YouTube's 'Buzz Targeting' Sells Ad Space on Soon-to-Be Viral Videos

Google has introduced "Buzz Targeting" on YouTube, a new way to wring ad dollars from the video site. Buzz Targeting highlights videos that are about to go viral amongst YouTube users. The algorithm examines videos being favorited and distributed across other sites, among other criteria, then gives advertisers the opportunity to advertise around them. Ads incorporated […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

23% Shaved Off Online Spend; Big Sites Most Affected, Smaller Sites Cash In

PubMatic released a report that suggests online ad spend is impacted by the US economic woes, reports BizJournals. Based on data from 3,000 affiliate ad publishers, PubMatic's second annual AdPrice Index shows online ad spend is down 23 percent on average. The average CPM fell from $.40 in March to $.33 in April. Most of the drop […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Clear Channel Expands Offerings at Radio Sites

Clear Channel Radio has introduced a host of features to its station websites, tailored for both listeners and advertisers. The first of the offerings, Erockstar, debuted two weeks ago and allows people to create playlists or upload music in a social networking environment. Clear Channel has since partnered with Gracenote to avail lyrics for each song, by […]

Posted: Monday, May 12th, 2008

Beware the Ides of Proprietary Rich Media Platforms, Mozilla Warns

Proprietary rich media techologies, such as Flash and Silverlight, threaten the open nature of the internet, warned the founder of Mozilla Europe this week. Mozilla's Tristan Nitot made the statements at London's Internet World conference on Tuesday, ZDNet reports. With upcoming revision of the HTML specification, HTML 5, Nitot said technology like Flash and Silverlight will no […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

ABC to Pump More Ads into Online Commercial Breaks

Starting this week, ABC will insert multiple commercials into ad breaks within shows streamed online. Each break typically serves one :15 or :30 commercial. Because the medium is new, the standard for streaming TV shows is one spot per break. Some sites, like Hulu, give users the option of watching a single two-minute trailer at the […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

Dockers Invites Users to Build Ad Spots

Dockers wants customers to create — and of course, disseminate — their own commercials. The effort kicked off on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Viewers were sent to a microsite at which they may "evangelize the Dockers brand." In tangent with agency Draftfcb, Mixercast provided the platform where ad elements can be customized. Submitted creations will […]

Posted: Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/29/08

Ad Buying, Planning and Selling: Media service agency KSL Media is launching eWorld Asset Trading, allowing for the bartering of surplus for ad inventory. Emmis Communications is opening its Emmis Interactive online ad production and sales unit to other radio stations. It's already signed a Pittsburgh broadcaster as its first outside client. Ad Networks and Analytics: Video ad network […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Streaming Ads Get High-Def Treatment — and are Likely Better for It

DoubleClick and Brightroll have incorporated high-definition (HD) video into streaming advertising, reports ClickZ. Since the debut of Adobe's high-definition video format, HD video spots have primarily been used in expanding banner ads. DoubleClick and Brightroll now offer units that begin in a normal video window, but which can then be expanded to full-screen, high-definition video. A number […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Google Delivers Display Ads to Mobile Devices

Google has begun delivering display ads to mobile devices, reports CNET. The image ads appear on a contextually-relevant basis, depending on the content of the site. Google has capped the number of ads per page to just one each. Ads must also point to a mobile-ready websites. Google mobile ads shall be sold on a pay-per-click […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Break Media Spearheads Launch of Online Video Industry Coalition

Break Media has announced plans to launch an industry group for promoting the efficacy of online video advertising. The coalition shall include agencies, technology providers and online video companies. The Online Video Advertising ROI Council will also contribute research and education on video advertising. Ogilvy One, truTV, AT&T, the National Geographic Channel, AT&T, and Initiative Media will […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/17/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: Tremor Media has launched Acudeo, a video ad delivery platform that gives publishers control over when and where ads appear in videos. Buddy Media announced the creation of a "social media ad network" open to select developers of Facebook and OpenSocial applictions. IAC is rolling out its HealthCentral ad network, using the site it […]

Posted: Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Newspaper Site Visits Soar in Q1 - Visitors Affluent, Multimedia-Savvy, Political

Newspaper websites attracted a record 66.4 million unique visitors per month (40.7 percent of internet users), on average, in the first quarter of 2008 - or 2.3 percent more than in 1Q07, according to a Nielsen Online custom analysis for the Newspaper Association of America, MarketingCharts writes. Newspaper site visitors generated an average of 3.1 billion […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

US Visits to YouTube Up 32%, Down 48% for No. 2 MySpaceTV

Google's YouTube accounted for 73.18 percent of all US visits in March among a custom category of 68 online video websites, with second-place MySpaceTV receiving 9.21 percent, followed by Google Video with 4.06 percent, according to Hitwise - via MarketingCharts. YouTube visits increased 32 percent from March '07, while MySpaceTV visits dropped significantly (-48 percent), Hitwise […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

UK Internet Ad Spend Up 38%, to Overtake TV in '09

Online advertising in the UK grew from the smallest sector in 2003, to the third-largest in 2007, with more than £2.8 billion in expenditures — a 38 percent year-on-year increase — and a market share of 15.3 percent (up from 11.4 percent in '06), according to findings released this week, MarketingCharts writes. Online looks set […]

Posted: Monday, April 14th, 2008

SheKnows Brings Daily Dish to the Fore

Women's site SheKnows.com is introducing Daily Dish, a daily video show that caters to the same audience, according to a company release. Daily Dish will cover the same breadth of topics as SheKnows' other sites, including LovingYou, PregnancyandBaby.com and RealityTVMagazine. Each episode will run for three to five minutes in length and be tied to other […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

QuickPlay/Amobee Mobile Video Ad Platform Goes Mainstream

Mobile TV and video firm QuickPlay has partnered with Amobee, which provides mobile advertising, to launch a mobile ad platform for video. Similar in some ways to MoPhap and Vantrix's Ad Booster, the service provides: Ad serving capabilities Dynamic ad selection based on consumer profiles and contextual data Rich media buys and ad-sourcing options Dynamic video […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

Microsoft Debuts Concept Shows for Web Streaming

To boost its entertainment profile, Microsoft unveiled a slate of original online programming. The offerings include shows geared to young men, fans of celebrity coverage and even socially conscious audiences. Microsoft believes the niche-tailored shows will prove attractive to advertisers. Buyers were also told the shows are only in concept mode, so they can still be […]

Posted: Monday, April 7th, 2008

DoubleFusion Goes Virtual With Habbo Deal

DoubleFusion has signed a deal with Habbo to manage all ad inventory for the virtual world's US operations. The ad network operator will take on responsibility for media sales and ad placement in-world. This is DoubleFusion's first large-scale foray into virtual worlds, having previously worked on a smaller program with Cyworld in South Korea. DoubleFusion will be […]

Posted: Monday, April 7th, 2008

Campaign Tracking Continues to Evolve Beyond Clicks

Marketers continue to move beyond counting clicks and into new metrics that better represent new media outlets, reports Brandweek. Engagement continues to emerge as the stat of choice for online campaigns, with buy-ins from major brands like Procter & Gamble. That acceptance was in part generated by increased tracking abilities that reflect how long people interact […]

Posted: Monday, April 7th, 2008

St. Ives Goes Digital, Helps Ladies Organize Lives

Today St. Ives debuted its first digital marketing initiative. With pastel colors, soothing music and a focus on the elements, "Get a Happy Face" aspires to encourage women to explore the St. Ives Elements product line while plucking up branded widgets that help organize their lives. Widgets are available on individual product pages. They include: A weather widget, […]

Posted: Thursday, April 3rd, 2008