Rovio plans to add advertisements in games running on Google's Android and Apple's iPhone operating systems -- namely Angry Birds, which now counts more than 280 million global downloads. Nexage will support the strategy through the RTB Exchange, making it possible for the game maker to integrate ads between game levels and before and after play. Game developers for Rovio will integrate Nexage's software development kits in the games. The first ad buyer in China went live Wednesday through an unnamed ad network, according to Ernie Cormier, CEO and president of Nexage. "When you download one of the free Angry Bird games, you'll see banners and interstitials between the levels in the game. Sometimes they will be static and other times video." In some cases, Cormier explains rich media or interactive ads will take the gamer out of the game to the brand's landing page. Mobile gaming revenue will exceed $16 billion in 2016, as in-app payments grow, according to ABI Research. The analyst firm points to Angry Birds as an early example of the dynamics between casual gaming and the discovery of new content. Nexage's platform provides real-time bidding and makes ad units available in the game. The company will manage the ad impressions, reports, optimization and day-to-day relationships for brands that want to advertise in Rovio games through a combination of 80 ad networks, demand-side platforms, agencies and others that purchase the inventory. Cormier said Nexage now approaches about 8 billion impressions monthly for 170 publishers and developers, and 600 sites and applications. The platform supports companies worldwide, but a little more than half of the traffic comes from the U.S. Mobile advertisers have challenges, admits Cormier. "There are many," he said. "We're still in the early days. There are no standards for what the ad looks like and how it should behave. We're back to the days around 1995 when browsers and cookies were not supported by standards." Finnish Rovio has other challenges, too. The tight integration between emerging technology, applications and mobile games puts developers in a precarious position. Texas-based Lodsys sued the company for patent violations claiming concerns on how people purchase new levels inside the Angry Birds game. Angry Birds will also move beyond advertising and video games into toys and movies.
Especially after last year's massive recall of salmonella-contaminated eggs, a shell egg that presents no risk of salmonella or food-borne illness, even when used raw, would seem to have built-in appeal. But when you've come up with a scientific improvement on a food staple like the egg, educating people -- as well as building brand awareness -- is very much a marketing priority. That's why Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs, which are contamination-free inside and out, has partnered with award-winning chef Giuliano Hazan to spread the word about the product's combined safety and taste benefits. The product uses FDA-approved pasteurization -- a natural, warm-water bath process performed within the shell, with computerized controls -- patented in the '90s by James P. Cox, who developed it with R.W. Duffy Cox. The Safest Choice brand was actually launched in 2003, when Lansing, Ill.-based National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc. (NPE) acquired all rights to the process/technology. But until recently, NPE has focused primarily on marketing the product to the foodservice industry, including health-care facilities and restaurants, explains Tom Izzo, senior director of global marketing for NPE. The safety factor is particularly critical in foodservice, and in particular in serving people who have weakened immune systems or are highly susceptible to food-borne bacteria, such as seniors and children under 10, those with diabetes, and pregnant women. NPE began its first major push into marketing Safest Choice at retail within the last year. The brand has established a significant and still-expanding national footprint, with distribution in major supermarket chains (including Publix, HEB and ShopRite) that carry "value-added" egg products such as organic and cage-free, reports Izzo. (The brand recently introduced its own cage-free version.) Privately owned NPE doesn't reveal its revenues, but does report that it has pasteurized more than 1 billion eggs since 2003 -- and its site indicates that Safest Choice will soon be marketed in countries around the world, as well as in North America. While NPE's direct-to-consumer marketing plan includes those at greatest risk from food-borne illnesses, consumers' heightened awareness of the dangers of food poisoning clearly opens up the potential market to mothers and basically all people who are concerned about safety but don't want to compromise on taste, notes Izzo. Safest Choice eggs taste -- as well as look and cook -- like standard fresh-shell eggs, and have been awarded the American Culinary Federation Seal of Approval, he points out. Like other "value-added" egg varieties, Safest Choice is somewhat more expensive than traditional eggs (generally in the $3.49 retail price range), but sales of those varieties are growing at about four times the rate of standard eggs, reports Izzo. However, according to the Safest Choice site, "organic" eggs can't be assumed to have a lower risk of food poisoning than non-organic eggs -- and four out of five salmonella cases originate from raw or undercooked eggs. Moreover, a surprisingly large number of dishes (including classics like Caesar salad and eggs prepared "over easy") involve raw or lightly cooked eggs. Raw eggs have also become increasingly popular as a protein-booster in smoothies. Cooking videos are a primary element in NPE's recently formed partnership with Hazan -- author of four cookbooks, including The Classic Pasta Cookbook, and proprietor, with wife Lael, of a renowned cooking school near Verona, Italy. The first two videos feature Hazan using Safest Choice in preparing two recipes calling for raw or lightly cooked eggs -- tiramisù and spaghetti alla carbonara. The chef is also making live appearances on behalf of the brand, including some in-store cooking demonstrations, and more videos are likely to be developed, Izzo says. NPE, a heavy user of social media, is driving awareness of Hazan's spokesperson/educational efforts by featuring the videos in its Facebook page (which currently has about 2,700 fans), aggressive Twitter activities (including Twitter "parties" around topics related to using pasteurized shell eggs), and outreach to food bloggers as well as other PR initiatives, reports Izzo. Safest Choice is also selectively employing traditional media, including print advertising in geographic splits within AARP The Magazine.
