• by Ross Fadner , June 17, 2008

“Can Video Be Monetized?” The short answer is yes, but getting there isn't so easy. As panel moderator and MediaPost columnist Cathy Taylor mused, “My impression was that once video hit, problem solved,” because widespread video consumption was something advertisers were “really clamoring for.” But it turns out that too many formats and platforms and different size engagement metrics are being thrown at advertisers, and confusion reigns.

“Theres a reason TV is a $70 billion format,” Tremor Media CRO Randy Kilgore said. Simplicityâ€"sight, sound, motion and a 30-second TV adâ€"that's what moves product. For example, it's fashionable to bash pre-rolls for being too much like TV, but Kilgore bets that for anyone who makes substantial money from online video, 80 percent of their revenue comes from pre-rolls. “Big ideas are fun and interesting,” he said, but real revenue comes down to “basic blocking and tackling.”

Matt Wasserlauf, CEO of Broadband Enterprises agreed. “There's a lot of work we can do to make (buying online video) more efficient,” he said. Advertisers need clear targeting and measuring standards to buy video efficiently. Thankfully, he said the leaders in the space are finally coming together to make that happen.