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Joost Experiments With Video Ad Formats
I like what Joost is doing with their advertising formats. Instead of just copying the TV metaphor on the internet, they are experimenting to see what works. According to MediaPost,
Joost is offering advertisers a range of formats beyond the traditional 30-second spot. Ten-second and 15-second pre-, mid-, and post-roll options are all available, all with interactive capabilities for users to delve deeper into ad messages if they desire.
Another alternative is a roughly 5-second "Brought to You By..." "introstitial," according to Elders. "We're going to be doing a lot of experimenting around our three core principles of targetability, measurability, and interactivity," he said. "There are a lot of unknowns, and we really don't know yet what viewing patterns are going to be like."
In addition, rather than interrupting programming, Joost will run ads alongside content known as "hand-raisers," which users can click for more information either within Joost's platform or on a brand's own Web site.
What I'd like to see some brand try is a 3 second pre-roll, a 5-10 second mid-roll, and a 30 second post-roll, all tied together intelligently to tell a complete story if you watch all three ads. And supplemented by text or banner links for the deep dive. I think that would work really well on the Internet.
Comments (5) | Posted April 27, 2007 in Venture Capital and Technology
Comments
Incidentally ABC.com (although you panned it recently because it only let you watch and not do anything else) is the closest to what you advocate - three ads pre + 2mid that tell a complete story.
Posted by: Anon Coward | Apr 27, 2007 9:21:09 AM
It is smart for them to experiment with ad formats. I have heard that they hope to get their targeting good enough that 1min of ads per hour will give them enough revenue.
The one thing I'm unsure about is their strategy of "fat head" content. That is where the big money is, for sure, but it is going to be expensive going head to head with the big networks for content rights.
Posted by: Nic Brisbourne | Apr 27, 2007 12:00:43 PM
yah, son. wtf? abc.com is mad close to this noise and you capped 'em. fix your face.
Posted by: thuglife | Apr 27, 2007 6:18:02 PM
30 sec pre-roll is clearly not popular with users and needs to be reassessed. I think its great that Joost is looking at different formats. But it takes more than one company playing around with new forms of advertising - even one as buzzy as Joost. THe industry needs to agree on new standards so that advertising can be sold by simply haggling on price, not also debating form factor. After the IAB did this for banner ads, the industry's growth rapidly accelerated. I've posted about how New Forms of Advertising are Hard at the Lightspeed blog in the past - if you're interested click on my name in this comment to read the post.
This is not just an issue for online video advertising - we also need standards in the emerging field of social media marketing and ad units where users voluntarily affiliate with a brand (friending a brand's profile, adopting a brand's "skin" for their profile or slideshow etc). I posted on this topic yesterday at http://lsvp.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/we-need-a-standard-for-social-network-advertising/
Posted by: jeremy liew | Apr 28, 2007 1:11:55 AM
OK let's do the math. I'm a network distributing my hour-long TV program via local affiliates who in turn send the content over-the-air or via cable or satellite. I get a $40/CPM for 10 minutes or 20 30-sec spots. (Rest goes to the affiliates) That's $800/CPM per show. If I have an audience of 3m. viewers I can pay for lots for production values or executive salaries. That's $2.4m. Nice. Alternatively, Joost (as in toast) gives me a 80/20 split on one minute of targeted ads. Let's say I persuade my advertsers to go for a super-rich $200 cpm; I get $160 an hour per thou. I'll need 15m Joost viewers a week to match the revenue I am getting today. Oh I forgot, Joost is also calling on my advertisers. Maybe they'll call on my production partners one day as well. You think?
Posted by: phoneranger | Apr 28, 2007 8:43:14 AM
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