• by John Hallenborg , June 18, 2002

‘Call me when you’ve got something new,’ scoffs the jaded advertiser to the harried media buyer. Well, maybe Point Roll’s ad delivery platform will be just the thing to persuade that numbed ad exec. Point Roll (pointroll.com) commenced operations in August, bent on capturing web-directed eyeballs with a version of the next generation ad banner. Proprietary software enables advertisers to deliver up to eight distinct pop-up messages within a single online banner ad. Has Philadelphia-based Point Roll built a better mousetrap? CEO Jules Gardner certainly thinks so. “Our vision is to create a new banner and to price it in a way that advertisers would have to be foolish not to use our technology,” he says. The pop-ups “are like mini web pages.”

Point Roll’s launch client, Universal Studios, has taken full advantage of the tools by promoting a recent video release of the film Erin Brockovich by using a single 468x60 parent banner to spawn four ads-within-an-ad. Roll the pointer from left to right over the banner and you launch four fresh panels, each appearing as the last one disappears. Along with Erin Brockovich online postcards, a VHS/DVD sweepstakes, and electronic souvenirs such as screensavers, rolling the banner launches a screen that displays the first ten minutes of the actual film, provided your PC is technically up to it.

Universal vice president Randy Malinoff is impressed. “We’re thrilled to use this cutting edge technology to reach Erin Brockovich fans,” he enthuses. “Point Roll ads are user-friendly and make it easy for fans to find out more about the movie release and ultimately make a related purchase online.”

What are the specific benefits of paying, on average, some 15 percent more for Point Roll-equipped banner space? Gardner lists four key advantages: 1.) non-intrusive ads require user interaction; 2.) users do not have to leave the site to get more information from the advertiser; 3.) bigger ads “behind” the banner ad direct larger, targeted messages to a predisposed (by rolling over the ad) audience; and 4.) multiple ads-within-an-ad format promotes greater creativity to entice user interaction. What about tallying results? The Point Roll Tracker utility is an advertiser’s answer to potentially nightmarish web accounting once the Point Roll is deployed at multiple sites. Metric reports reflect panel impression rates, interaction rates, click-through rates, average panel viewing time, and other parameters.

One of Point Roll’s first accounts is Computers4Sure.com, an electronics reseller. The online store’s David Abelman is pleased so far. “Click-through rates improved fifteen percent. Banners are very commonplace today, delivering poor results. Point Roll breaks through the clutter and delivers. We’re sold on this technology and will continue to advertise with Point Roll banners.”

In terms of pricing, there are two models, one reflecting two-tiered, pay-for-performance scores. “The user rolls the mouse over the ad, we get a payday,” Gardner says. “If the user clicks on an ad, a call to action, that payday increases.” And the other “is a cost-per-thousand model” that should appease budget-conscious buyers. Licensing fees will commence in 2001, but are waived until then.