Bank of the West is breaking its first brand spot in five years as part of a brand relaunch for the San Francisco-based bank. The campaign aims to link the regional bank's identity to the Modern West and disassociate from the big banks of Wall Street. The lead TV spot, "Sonoma to Nebraska," marks the first TV spot from ad agency Heat, San Francisco. Media is being handled by Mediaspot, Newport Beach, Calif. The concept is embodied in the commercial's catchphrase, "There's a spirit in the West that drives people to do more," which is spoken by Daniel Stern of "The Wonder Years." The target is both general consumer and business customers, says Heat President John Elder. "Bank of the West is targeting adults 18-54," Elder tells Marketing Daily."They are seeking new retail, commercial and small business customers who would like to work with a bank with competitive products and rates [and one] that provides a unique customer service experience." Based in 19 Western states, Bank of the West understands the optimistic, entrepreneurial nature of those who have always looked to "Go West" to find success and has a heritage of supporting people who do so, Elder adds. "At Heat, we have been customers of Bank of the West since our inception and I can tell you that they run a great operation," Elder says. "We are thrilled to be able to tell their story in a way that's never been done before. In this day and age when it's hard to find great service in any business, Bank of the West exceeds expectations." The 30-second spot describes future Western successes, including a Cabernet soda from Sonoma, a James Beard Award-winning line chef from Denver, and a champion-to-be racehorse, groomed on a Nebraska farm. The spot shows landscapes only -- no people -- so that viewers may place themselves within the Modern West's environment of progress. The tag is "Another reason to go West." It breaks July 29 on ESPN's "Bank of the West Classic" (tennis). Additional media buys will include news and sports programming. Bank of the West has customers in all 50 states and over $58 billion in assets.
Earlier this year, I went over-the-top. No, not in the way I write fill-in columns and blog posts (I topped out in that process long ago). I went over-the-top as a TV viewing household, meaning, I began streaming conventional TV programming via an intermediary device. Okay, so that's not so surprising, right? I mean, millions of Americans are doing that (more on that in a moment)? The reason I'm telling you about my transition is that it was purely unintentional. You see, despite covering the front lines of media innovation, I don't consider myself an early adopter of media technology, and my journey over-the-top began when I upgraded from my loyal, dependable, but apparently antiquated analogue Trinitron to a digital, state-of-the-art digital TV. I chose an LG, because it was the least expensive, and had the best average user ratings for any model in its price range. So I went down to my local Costco, trucked the incredibly large, but surprisingly light 46-inch set home, plugged it in and turned it on. And here's where the story gets interesting. Before I even turned on a conventional TV channel, the set synced up with my home wi-fi network and booted up LG's "Netcast" home screen, with icons to directly access video programming from a variety of streaming services, including Yahoo, YouTube and Netflix. Since we already were a Netflix household, my family began streaming TV programs and movies, and we haven't looked back under-the-top. I'm sharing my personal Netflix journey with you, because Nielsen just released some interesting data showing the migration of over-the-top viewing to Netflix and Hulu, and the different ways in which people are accessing it. The data isn't actually new. It was from last March and has already been previewed to clients during meetings earlier this year, but shows that divergent patterns are beginning to emerge in the ways in which people access streaming video online. Half of all Netflix customers currently utilize a gaming console - either a Nintendo Wii (25%), a Sony PS3 (13%), or a Microsoft Xbox (12%) - to stream video programming. By contrast, the vast majority (89%) of Hulu users utilize their Internet-connected computers to stream programming from the Web-based service. That differential doesn't surprise me, given the different ways in which two streaming video platforms are marketed. What does surprise me, is that more people aren't accessing either of those services via an Internet-enabled TV. But I predict that as more and more consumer electronics manufacturers build wi-fi adapters and Internet tuners into their TV sets, more and more people will begin discovering, and accessing streaming video just the way I did - as an unintended byproduct of trading up to a new TV set. And I wouldn't even be surprised to see deals in which TV manufacturers begin bundling Netflix-ready sets as a premium offer, much the way car manufacturers began adding satellite radio tuners to their higher-end trim lines a decade ago. In the end, streaming video technology will become seamless and ubiquitous, and the real game-changer will be what it's always been: access to programming. Currently, Netflix has a spotty library, but I have to believe that will change in time. In terms of total streaming video viewers, Netflix already is about as big as a "mid-size" cable network, according to CBS research chief Dave Poltrak, who describes the video subscription service as a "phenomenon," and agrees that if and when it gains access to deeper and better programming libraries, could become a real challenger to the conventional TV distribution players - cable and satellite TV. When that will happen, is anyone's guess and depends on the usual economic factors of Hollywood licensing models. In the meantime, I'm on my way home to boot up my TV and browse my cue.
