Whilst few would disagree that 2009 was an annus horribilis for the business sector, as the impact of the global economic downturn was more widely realised, it can also be looked upon as the year in which the first fresh shoots of recovery appeared, paving the way for a positively buoyant 2010.

One of the key learnings to come out of the economic gloom of 2009 was the recognition that traditional methods of brand communication, with high levels of wastage incurred through print and broadcast campaigns were no longer economically viable. Whilst of course there has been a price drop in the traditional advertising sector, as publishers look to attract the last fish in the pond, it is the digital world that has provided the lifeline and opportunity for brands and advertisers not just to stay afloat, but to enhance the quality of communication with their users.

One such brand that has fully embraced the land of new opportunity is MTV. In 2007, MTV News approached Reality Digital to create an online destination that would allow attendees at the 2007 Lollapalooza music festival to upload videos and photos of their experiences at the event to a site where fans at home could dynamically share in the experience, in real-time. The “You-R-Here” project, as it was dubbed, provided the ultimate platform for fans all around the globe to watch and review the live action as it happened. What was originally a one-off event, You-R-Here has outlived its original charter and continues to be used as a mechanism for MTV News and citizen journalists to share and report on live events in an immediate and dynamic way – the perfect embodiment of social media being utilised by a young generation, for a young generation and providing MTV with a recession-proof mechanism for consumers to engage with and socialise conversations about the brand, whilst dramatically reducing MTV’s cost of content/inventory creation.

Whilst MTV mirrored its audience, in being an early adopter of such technology as far back as 2007, the same technological advancements of 2009 have made it possible for brands and businesses affected by the economic downturn to look to 2010 with enthusiasm and expectation as the year they get social.

2009 saw the development of new, white-label online video management and distribution platforms, that effectively extend digital media publishing to businesses and allow organisations to manage, publish, distribute and monetise their libraries of professional and user-generated video assets. Importantly, these tools allow business with a wide range of digital media management needs to socialise their digital content, build viral buzz and create these ambassadorial and engaged communities around their brands. And a key factor for so many businesses is the ease with which it can be achieved. Having launched the Reality Digital Spotlight video management and syndication platform in 2009, the answer to this is that brands can now build and activate video centric networks within as little as 15 minutes in a stable and highly scalable format.

These are the tools that provide a lifeline from economic decline and are set to reach a tipping point in 2010. From 2009 and perceived annus horribilis to 2010 and anticipated annus mirabilis, 2010 looks set to be dubbed the year that business got social.

Rob is Head of EMEA, Reality Digital.