The folks over at PermissionTV released their new 2008 Digital Marketing Study today, showing that web video is the top digital marketing priority in the coming year — topping social media, search marketing, podcasting, rich media, banner ads, and mobile.  Nearly two-thirds of the respondents in the survey agreed that “through non-linear, interactive storytelling, online video will become the most effective medium for marketers.”

Among the conclusions of the survey:

“More than two thirds of respondents (67%) identified online video as a primary focus of their 2009 digital marketing campaigns.

In Q2 of 2009, more than half (52%) of respondents expect to be implementing or extending an online video project, whereas currently less than one-third (32%) are doing so.

A majority of respondents (63%) are most likely to invest in a branded content/video destination next year.

Nearly 60% of respondents consider interactive video experiences to be the next evolution for online video.

When asked how online video will enhance customer engagement, a vast majority (71%) stated it would help build brand awareness.”

PermissionTV’s survey results are certainly consistent with our own observations of what’s going on the marketplace.  Our clients are showing an unprecedented amount of interest in doing something with web video.  But they’re also confused about where to start.

This, too, comes out in the PermissionTV study, which shows that nearly 40% of clients surveyed would start with their web design firm in implementing an interactive video initiative on the web.  Yet, we are finding that web design firms often lag behind in knowledge about new internet TV platforms such as PermissionTV and Brightcove.  What’s more, we are seeing great value in co-designing the content and the presentation platform for it, so that the interactivity works together in a very rich storytelling experience.

That’s why, as a firm, we at DigiNovations have invested in the new set of skills in internet TV platform development that will allow video content and interactive presentation to be developed under the same roof.  It’s a new model, and breaks the church-and-state-style separation that has divided web development from content generation in the past.

But in a new age where interactivity can be an integral part of the storytelling, we feel it will be a great advantage to have both content and design skills on the same team.