Looks like online video is ready for primetime. This article says so.

This  is a good thing, as we have been playing in the online video content creation  space since before YouTube was YouTube.

Unfortunately, all the online video money seems to be chasing companies who are trying to crowbar the old media model (aggregate and aggravate… gather an audience with cool content then interrupt the content with an ad). This is not a good thing.

So we thought we’d offer our predictions for where online video will go in the future. And it’s not the traditional media model.

(This is a longer blog than we normally do, but hey, we have a lot of predictions to make)

Prediction 1: A  smart, small brand will start creating DAILY content on their website. The content will capture the imagination and the attention of the public. Think The Far Side, but only available by going to the McDonalds website. It’s simply bypassing the networks and attracting your own audience. No competitors, no clutter. All you have to do is make good (ShareWorthy®) content and the audience will show up.

Prediction 2: A  smart, early-adopting BIG BRAND will copy this idea. Their agency will fight them tooth and nail, because the agency can’t make media commission on creative that is streamed on the Web.

Prediction 3: Creative companies that write and produce the content mentioned above will start getting funded by venture capitalists.

Prediction 4: Some smart college will reinvent their marketing curriculum to deliver the Content Creator Of The Future Degree. Graduates will have multiple skill sets: the ability to write cleverly, aggregate and edit relevant content for websites, produce and edit engaging online video instantly, and leverage the latest Social Network technology to get the word out. These people will eventually pass up VP-Marketing types as the gatekeepers for brands.

Prediction 5: A few smart brands will start paying good $ to exclusively channel content creators with real personality on their websites and through their Social Network programs. A comedian for a candy brand. A folksy storyteller for an insurance company. A fashion guru for a clothing brand.

Prediction 6: Video will become the Weapon of Choice in Social Network programs. Sharing pictures is nice. Sharing videos is powerful. We are one case study away from tipping the first domino.

There you have it. What we think will happen in online video this year. We’ll report on the accuracy of our predictions next January.

Thanks for listening!