Consumer goods firms 'looking to rich media'

A growing number of US consumer packaged goods firms are making use of rich media content such as online video in their marketing campaigns.

This is according to a new report from eMarketer entitled Consumer Packaged Goods Sector Taps Into Online Video.

Marketers are increasingly looking to engage web users more deeply through video content - an important online strategy considering that the consumer packaged goods sector is "notoriously low-involvement", according to report author Tobi Elkin.

Firms are using channels such as YouTube, product placement and video blog posts to reach consumers through rich media.

However, one of the main challenges of using this medium is identifying its effectiveness and return on investment, Ms Elkin comments.

"Consumer product marketers need to examine consumer interaction rates with online video to determine whether their business objectives are being met and to assess the effect on brand health," she states.

YouTube was the fifth most visited website in the UK in the week ending January 30th, according to Experian Hitwise.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo - a leading UK digital agency.