• by Tameka Kee , June 29, 2007

Atlanta-based rich media firm EyeWonder has joined with NBC Universal, OMD Digital, Akamai Technologies, InsightExpress and some 30 other industry partners for a major study of digital advertising effectiveness--the latest in a spate of cross-industry collaborative research efforts.

A major component of the "In-Stream 2.0" research initiative will be to provide media buyers with uniform digital video buying and reporting metrics--including optimal ad duration, in-stream sequencing and value analysis. For creative agencies, the focus is on brand performance metrics like awareness, message association and purchase intent.

This comprehensive study will analyze consumer interaction with the gamut of online video and video-based rich media ad platforms--from branded placements and sponsorship, to pre-, mid-, and post-roll ads--providing an in-depth look at the myriad of factors contributing to the all-important Key Performance Indicator of effectiveness.

With input from InsightExpress, an established online market research firm, as well as technological insight from Akamai, the study's partners aim to deliver findings that will serve the digital advertising industry as a whole.

"These top shops will help us conduct this research on behalf of their biggest clients and begin to aggressively design more effective creative for in-stream ads," said John Vincent, CEO, EyeWonder.

This announcement comes just a week after IGA Worldwide, Nielsen Entertainment, and Organic Inc. announced the launch of a multi-partner in-game advertising effectiveness study.

Such studies, analysts say, point to an industry-wide acknowledgment of the need to leverage the strengths of publishers, tech companies, advertisers and agencies to develop clear research and metric benchmarks.