YouTube is about to play a far more prominent role in brand positioning and market. Google is reportedly finalizing contracts for what will eventually be a dozen or more "channels" that will host regular content on such themes as fashion and sports, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Google declined to comment, however its push in this direction has been clear for some time. It has invested $100 million in original content for the channel. It is also piloting a new ad format called First Watch in which advertisers can get a preroll spot on a consumer's first view of a video. The service launched this alternative position - it already offers in-stream ads and overlay banners - because demand for ad space was growing, Baljeet Singh, senior product manager for video monetization at YouTube told the New York Times' blog Media Decoder.

This format will also apply to professional content - not the user-generated video clips that are so ubiquitous on the site. Tommy Hilfiger, Hotels.com, the Lifetime cable channel, Macy’s and Virgin Mobile have already tested it, Media Decoder also said.

17 Percent

YouTube is a popular social tool for major brands and companies, BrightEdge noted in a new report. Almost 17 percent of the 10,000 largest sites on the Web have links to YouTube video on their front page, it found.

And Growing Fast

Video in general is also the fastest growing online ad format, eMarketer recently reported.  In general, growth for US online ad spending will crest this year at 20.2% and remain solidly in double digits through 2014, recaching $50 billion. “Video advertising continues to attract new ad spending from brands because it generates greater audience attention than other digital ad formats,” said David Hallerman, eMarketer principal analyst. However, “its influence far outpaces its ad dollars.”