MediaPost | Video Insider

How To Create Real-Time Video: Five Things Brands Should Do

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:48:35 -0400

As apps like Vine and Snapchat take their place alongside Instagram, real-time video is emerging as a necessary tactic. I've written before about the different ways marketers can use it to their advantage. But most brands and agencies aren't really built to operate at the speed of relevance. Below I've outlined five key things that marketers can do to help increase their ability to create real-time relevance in video content. They're broken up into process and philosophy, because both are required.

Video Trends: Buyers Look To Long-Form Content

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:45:25 -0400

One trend we're seeing is TV networks ramping up efforts for a world where long-form content is widely distributed via the web, mobile devices, and connected TVs. And these efforts are having a noticeable impact, as evidenced by monetization trends, distribution efforts, and advertising demand by media buyers.

Why CPMs Are Going To Zero

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:53:20 -0400

We're looking at slower-than-anticipated growth of online video advertisement revenues. According to Paid Content's Jeff John Roberts, reporting on consulting firm PwC's annual media report, "online video will increase from $2.3 billion in 2012 to $5.9 billion by 2017. The figure represents 9 percent of future online ad spending, but this is still a small amount compared to TV ads - which PwC predicts will pull in $81.6 billion, or 37 percent of all ad dollars in 2017."

Major Media Web Brands Dominate Video Ads

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:08:00 -0400

The use of exchanges is growing in online video, but the market is still dominated by direct buying on major sites. That's one of the findings in a state-of-the-industry report from video ad management platform Vindico that analyzed video impressions across the Web for 2012.

Phantom Traffic: It's Not Just Publishers Who Need To Change

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:19:42 -0400

Anyone involved in online advertising is well aware of the concern by marketers, publishers and exchanges about the prevalence of phantom or robot traffic. Clearly, this is an issue worth exposing, as non-human traffic can eat away advertising dollars by artificially inflating traffic levels, remaining on a page long enough to trigger pre-roll ads, or worse yet, haphazardly clicking on PPC ads. The spotlight and blame for the phantom traffic issue seems to be focused in a single direction these days: online publishers. But blaming publishers alone is a bit of a copout, and it won't solve the problem.

Stop Starving Online Video And Start Feasting On ROI

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:29:45 -0400

Online video consumption continues to skyrocket. And yet online video advertising makes up a tiny fraction of marketer's overall digital budgets. According to eMarketer, of the $37 billion spent online last year, only 6% (or $2.3B) was spent on digital video. It's even worse when you compare online video with TV advertising. U.S. marketers spent $65 billion on TV advertising last year. Online video's $2.3 billion represents just 3.4% of the overall video pie. Does anyone except the TV industry think that still makes sense? Should 96.6% of your video budget be going to TV?

Does TrueView's Success Mean No Difference Between UGC and Premium Content For Marketers?

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:01:48 -0400

While Mark Cuban is one of the nicer investors on Shark Tank, his online diatribes are lightning rods: readers in turn violently agree or disagree (that's sometimes a byproduct of their envy, and how they feel about this maverick). Either way, Cuban's recent commentary on YouTube's success in building mobile views contained many accurate conclusions, even though how he reaches those conclusions raised some eyebrows.

Solving Publishers' Premium-Video Supply Problem

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:27:00 -0400

All major publishers today have large sales teams that sell owned and operated (O&O) digital properties to advertisers, and often the most lucrative offering in their arsenal is digital video. Unfortunately, top publishers don't typically have as much digital video supply as their advertisers demand, so they end up turning away deals or restricting their potential in some way.

Shorter Videos Drive Growth in Viewing -- Will Ads Follow?

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:03:55 -0400

TV shows and long-form content have drawn the bulk of attention and much of the ad dollars in digital video, but a shift may be underway toward short-form videos. Consider these findings from the most recent FreeWheel report on video consumption habits.

