Welcome | View My Profile | Sign Out
MediaPost Home About MediaPost Privacy/Terms Media Kit Sitemap
Publications Home News
Online Media Daily Media Daily News Marketing Daily Mobile Marketing Daily Search Marketing Daily
Daily Feed> Email Daily Feed> Video Daily Feed> Social
Online Blogs
Online Spin Email Insider Search Insider Behavioral Insider Online Publishing Insider Mobile Insider Video Insider Gaming Insider Performance Insider Metrics Insider Social Media Insider Just An Online Minute Daily Online Examiner Raw Blog
Media Blogs
Research Brief Diane Mermigas:On Media TV Watch TV Board Magazine Rack Media Creativity Notes From the Digital Frontier Digital Outsider Mad Blog Red White and Blog
Marketing Blogs
Engage:Hispanics Engage:Kids 6-11 Engage:Moms Engage:Boomers Engage:Gen Y Engage:Teens Marketing:Green Marketing:Sports
Magazines
OMMA Magazine Media Magazine
Subscribe
Feedback Loop RSS Feeds Archives Subscribe
Dec 2 Search Insider Summit (Utah) Dec 6 Email Insider Summit (Utah) Jan 11 OMMA Agency of the Year (NYC) Jan 12 MEDIA Agency of the Year (NYC) Jan 26 OMMA Social (San Francisco) Jan 27 OMMA Performance (SF) Feb 24 OMMA Metrics Measurement (NYC) Feb 25 OMMA Behavioral (NYC) Mar 15 OMMA Global (San Francisco) Apr 14 Search Insider Summit (FL) Apr 18 Email Insider Summit (FL)
Recently Concluded Events
Nov 3 OMMA Adnets (NYC) Oct 30 OMMA Video (LA) Oct 29 OMMA Mobile (LA) Oct 29 OMMA Mobile & Video (LA) Sep 23 Creative Media Awards (NYC) Sep 23 The Future Of Media (NYC) Sep 22 Online All Stars (NYC) Sep 21 OMMA Awards (NYC) Sep 21 MediaPost Live at Advertising Week All-Access (NYC) Sep 21 OMMA Global New York (NYC)
All MediaPost/OMMA Events Event Blogging Past Event Videos
Industry Events Calendar
2010 OMMA Agency of the Year 2010 MEDIA Agency of the Year
2009 Creative Media Awards 2009 OMMA Awards 2009 Digital Out-of-Home Awards 2009 Media Agency of the Year 2009 OMMA Agency of the Year
All Awards
Employment Situations Wanted Services Offered Post a Job
Briefs Reports Online
MediaPost Directories
Mobile Insiders Group
People Finder Edit My Profile View My Profile My Contacts My Calendar
HOME • MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS • MEDIA KIT
Online Video Advertising: Taking A lesson From Sponsored Search
by Michael Shehan, Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 12:45 PM

SHARE

TOOLS

RELATED ARTICLES

MOST READ

Sponsored search is arguably the most revolutionary and successful ad medium. And it just might represent how future media budgets are managed across other segments such as television, radio, and of course, online video advertising. Granted, sponsored search is mostly about direct response, not branding; however, it is hard to argue against the merits of real-time optimization methods that maximize reach and limit waste. So, what practices utilized by successful search and interactive advertisers can be applied to other forms of advertising, such as managing online video ad campaigns?  

First, consider the media planning process itself; it differs greatly between online and traditional buys. Interactive marketers benefit from the rapid (near-immediate) data feedback of their campaigns. Buy some keyword clicks, track the results, and optimize. For many interactive marketers, a campaign can be created, tested, and evaluated in as little as a week or two. As such, buyers of sponsored search don't think in terms of the upfront buy or quarterly budgets. Instead, they look at goals like ROAS and net contribution, and then adjust spending on the fly.

Regrettably and understandably, traditional agencies have been applying broadcast media buying practices to their online video ad buys. However, an online video ad buy occurs one impression at a time, just like with search and not by millions of viewers at a time. As such, these media buyers should use the same strategy as their interactive counterparts when planning an online video advertising buy. A media plan for an online video ad buy actually doesn't need to look much different than a traditional plan; it should answer some of the following questions:  

·    What is the target audience?  

·    What traffic sources (ad networks, individual sites, etc.) attract the desired audience?  

·    What is the desired CTR?  

·    What minimum average of the commercial needs to be viewed (25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent)?  

·    What are the target geographic region(s)?  

·    What is the target CPM?

·    Over what period of time should the goal impressions be achieved?  

·    If direct response is important, what kinds of conversion rates are desired?


Once the model is built, a small campaign can be launched on some or all of the sources. Many sites will require larger buys. In that case, first test it on the sources that will allow smaller buys, including video ad networks and exchanges.  

