blurbIQ Launches Cross-Platform Interactive Video Unit

Interactive Video

Trendy as it is, it was only a matter of time before interactive-video advertising branched out beyond desktop computers. The video specialists at blurbIQ just debuted a cross-platform interactive-video unit with which they &re hoping to make a name for themselves.

Not your run-of-the-mill video ad startup, blurbIQ uses game mechanics to insert questions into video streams.

“We drive consumers to interact with and understand the messaging of the video," said Scott Reese, CEO of blurbIQ.

Still in limited use, relative to more common forms of rich media, initial results have been positive.     

For example, after a 30-day cross-platform interactive video campaign, an online financial company that wished not to be identified reported video completion rates as high as 81%; interaction rates of 38%; and click-through rates of 5.86% -- which all resulted in a 428% reduction in their cost per acquisition.

Launched in mid-2010, blurbIQ has worked with E*Trade, Duracell, Church & Dwight and General Motor.

blurbIQ, however, is not the only upstart preaching to the gospel of interactive video. Backed by Y Combinator and Mark Cuban, 140Fire is slowly gaining steam with its DataRoll product, which layers interactive banners over related streaming video ads.

Still, the video ad pie appears to be growing rapidly enough for more players to get a piece. Indeed, the IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers recently reported that video ads commanded double-digit growth during the first half of the year -- up 42.1% year-over-year -- and moved close to the $1 billion mark with $891 million in the half-year of 2011. Partly as a result, U.S. online ad revenues rose 23.2%  -- to a record $14.9 billion -- in the first half of the year.

Per blurbIQ's latest release, brands can now execute and measure campaigns across mobile, tablets, social media, and interactive TV -- and according to Reese, all within 48 hours.

“We have always operated under the premise that advertisers must be able to deliver their interactive video content wherever they want easily and quickly,” Reese said.

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