Roo, Tribal Fusion Partner For Contextual Video Ads

Roo has partnered with Exponential's Tribal Fusion network to develop a contextual application that will serve video and ads through interactive Web page text.

The online broadcast company said it has aggregated more than 18,000 clips of licensed content from news organizations, film studios, and record labels such as Warner Music. Content will be paired with relevant text and links on Web pages across both its own network and Tribal Fusion's network (which reaches a reported 160 million users per month).

When users mouse over specific terms on a page, they will have the option to view relevant videos--i.e., a Madonna interview that's linked to the word "interview" on a music news site--with the option for pre- or post-roll, interstitial, and overlay ads in the mix. The companies said they are working to deliver the platform to existing clients within six months.

"We call it incremental content," said Rob Price, senior vice president, product and network, Roo. "And we think it's exciting for publishers and advertisers, but most importantly the users--since they'll have the opportunity to view content that's tuned to their interests."

The two companies had not collaborated on client solutions before, but Price said the effort comes at the right time: "Tribal Fusion had been keen to enter the video space, so they'd done their due diligence well before we approached them. The quality of their technology and the breadth of our content made this an ideal partnership."

At the OMMA Video conference on Thursday, several representatives from digital media companies discussed how brands could move beyond the 30-second spot for viable Web advertising. With this partnership, Roo and Tribal Fusion aim to deliver a video advertising platform that breaks the traditional mold but still provides the quantifiable, highly targeted opportunity sought by marketers and their agencies.

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