As T/V Fragmentation Explodes, Need for Aggregation Increases

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:41:23 -0400

What is aggregation? Miriam-Webster defines it as "a) the collecting of units or parts into a mass or whole and b) the condition of being so collected." As audiences and programs began and continued to fragment, more energy has been focused on aggregating audiences by all parts of the traditional television ecosystem.

Six Stories Worth Paying Attention To

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:22:31 -0400

After all of the hype leading up to the return of "Arrested Development" and its debut on Netflix, the company's stock slipped 6% earlier in the week. That sounds about right: Buy on the rumor, sell on the news.

Creative Online Video Advertising: The Death Of Repurposed TV Ads

Fri, 31 May 2013 16:21:48 -0400

For several years, at least, mobile video growth will experience a very typical hockey-stick pattern of consumer adoption and usage. Given this anticipated growth trajectory, we think it's extremely important that advertisers and brands realize an important truth: The truly successful mobile video advertising campaigns will be the campaigns that are created with these new platforms, new lengths, and new form factors in mind.

Streaming Users Double Up, Tablet Views Grow Six Times

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:00:32 -0400

The experience of streaming TV shows and movies is increasingly common, yet it remains frustrating to many. Only one-third of streaming video users are "very satisfied" with their service provider, according to a just-released study from M-GO, a new streaming entertainment service backed by Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation.

Back To The Future: How To Take Advantage Of Video Content Trends

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:02:02 -0400

Everything old is new again. In video, I see two reemerging trends of old staples: arcing scripted series and live programming. And this movement is not confined to TV. If you look closely, it's evident in both native digital channels and traditional television. Here is what I see happening, and what brands can do with the opportunity.

Can YouTube Eclipse Facebook?

Tue, 28 May 2013 13:18:42 -0400

Any way you look at it, it's perfectly plausible that, sooner or later, unless Facebook cracks the code and unearths some AdSense-ian ad format or new revenue model/stream, YouTube's revenues could surpass Facebook's.

Video Drives Up To 35% Sales Bump For CPG Brands

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:47:12 -0400

When it comes to online video, marketers naturally want to know if video ads drive sales. Video ad platform Videology studied more than 186 million online and mobile video impressions on campaigns for several consumer packaged goods advertisers (since CPG comprises 22% of total videos ad impressions) to determine whether video drove sales.

The NewFronts Bring A New Day -- What's Next?

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:53:05 -0400

At the end of every NewFront week, our industry asks the same question: Has digital video arrived? While one can never be certain, this time, finally, it looks like the answer could very well be "yes!" Why? The content has matured, and it looks like things could be catching up in terms of ad spend as well. It has been projected that last week's DCNF presentations could have driven over $1 billion in ad spend.

Online Advertising: The Era Of Lowered Expectations

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:01:00 -0400

While audiences will continue to shift their consumption from TV to Web, it might be a case of "too much, still." There's no logical explanation for why TV ads have not shrunk, let alone increased. Over time it may be inevitable that TV advertising flattens and shrinks -- but whether or not that will be a zero-sum game toward Web ads remains to be seen.

Three Lessons Digital Video Advertisers Should Learn from Direct Marketing

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:13:53 -0400

As a consumer, I often see pre-roll ads on my phone, Roku, Wii, tablet and PC. And, as a digital professional, I also see ways those advertisers can put the basics of direct marketing to work with digital video to get outstanding results. Using pre-roll video advertising across devices provides an unprecedented opportunity for marketers. By combining the creative control and engagement of TV with the audience targeting and measurability of digital marketing, marketers can see huge gains in advertising effectiveness and efficiency.

Once Again: Are You STILL Making These Fatal Video Content Mistakes?

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:10:02 -0400

No one plans to make bad marketing videos. Yet, the majority of them ARE bad. And most of the time, it's because the clients or the video producers fell into one or more of these deadly mistakes.

Cable and Broadcast in TV Everywhere's Bed; In-Stream Engagement Strong

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:10:04 -0400

Perhaps the most important story to emerge from the TV upfronts isn't the next hot hour-long drama or new sitcom. It's the burgeoning reach of TV Everywhere thanks to ABC's announcement that it'll allow live streaming of its shows via its iPad and iPhone app. The Watch ABC option will be available in New York and Philadelphia to start, and then ABC will introduce it to six more cities where it owns local stations.

