Adding a Dimension to Web Video: New Internet Video Website Goes Beyond Content Posting by Adding Head-to-Head Competition

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Video on the Web becomes more compelling, entertaining and useful today with the launch of Clashorama.com (www.clashorama.com), a new Website that lets users not just watch videos but also compare them side by side and vote on them.

Clashorama.com is a step beyond traditional video content sites where users post videos, rate them and comment about them. Clashorama users create video “face-offs,” pitting one video directly against another. A fun, simple slider system lets visitors vote on three questions that show on a scale of 1 to 5 which video they like best and how strongly they feel about it. Visitors can also comment on the videos.

Any visitor can set up a Clashorama.com clash, just by registering at the site, then following simple instructions to write questions and link to videos that they post at YouTube and other leading video sites. Clashorama.com does not host videos – which means that there’s no need for a separate video upload. Any video on YouTube or most other video content sites can be used in a Clashorama.com clash.

Even before launch, Clashorama.com has been a hit. During the site’s beta test, visitors set up clashes between spider bite videos (which is worse?), clips of actress Sharon Stone commenting on rapper P. Diddy and on the Chinese government in the aftermath of the earthquake (which is more career-damaging?), a battle of classic TV-show intros (did Raymond Burr as Ironside or Angie Dickinson as Police Woman have better wheels?), and a face-off between the young Bill Gates praising Apple and the young Steve Jobs praising Microsoft.

“Video is at the heart of pop culture – but until now, there hasn’t been a simple way for users to compare two videos directly and pick their favorites, and that’s what Clashorama is about,” said John Hughes, co-founder of Clashorama.

“Video consumption is changing the way we live and Clashorama.com changes the way we consume video,” Mr. Hughes continued. “We wanted to give users even more control over how they enjoy video. To us, just watching a video and rating it is boring and begs the question – ‘compared to what?’ Clashorama.com is the answer. By giving users the power to make comparisons, Clashorama changes the question from ‘Isn’t this great?’ to ‘Which is greater or even greatest, and why?’”

From the Silly to the Serious

Not all Clashorama.com video clashes are designed for entertainment, though. Clashorama.com categories include Art, Science and Politics in addition to Music, Pop Culture and “Bizarre.” Clashorama.com users have created video face-offs between 2008 Presidential candidates as they discuss serious issues – giving visitors the chance to vote on which candidate is more credible and effective on a given issue. The campaign videos are linked to pollClash.com (www.pollclash.com), Clashorama.com’s sister site that is editorially controlled (but unbiased) and focused exclusively on the 2008 Presidential campaign.

Clashorama.com is powered by Clashware, a software solution that allows side-by-side video comparison and slider-based voting. “The Clashware system can be used on anything from the user-created Clashorama.com polls to professional applications.” Mr. Hughes said. “For example, advertising agencies can use Clashware as the basis for focus groups to create a direct, objective comparison between two video segments.”

But the point of Clashorama is entertainment, Hughes says. “For pure entertainment there’s nothing like a direct, head-to-head clash and that’s what Clashorama.com provides.”

For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Katarina Wenk-Bodenmiller of Sommerfield Communications at (212) 255-8386 or katarina@sommerfield.com.

About Clashorama.com

Clashorama.com is the next step in the evolution of video consumption. This site is an easy to use tool through which users can present, watch and compare online content. Clashes are very easy to create and fun to watch.

Clashorama.com enables users to compare videos, raise questions and interact with the content via a fun and simple voting system. Born from an idea back in 2000, the rise of online video interest and consumption makes now the perfect time realize the greater potential of the Internet and allow users greater control of the context of the content they watch, how they watch it, and how they interact and respond to it

Clashorama.com is not a video site, but rather a simple means to compare videos, vote, share and mark favorites. Clashorama.com is not a content aggregator, uploader or arbiter, and does not pick the videos or the questions. Users do.

About Clashware

Clashware is a software tool that allows direct comparison of content. It’s designed for marketers, advertisers and researchers who need to create head-to-head comparisons of videos, pictures, music or text in an environment that’s highly entertaining for users, while producing accurate and useful results. Clashware works by embedding content in an easy-to-play interactive game that enables participants to compare two pieces of content, then answer questions on a slider system that shows what they think and how strongly they feel. It can be incorporated in Websites, embedded in viral marketing campaigns, or used to power focus groups online and in real-world settings. Clashware can be used to improve sales, increase lead capture, create greater user engagement, and improve brand favorability and customer satisfaction. For researchers, Clashware provides user comments, segmented demographics and time-of-response tracking. For more information visit www.clashware.com.