Once interactive agencies have collected sample data (which can take between a day and a week), they typically analyze and measure it against the campaign goals. They analyze their targets including keyword spend, conversion rates, etc. Then they leverage the data to optimize and expand the campaign. Utilizing real-time performance data and constantly optimizing the campaign is an ongoing process for interactive marketers, and it should become standard practice for media buyers at traditional agencies as well.  

Surely that brought a collective groan from media buyers everywhere, as they are already resource constrained. As the industry and the audience continues to fragment, it takes significantly more time and resources for traditional agencies to reach their target audience, as compared to 20 years ago when the audience was found on only a few networks. Naturally, the last thing needed is extra work.

But consider: interactive agencies spend about 10% of their time buying media, and about 90% managing and optimizing campaigns based on real-time performance data. Conversely, traditional agencies spend about 90% of their time planning and buying media. Of course, interactive marketers have the tools to manage campaigns in such a manner, but traditional agencies do not. However, those types of tools are beginning to emerge for online video advertising, especially from video ad networks and exchanges. By using them, traditional media buyers can shift their time from media buying to media optimizing.  

Traditional agencies are re-inventing themselves. That was a common theme at the OMMA and IAB shows during Ad Week in New York. At a time when traditional agencies want to "go digital," and when their clients are requiring more accountability, adopting some of the above suggestions is a great and easy place to start.  

3 comments on "Online Video Advertising: Taking A lesson From Sponsored Search "

  1. Roman Freud from Adotube
    commented on: October 08, 2007 at 4:28 PM
    We have a new exciting product that allows you to monetize your Flash video stream with brand name, high revenue opt-in ads. Our advertisement is shown in-stream (within the video), IT doesn't disrupt user experience by redirecting and is easily dismissed. Our solution is much more user friendly then pre-roll or redirecting banner ads.

    Please view our product example at: http://www.adotube.com/demo.html

    Opt-in offer preview is shown in the bottom left corner.

    We work only with brand name advertisers

    Adotube platform is very flexible and easy to deploy with a few lines of Javascript. Your .flv file is played through Adotube Player and offers appear to the user in the manner of your choosing. There is also a possibility of branding and skinning our player to fit your page, with exactly same functionality and controls as your current Flash video player, or alternatively we can provide a plug-in for your existing player.

    The feel, appearance and behavior of our ads are fully customizable by you.

    Please feel free to contact me for more information either by email: freudr@adotube.com

    or phone at: 646-246-0813

  2. Luis A Ortiz from Blockheadtv
    commented on: October 08, 2007 at 3:10 AM
    Watch amazing videos at http://www.blockheadtv.com “Watch Videos, Play Games�

  3. Luis A Ortiz from Blockheadtv
    commented on: October 06, 2007 at 4:17 PM
    Watch more videos only at http://www.blockheadtv.com “Watch Videos, Play Games�

Leave a Comment

You must be signed in to comment. Sign In

Do you have strong opinions and inside knowledge about the topic of this article -- and do you want to share your insights, observations and points of view regularly with the readers of MediaPost? To be considered as a MediaPost contributing writer, please send pertinent info about your credentials, plus several column ideas and one example of your writing on the topic, to pfine@mediapost.com. Please see our editorial guidelines here first.

MICHAEL SHEHAN
  • Michael Shehan is the CEO and President of SpotXchange, an online video marketplace. In 2001 he founded parent company Booyah Networks, which is comprised of a paid search network and an interactive marketing agency.


AUTHORS

ARCHIVES

RECENT VIDEOS
Recent Video Insider Articles
Rethinking Interactive TV Measurement   
While today's interactive experiences include on-screen polling and multiple choice questions, the scale required for nationwide...
Closing Out 2009: Trends In Video   
One of my favorite things about working for an ad network is the diversity of partners...
TV Listings Data Will Be King   
With video content delivery further decomposing into linear, time-shifting Internet, and video-on-demand buckets growing, it will...
What Hath Apple Wrought?   
In 1844 Samuel Morse's first message over a 40-mile experimental telegraph from Washington to Baltimore was...
Scientific Advertising And Free Samples   
Up until this year '' which many consider to be the turning point for interactivity --...
Open The Floodgates: Greater Access To Content Will Raise Studio Profits   
Making movies is like product development. Each new Adam Sandler comedy or zombie spookfest is essentially...
Information Superhighway Within Reach   
The Internet has evolved into an omnipresent force shaping, or destroying, all that swims in its...
Thriving In A Market That Rewards Quality And Volume   
I am often approached by publishers who want to grow video ad revenue and are willing...
Thanks To Technology, Video is Everywhere   
The 21st century is an era of mass technology, which has made mass information a commodity...
Avoiding Video Network Pitfalls   
The news over the past few weeks has been interesting, to say the least, when it...
>> Video Insider Archives 
ABOUT MEDIAPOST • MASTHEAD • MEDIA KIT • RSS FEEDS • PRIVACY/TERMS & CONDITIONS
©2009 MediaPost Communications. All rights reserved.
1140 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10001
tel. 212-204-2000, fax 212-204-2038, feedback@mediapost.com