What If Yahoo Bought TV Guide?

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:50:03 -0400

Last November, it was reported that Yahoo was considering a TV Guide bid, but the bid was said to be around $20 million. Seriously? Yahoo has $4 billion in cash. Why the low offer? TV Guide is currently available in more than 80 million homes. And just to compare the numbers, Al Jazeera purchased Al Gore's Current TV for $500 million, increasing its household reach by 60 million. Current TV doesn't even have close to the same brand recognition as TV Guide. I think Yahoo missed a huge opportunity to stake its claim in video and offer more content to its audiences.

Mister Rogers: No Tattoos, But Wisdom To Spare

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:53:03 -0400

Ten years after his death in 2003, Fred Rogers -- aka Mister Rogers -- is back in the news. First, his quote about how his mother told him "always look for the helpers" in the face of tragedy went viral in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing. Now, Deadline Hollywood reports that a full-length biopic on Rogers is in development. What is it about Rogers and the earnestness of his life and career that keeps him relevant?

Content Is Consuming Us: If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:53:03 -0400

To me, everywhere you look, content is consuming us, as we consume it. In fact, I used to hate the term "content consumption," but I no longer fight it. It's a fact. But therein lies the problem and opportunity: while marketers embrace new targeting via audience or data, they continue to hold out for premium -- let alone quality -- content.

People Are People Are People: The Future Of Video

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:44:00 -0400

"I think I just passed by Sarah Jessica Parker, and btw I'm much taller than her," I immediately texted my lady as I was walking into AOL's annual Newfront presentation.

Smart TV Reach Doubles, Tablet Owners Heavy SVOD Users

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:50:08 -0400

Advertisers, take note: Consumers are getting savvier at connecting their TVs to the Internet, and interacting with TV shows on mobile devices in new ways. Market research firm TDG reported that nearly 6 in 10 homes in the United States have connected their TVs to the Internet, either via a smart TV or through game consoles and Blu-ray players. And in many cases, TV viewers are watching subscription VOD services on these connected TVs.

Breaking The Bandwidth Barrier: Enabling Effective Video Ads

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:39 -0400

Web video presents a huge opportunity for brands, but it has its share of challenges, particularly in ensuring quality content and unimpeded delivery. When viewers encounter a rebuffer (the spinning wheel that appears when a video is loading), they click away 81.2% of the time, according to TubeMogul. This is not a minor technical issue. Ensuring high-quality video for an enjoyable user experience is the cornerstone to effectively reaching customers online.

The New Rules Of Content

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:37:44 -0400

If brand-conscious Martians landed on planet earth and wanted to market themselves, and we offered them the following two choices, which do you think they would choose? - Option #1: A large heterogeneous audience that may or may not be paying attention, measured with analog tools that take some time to report. - Option #2: A large homogeneous audience that is demonstrably paying attention, measured with precision, in real time. The obvious answer for most would be #2. And eventually, traditional media companies won't survive if they assume that advertisers will continue to prefer #1.

A Tale Of Two Deals, And How They'll Affect Online Video

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:39:27 -0400

Recently, Alloy acquired DBG, while Dreamworks acquired Awesomeness TV. Terms of the Alloy/DBG deal were not disclosed. Dreamworks paid $33 million for AwesomenessTV, with earnouts pushing the deal up to a deal size of $123 million.

Waste-Free Ad Spending: Hitbliss' Dramatic New Business Model

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:09:50 -0400

I've long held that the barrier to T/V (Television/Video) advertisers getting ads seen is not consumer ad avoidance, but rather interruption avoidance. HitBliss, a new service in private beta trial right now, has addressed this problem by giving the media consumer a way to avoid interruption but not advertising (a la iTunes) or watching ads of their choice in a time of their choosing.