• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 12, 2011

Social video syndicator Alphabird said Thursday it acquired technology and assets from PlaceVine for an undisclosed amount. The PlaceVine Brand Integration Platform automates sourcing and management of videos for brands, agencies and movie studios that distribute non-pre-roll video longer than 30 seconds.

Many have created distribution channels in YouTube.

Alphabird's model supports videos that sit in Web pages rather than ad units. The company looks and acts similar to an ad network, but content gets distributed through editorial pages. Videos get monetized similar to a paid-search model, cost per view or click.

"The model looks and acts similar to Google's sponsored ads in YouTube," said Alphabird CEO Chase Norlin. "When a user clicks on a thumbnail or an article, it works similar to a CPC performance-based model in search."

PlaceVine, launched in 2008 by Adam Erlebacher and Greg Neichin, serves more than 250 marketers and more than 600 producers in film, television, Web video and gaming. They did a good job at building a technology platform, but they had a different business model, charging agencies a monthly fee, Norlin explains.

Alphabird acquired PlaceVine for its technology and clients, specifically YouTube producers, each with a video distribution channel in Google's video network. The company will initially support moviemakers through the PlaceVine YouTube Platform, which debuts with music label The Royal Factory.

The platform becomes the first in a series of new products developed with technology from the acquisition. Norlin said the strategy is similar to the "sponsored celebrity tweets" on Twitter, but the suite of tools developed from the PlaceVine platform will connect marketers with consumers through video on sites like YouTube, which typically reach a younger audience.

Research firm eMarketer estimates that 23% of the U.S. population are young adults ages 18 to 34, accounting for 73.4 million people. This group has the highest Internet penetration rate. About 84% will watch online video at least monthly in 2011, according to the eMarketer report Demographic Profile-Millennials.