Point. Shoot. Edit. Click. CNW launches same-day web video service

Same-day turnaround makes it easy for CNW clients to enhance their news releases with video

TORONTO, May 27 /PRNewswire/ - CNW has added a nimble new web video service to its well-established multimedia production and distribution offering, becoming the first and only newswire to provide its clients with same-day web video for inclusion in social media releases.

See the social media release here: http://smr.newswire.ca/en/cnw/point-shoot-edit-click-cnw-launches-same-day-web

"Newsrooms are under enormous pressure to break news online and to support those stories with multimedia," said Carolyn McGill-Davidson, CNW President and Chief Executive Officer. "To address this need, CNW developed its Social Media Release as a way to package news release text and related multimedia assets and deliver it to online audiences. In doing so, we saw the need for a quick and affordable solution for made-for-web style videos."

Web video is any video prepared in a format that is easy to view and share online. This ease of use is what makes it possible for videos to go "viral" on the web.

From Shoot to Share in two hours

CNW's Same-Day Web Video service is perfect for breaking news, outdoor events and pre-lit venues. But why pay a full crew for a half day when you only need a 30-second clip?

"We asked ourselves the same thing," said Tim Griffin, Director Multimedia for CNW. "Then we developed our same-day web video solution by stripping down to the highest quality essentials."

Those essentials included one professional videojournalist, one HD camera and one portable edit suite. Quick to set up and quick to shoot, CNW's videojournalist will expertly edit and post the finished video on the web - without ever leaving location. Only CNW can create web video as quickly and only CNW can distribute it as broadly.

Distribution using CNW's popular Social Media Release is included with every web video production. A social media release is an online solution that packages news release text and photo and video files in an easy-to-share format, along with optional social media tools such as comments. CNW distributes every social media release using its dedicated newswire, RSS and Twitter feeds. In addition, all CNW Social Media Releases are hosted at smr.newswire.ca and all included web videos are individually posted to video sharing sites, including YouTube, Dailymotion and Vimeo.

Each CNW Social Media Release is followed up with an analytics report describing how many times the page was viewed and how often multimedia files were downloaded. CNW's MediaVantage platform can then capture online mentions and news coverage generated by the announcement.

Know your audience's audience

Multimedia has become one of the most important assets in media, communications and public relations today. A recent PR Week survey on the current media landscape demonstrated the growing importance of video and multimedia in newsrooms; a sentiment echoed by journalists and industry experts on the cutting edge of news innovation at CNW's spring Breakfast with the Media series.

"Journalists are not looking for just a print press release now. They're going to be asked by their editors for multimedia - whether there is a photo, or a video and what is the potential for social media. You need to think about this when putting out a package for reporters," said Scott Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Canwest News Services, at CNW's Breakfast with the Media event in Toronto last April.

Video adds clarity to any story, whether in demonstrating how a product is used or describing a company's latest financial results. The recent PR Week media survey revealed that 34% of journalists used supplied multimedia to better understand the story and another 19% said their organization regularly uses supplied multimedia to enhance the online version of the story.

About CNW Video Services

CNW's web video service is delivered by an in-house team of award-winning video journalists and video producers. Breaking from industry norms, the CNW videojournalist is available for hire by the hour.

The CNW Video Services team also excels at corporate video and has built its excellent reputation with PR professionals upon its broadcast quality TV b-roll development and distribution work. CNW produces more video b-roll than any other company in Canada and offers Canada's only video download service, Video-On-Demand, for registered members of the media.

About CNW

CNW (Canada Newswire), connects organizations to relevant news and information consumers across the country and around the world. CNW is committed to providing integrated, intelligent communications and disclosure services that help clients work more efficiently and meet their objectives. In addition to newswire distribution, CNW offers webcast, video, photography, social media releases, translation, regulatory filing services and MediaVantage, a web-based solution offering real-time media monitoring, communications workflow solutions and campaign measurement capability.

Web video is another way that CNW is reinventing the newswire by giving clients the power to streamline their workload and combat a communications cycle that no longer has a clear beginning or end. With CNW's integrated communication services clients can create, collaborate, distribute, engage, monitor and analyze, allowing them to work more efficiently and meet their objectives.

Established in 1960, CNW is celebrating its 50th year as an industry leader. www.newswire.ca

SOURCE Canada NewsWire Ltd.