take customers from discovery to purchase in a click. ?? Vimeo takes a closer look at how brands can use their video strategy to remove barriers to purchase and drive revenue. “With shoppable video, the user can buy what they see in the video — clicking through to make the purchase directly within the app itself. Interactive video takes this function a step further: in addition to making a purchase, customers can ask questions of the video and get more information about the product or brand. Interactive video allows sales and marketing teams to add an extra level of engagement, introducing call-out areas that capture the viewer’s attention and prompt them to click or tap for more information. With Vimeo’s interactive video platform, retailers can add clickable hotspots that open overlay panels, jump to other points in the video, or open other websites. Brands can also add interactive functions using time triggers, which will perform a function at a set moment in the video without the viewer having to click anything at all." Check out the full article to get the most out of your interactive and shoppable video content. Link in the comments!

Is your video content harming your brand? In his latest article, David Gillespie, product marketing lead at Vimeo, explains the risk of a YouTube-only strategy. “Video is a highly effective tool to build brand awareness and loyalty. From customer testimonials to behind-the-scenes content to Q&A sessions, brands can use video to communicate their values and develop a personal, face-to-face connection with their customers. However, a brand’s reputation is fragile: it can be damaged in a matter of seconds, and that damage can take months or years to prepare. That’s why choosing a video hosting platform that protects your brand is key to survival in a competitive market.” Check out the full post to discover how Vimeo can safeguard your brand. Link in the comments.

“The manufacturing industry has soared past pre-pandemic heights as manufacturers aim to reshore production close to U.S. consumers and invest in new and expanded facilities. According to recent data from BlackRock, annual construction spending in manufacturing reached $234 billion in May 2024—tripling 2020’s volume. But those new U.S. facilities are only as productive as the people inside, and manufacturers across the country are dealing with a skills gap and shortage of applicants.” In Advanced Manufacturing (SME Media), Jack Hooper, CEO and founder at Take Command, explains how manufacturers can wrestle back control of their expenses—or offer employees healthcare for the first time —by reimbursing workers for health insurance rather than buying it for them directly. “Manufacturers have been early adopters of ICHRAs. In an industry staring down a staggering skills gap and shortage of applicants, this new benefits model allows manufacturers to take care of employees, control costs and focus on optimizing production.” For more, read the article in full. Link in the comments.

Businesses across the globe rely on Vimeo to keep their employees engaged and productive. RITE AID, Jamf, and Digital Realty recently shared how their video strategies support internal communications “Rite Aid turned to Vimeo to begin producing a series of virtual town halls for their associates. The company’s focus was on quality: rather than relying on video conferencing tools with poor streaming performance and a lack of branding, Rite Aid chose to invest in Vimeo’s unparalleled production values. Rite Aid recognized that the virtual town hall format would allow for levels of engagement that were previously impossible at in-person events. Using Vimeo’s live chat and Q&A tools, Rite Aid’s leadership has been able to foster communication with viewers throughout every virtual event.” Read the full piece for more! Link in the comments.?

In a recent webinar hosted by Workera, Dani Johnson, co-founder of RedThread Research, discussed the importance of skills intelligence with Jim Hemgen, director of talent development at Booz Allen Hamilton. “Skills quickly enter the equation in a talent marketplace. If you don’t personally know an individual, how do you know which skills and expertise they’re bringing to the table? Booz Allen needed to create trust in the system so people had faith that a person really knew and could do what they claimed. That led the firm to launch an internal badging program, where employees could self-report skills and industry certifications. The initial system was limited, but Booz Allen soon created skills assessments that helped determine whether a person was at the foundational, practitioner, or expert level for several key technical skills, such as Python. Employees who asked “What’s in it for me to pursue these credentials?” found that the badges made them much more visible, more marketable, and more likely to get accepted onto exciting projects.” Read the full article for more takeaways from the discussion. Link in the comments.

The 2024 Commuter Rail Summit brought together policymakers, stakeholders, and thought leaders from across the industry to discuss everything from AI to climate resiliency.? In Railway Age, KellyAnne Gallagher, CEO at the Commuter Rail Coalition, shares her five takeaways from the event. “We don’t have to imagine the future of commuter rail, said Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal, President of Icomera North America. As technologies like machine learning and AI transform both the passenger and operator experience, the future is here. At the Summit, vendors described AI solutions for weapons detection, unmanned track inspections that can find broken rail joints and defects in the locomotives themselves, and automated wheel profile systems that heat air to keep optical pathways clear in snow.” Check the link in the comments for more highlights.?

In a recent webinar, Vimeo product marketing manager David Gillespie and Return On Now's Tommy Landry dove into the revenue risks of a YouTube-only video strategy. “Once a brand has captured the attention of a potential customer, its goal is to keep them in the sales funnel. If something distracts a customer from your owned content, it will pose a direct threat to your funnel — and your revenue. Earlier this year, YouTube introduced server-side ad insertion: a method that avoids ad blockers by placing ads directly within the video content itself. In practice, that means someone watching your brand content could be presented with an ad for a different service — competitive or non-competitive, relevant or irrelevant — that potentially pulls them away. Those in-video ads create exits to your funnel, giving the viewer easy opportunities to leak out.” Check out the article for more insights. Link in the comments!

Work with people that make you better. We brought on Mark Dunphy earlier this year to strengthen our ability to pitch and place client content. Mark’s media relations chops have also allowed us to flex up and support our clients when they have big announcements — saving them the hassle (and retainer fees) of getting another agency up to speed. Since he’s joined, our clients have appeared in Fortune, Forbes, TechCrunch, the Wall Street Journal, and STAT News. Not to mention a range of trade publications that deliver extremely high value to our clients: Resourceful Finance Pro, MedCity News, DevOps.com, HomeCare Magazine, Railway Age, Smart Cities Dive, RTInsights, Runway Girl Network, ImpactAlpha, and Mass Transit. Thanks, Mark, for making us look so good. Want to get compelling content and great media results without having to pay $20K every month on a PR retainer? Let us know. ?? (In the comments: a sampling of Mark's media relations wins.)

Writing for Metro Magazine, Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal, president of Icomera North America, explains why transit agencies need a new approach to onboard technology investments. “From passenger counting, Wi-Fi, and video surveillance to telematics, a typical railcar may need to support as many as 10 individual internet-reliant functions. Transit agencies often evaluate each of these applications in isolation, aiming to maximize each individual investment. The problem with this approach is that multiple siloed applications add up to a major expense for agencies already grappling with financial constraints. The math doesn’t add up. They are investing heavily in new technologies, but are having to manage multiple back-end systems and suppliers while receiving poor performance, which doesn’t equal the expenditure. To fix it, agencies need to rethink their approach and move toward a holistic investment that consolidates technology platforms as much as possible to deliver more value for money and overall operational efficiency.” To read the full piece, check the link in the comments.

Just published in BenefitsPRO! Jack Hooper, CEO and founder at Take Command, examines the potential impact of today’s presidential election on ICHRA. “The health care market has changed dramatically over the past two presidential administrations due to the introduction of the individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs). ICHRAs, which launched on January 1st, 2020, allow employers to provide employees with a monthly, tax-free allowance to purchase health insurance on the individual market. Healthcare policy remains a highly partisan issue. But ICHRAs — built off President Obama's 21st Century Cures Act but expanded by President Trump — are reliably bipartisan. However, the broader health care policies implemented under a second Trump administration or a Harris administration could have a profound impact. It's worth examining how these candidates and their party platforms might influence the ICHRA market going forward.” Read the full article to find out more. Link in the comments.