Sony, GE and Dell are among the marketers using a new free branded video platform on HowStuffWorks.com to target the site's reported 9 million unique monthly users. The site said companies have
already uploaded more than 1500 informational videos, which are offered to users accessing articles in specific categories like health, technology and travel since the platform's launch.
"Banner and text ads have been contextualized," said Jeff Arnold, CEO, HowStuffWorks. "We thought, why not do the same thing with video?" Arnold explained that companies can use stock footage
or other promotional video to supplement their traditional branding efforts--and without tapping into their interactive budgets.
While the potential exists to monetize the branded videos in the
future through options like full-page sponsorships, Arnold says it would be done in the least obtrusive way possible. "Our bottom line remains delivering high-quality information across multiple
verticals that comes up very easily in organic search," he explained.
The site currently runs display and text ads alongside its articles, so that brands can't serve blatant advertisements as
content. Moderators ensure that brand contributors have tagged and titled their videos appropriately, so that each brand is matched with relevant content.
HowStuffWorks currently conducts
audience measurement analysis using data from comScore, but providing detailed demographic and engagement info on specific video traffic would be integral if the platform moves toward paid inclusion.
"We'll continue to adopt whatever best industry practices become available," said Arnold.
With a recent Jupiter Research report finding that only 2% of online video users "enjoyed video ads,"
advertisers looking to derive value from online video beyond pre- or post-roll ads may increasingly be drawn to solutions from content publishers.