ClickBerry launches interactive video platform

Users can add annotations, notes and Facebook likes to videos they make on the fly

Smartphones have only been around for a few years, and yet they have made such tremendous progress in that time that it is almost hard to remember what life was like before they existed. I remember when it was a big deal for someone to even send a text message; now apps are coming out all the time that push the limits of how much control people have over what they create on their phones.

ClickBerry has launched its interactive video creation platform, it was announced Thursday.

The app, which had previously been in beta mode, comes with a series of tools that allow businesses, brands and individuals to create their own interactive videos on the fly. They are given a chance to turn video making into a more personal, and more social, experience.

“People don't want to just watch a video. They want something more. ClickBerry provides it," ClickBerry CEO Alex Babin said in an interview with VatorNews.

With the app, people are able to tag objects or people in the videos they shoot, which will then create links that their friends can then click on for more information. Users can also add pop-ups and pictures, as well as Facebook likes into their videos.

For example, if someone goes traveling to Paris, and they can shoot a video of the Eiffel Tower, that person can then add in either a link to the Facebook page for the landmark, or add in additional annotations with fun stories for their friends. They can also tag people they were with, and link to their Facebook pages.

The app is not only good for individuals who want to share their experiences; it can also be used to sell things, or even for creating educational videos.

On the advertising side, a buy button can be inserted, which will allow users to simply click on an object and be taken to the store that sells it. These ads have appeared on Facebook, both as advertisements on the right side of the desktop version, and the HTML5 Facebook mobile page.

It is from the advertising angle that ClickBerry expects to make money.

“In beta tests and from research, we expect one third of the clickable, interactive objects made inside of these videos will be a ‘buy this’ kind of object linked to eBay, Amazon or another ecommerce platform,” says Babin.

“One monetization option for us will be, once a purchase made, getting an affiliate commission from that ecommerce platform. Another option is a premium model. There is 1GB of cloud storage that comes with the application for free and additional space can be added, as well as the removal of the ClickBerry logo from the player, for $99 per month." 

The typical customer for ClickBerry, Babin said, is small and medium sized companies, as it is harder to appeal to big brands that already have a large customer base and Facebook presence. By making videos interactive, it creates a new ways for less well-known companies to distribute video.

“ClickBerry focuses on the merging of three things: online video, ecommerce, and rich-media. We believe that there is a least a $1.5 billion market opportunity there, and we think that large and small businesses can both benefit from ClickBerry’s technology, “Babin said.

“Hundreds of thousands of SMBs are shifting to online sales using platforms like Etsy, eBay and others in the US. Larger retailers have already proven the effectiveness of leveraging videos to drive traffic to their websites to improve conversions. Zappos, for example, produces 200 videos a day. Those bigger companies will need a simple solution to make those videos interactive on scale.”

Given how fast the video market is growing, and that ClickBerry is the only mobile interactive service available, Babin thinks the company has the potential to grow quickly.  He expects the video ad market spending in the U.S. alone to jump from $3.6 billion in 2011 to $11.5 billion in 2016. 

The app currently has over 3,000 users, including iFood.tv, a site with 4 million unique viewers per month.

“We’ve beta-tested ClickBerry’s platform in several of our videos,” Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of iFood.tv, said in a statement.

“Viewers are taking advantage of the opportunity to get more information on recipes and connect with a Facebook page. We’re able to make a more memorable experience and connection with our website visitors.”

The app is currently available for Mac, Windows, and the iPad. The reason the company chose to initially launch on the iPad was because of the improved camera. An iPhone app will be available within the next month. Eventually, Babin said, he would like the app to branch into interactive television as well.

Founded in 2011, ClickBerry was originally founded in Moscow. The company raised $1.6 million from Russian angel investos before relocating to Los Altos, California.

The video below shows what ClickBerry can do:

(Image source: itunes.apple.com)