Further down on the platform, a fellow commuter pulled out an old flip cell phone, and started watching video he must have recorded on the phone.  Of course, in a loud subway station, all I heard were the yowlings of a tinny speaker (perhaps a daughter?), and I could just make out a video blur (a birthday party??) from where I stood.

That made me think of my blackberry, already two years old, with a camera that was state of the art a few years before that. When used for video recording, all I get are pixellated images, and staticky sound.
Fine for MMS perhaps, and the tiny screen of another cell phone, but nothing more.

But time marches on. The iphone 3GS is technically capable of recording at 720p (that it's not enabled is a separate discussion).  Before the HD switchover, that was better resolution than the cameras used by many of your local TV stations! Battery and storage issues continue to be addressed.  These things keep getting better, and more and more consumers have them.

So what does that mean?  Well, when ET does make an appearance, odds are bystanders are going to pull out their cell phones, and start recording broadcast quality video, which they’ll stream to their favorite websites. Edited in real time, with special effects inserted by the user on the fly.  We'll watch it live at home and not know (or care) that it came from a cell phone.  In fact, it's already happening with CNN's iReport, among others.

What does this mean for your brand?  Well, I’m not sure.  Certainly, ubiquity of video recording devices will mean that there will be even more user generated content out there.  It means that if there is a way to interact with your brand that can get caught on video, it’ll happen, and more importantly, put on YouTube.  A happy Starbucks customer may decide to tape his favorite barista making some really cool cappuccino foam art.  But, just as easily, another might record a barista having a bad day, or an upset customer ranting about getting served the wrong drink.

And your brand will need to be ready.  You’ll need to have a plan to take advantage of the good, and address the bad.  All in real time.  Because the video revolution is happening, as we speak.  It just happens to be on your cell phone.