A useless DR tidbit:
The slide show videos have an industry term, it’s called the “Ken Burns Effect”. Named after a producer that tried to give life to a Civil War documentary, using pan, zoom to give life to the still pics. He won a ton of awards for his innovation.

“what Jeff mentioned might be true. The average shopper probably doesn’t know or care about the difference between a slideshow”

I stand corrected. I reply sometimes without explaining the angle of thought I have in mind.

Again, I like the slide shows and feel that they are great marketing but just do not believe that they truly qualify as the information that customers are seeking. What does it really tell me about the vehicle visually? That its silver and four doors?

Personally slide shows do not work for me. It’s an upsell is all it is from the vendors. They keep pitching automation and ease, but for whom?

I’d rather see about 8-10 fast loading with ease of use, scrolling navigation or flip book style with high resolution photos at 800×600 or better of vehicle. Keep the sizzle and show me the steak.

I will even say that if a website is 2 years old or more, I would stop trying to improve it and build a new one. It shouldn’t take more than 2-3 clicks to get the info sought and in less that 1 minute. I am probably the only person I know of that has created a focus group that has timed transitional inter-links after entering a site, to search for vehicle, find-view, contact and exit. Not just overall time spent at the site.

Improving human interaction albeit through virtual means is what I feel should be the highest focal point now.

Stew-”The vendors out there that provide the automatic bulk slideshow style video vehicle presentations should definitely look onward, of course this presentation style won’t last forever.”

Amen! look onward. Mobile marketing(Check out 1-800-2ChaCha), voice to text im chat replies, business/social blogging with employees as members that can share articles, car vids with car care tips and post their customer testimonials or even CSI survey comments to their page walls.

Oh? sorry all, I get on a roll sometimes.

Have a great Thanksgiving-Pete

I had to explain to them in this economy they’ll be lucky to get a color 8×10 printout of a Batman Hologram.

Then I showed the kids MS Photosynth, told them to upload all their Batman pics there, and call Alex for a demo:) Merry Xmas kids!

Seriously tho, we should look at it from the shoppers perspective.

Slideshows aren’t real videos, but what Jeff mentioned might be true. The average shopper probably doesn’t know or care about the difference between a slideshow, or a real video of the vehicle.
They want to know if it’s a vehicle THEY want to buy.

Which confirms Pete’s point about gaining the shoppers interest about the vehicle, that’s really what it’s all about.

Pete I like your thinking on the “here’s my credit card” thing too. That could certainly apply to NEW vehicles since they’re similar – just take your pick Mr/Mrs Shopper.
The vendors out there that provide the automatic bulk slideshow style video vehicle presentations should definetely look onward, of course this presentation style won’t last forever.

I totally agree BUT place your mom, dad or even a friend that is not totally tech savvy and see if they know the difference? I think you might be surprised. I know I was

However, as web surfers mature, the slide show will slide their way out. If you’re a Video vendor, I wouldn’t be sitting back thinking the slide show “video” is going to last forever.

It’s funny to me and still crack up when slide shows are called video. Even better when I hear audio descriptions. I have my speakers off 99% of the time unless I am listening to a live sportscast or radio station.

Hologram, you bet that’s cool and did you catch CNN’s on election night? It was still about human interaction and selling vehicles will always be that way unless they are under say 20K, only primary colors, no additional options, 5 star safety rating, seats up to 7 and get’s 100MPG. I don’t even need to see or talk to anybody. Here is my credit card # and ship it to me and keep the key chains.

I still don’t see how Photosynth can be better than a video of the car for a shopper??
Maybe another way to view a car perhaps, but would the extra cost to have Photosynth on our websites be worth it?

Video is a bunch of pictures shot frame after frame. If that luxury isn’t available to some dealers, then it might be an alternative, but good video cameras are $300 and some time!? And the automated vehicle videos are a couple hundred bucks a month.

Pete you’re right on, this like video gains interest only, now we need to get the sale!

Jerome I gotta disagree here sorry.

“If it were tweaked, packaged, and integrated properly into an existing online marketing tool….”
Now that’s the problem. How much time and money will this take for any company accomplish? How would you marry a vehicle audio description to Photosynth? How could PS link to viewing/reporting? How could you bind PS into a format that would allow viewing portability, or searchable (iphone, youtube/google)?

Why would CDM or DSpec want to invest into this tech, versus vehicle videos?

BTW, CDM uses Sister Tech video, and DSpec has their Vevo videos.
Both are automated vehicle video systems that use multiple photos and text to speech software(TTS) and can crank out 1000′s of vehicle videos a day.

There’s also Ebiz autos, Dealer Impact, and Liquid Motors all the basic same video thing.
UnityWorks isn’t quite fully automated because they use real human voice, but similar.

I just don’t see how photosynth could rival ANY of these companies that can create vehicle videos in bulk at anytime now or in the future.

Now vehicle holograms could rival all, and I get giddy over it, read one of my posts above.
Problem is tho, we’re way too far away from getting there for dealers.
Maybe when we’re all retired:)