Pity the poor unicorns. These days, they're dragged metaphorically into blog posts to make a point -- just like those in the famous Cloisters tapestries. I read with bemused interest Jason Burke's July 6 Video Insider, "Video Ad Exchanges Aren't A Silver Bullet." Burke attempted to make the case that buyers on exchanges are chasing "unicorns" -- bargains that don't exist. Exchanges may indeed have limitations, but let's keep it real. None of the points in his article are new or unique to exchanges. In fact, exchanges are eliminating "unicorns" by actually improving brand protection, transparency, ad units and standards for online video advertising. Consider the following facts: Exchanges are Advancing Brand Protection All major video ad exchanges employ technology and use independent verification services to ensure a brand-safe environment for advertisers. In fact, exchanges are leading efforts to bring more clarity and accountability to how video is sold. Three major video ad exchanges (along with several video ad networks) recently participated in an IAB working group that identified guidelines for classifying and categorizing video inventory clearly. This is good news for video buyers and bad news for unicorns. Exchanges Provide Greater Transparency On this point, Burke nailed it. Smart video ad buyers are insisting on transparency before and after their video campaigns run. Exchanges enable buyers to determine the exact set of sites on which their ads are eligible to run. The best exchanges provide complete reporting on where ads actually ran, along with the relative performance for each. What's more, real-time bidding is enabling buyers to bid and pay for each impression on each site. Buyers on exchanges know what they're buying and pay just what it's worth. Exchanges are Enabling Wider Adoption of Advanced Ad Units and Standards Most video ad exchanges require direct integrations with publishers, and all support the IAB VAST/VPAID video standards. Any "communication breakdowns" are easily identified and can be rectified during the integration and testing process. As a result, exchanges are able to offer interactive video ad capabilities across an unparalleled amount of inventory. Most of all, by bringing massive amounts of supply and demand together, exchanges in themselves create a powerful force for standards adoption. The rise of video ad exchanges marks an important maturation point in the video advertising industry. They're enabling new and scalable approaches to reaching audiences with powerful video messages. Burke and I can agree on one thing: exchanges won't replace networks. Networks will continue to play a critical role in the video advertising ecosystem by providing managed services for agencies and advertisers. In fact, networks comprise some of the largest buyers on video ad exchanges today. The transparency and efficiency exchanges provide benefit the entire video industry, meaning they won't be galloping off into the sunset anytime soon.
These are indeed amazing and volatile times for online video. Every day there's a new study showcasing the accelerating growth of online video; the never-ending demand for video content by brands; and a prevailing gold-rush mentality by media companies (both new and old) to get their piece of the pie. While the old saying that a rising tide lifts all boats might be true, all of us in the online video sector should periodically take a deep breath to ensure that we're not losing track of some important fundamental truths about online video in the midst of all this excitement and activity. Truth #1-- Quality still matters: There's currently an understandable obsession in the marketplace around developing online video content quickly and repurposing it in as many ways as possible, whether on YouTube, Facebook, microsites or elsewhere. However, quality content is critical to the success of your brand. It always has been, and on that point nothing has changed. While the tone and style of the creative work you fill your Facebook and YouTube pages with may be significantly different from what gets put on prime time TV, we can't lose site of the fact that every piece of creative you put out there reflects on your brand, and no one in today's economy can risk releasing a bad image of the brand you've worked so hard to develop and position. Truth #2-- There's still room and necessity for the "old way" of doing business, too: Creative briefs, strategic input from agencies, and media planning still matter and in many ways are more important now than ever. Those of us on the front lines of video production should spend an inordinate amount of time on fine tuning the creative briefs for each of our creative assignments to ensure that the videos we produce are not only of the highest quality, but dead on target for the expressed needs of the brand. As part of this we rely heavily upon ad agencies for solid input and direction, as agency media planning helps our creative teams understand the exact target demo we need to address in our videos. Truth #3--You never get a second chance to make a first impression: The folks at Head & Shoulders had it right a couple of decades ago with their TV campaign and it is just as relevant to us today. For many newer brands, online video will be their introduction to the masses, so making a good first impression is as important as ever. A ton of new companies are making their first foray into video advertising. These are often smaller brands that haven't had the luxury of affording expensive TV spots, but now thanks to vehicles like crowdsourcing they have the opportunity to dip their toes in the water with quality videos that tell their brand story. Again, now's not the time to put a video out there that misses the mark or tells an incomplete story. Truth #4-- Going viral for the sake of going viral is rarely going to work. I've written about this in the past here in MediaPost. Developing a video strictly with the hope of getting your brand a couple million views on YouTube is a risky proposition at best. That's not to say you shouldn't be out there trying to stretch your brand's persona to the masses. I recommend to brands and agencies that they look more to creative and unique representations of their brand that will resonate with the audience, and that are quite different from what they are used to seeing from the brand on TV or online. Push the envelope. Encourage creative expression for your brand. Let loose the reins of control and tradition, and let the creative community embrace your brand as they see it. You'll be pleasantly surprised with the results. These are exciting times for all of us in online video. If we all take a periodic breather to calibrate what we do with some core truths, the good times stand a greater chance of having genuine staying power.