The viewing decline of TV commercials, partnered with the rise of users turning to the Web to watch audio and video segments, have created a natural evolution for the shift of advertising from television to the Internet. This current hot topic has content providers across the Web searching for ways to make their site stand out as the one that can drive the most revenue for the advertiser. YouTube is one of the most recent Web sites to announce its new video ad platform.
YouTube’s platform offers two main features: brand channels, which allow advertisers to create their own programming; and “participatory video ads,” which appear on the upper right-hand corner of its home page and allow users to click on the video to view it. With this new platform, advertisers can link ads that appear on the homepage to specific clips on the site or to the advertiser’s brand channel.
The platform is an innovative idea, but it leaves me to wonder if it could not be done more simplistically. I went to the YouTube site, clicked on channels, and scanned the first page to see what ads I would be able to view. Maybe it is just because the campaign is just being launched, but I only found one advertisement: in the Paris Hilton Channel with a promotion for Fox’s Prison Break. I don’t know about you, but to me, I don’t really see a correlation between Paris Hilton and Prison Break, and I wouldn’t think that the typical fan would be one in the same. Who knows though?
PodZinger is currently in the process of developing an advertising platform of its own, but hopefully one that will be a little more straightforward. Although I cannot reveal the details to you right now, we will soon be releasing an innovative idea on the world of Internet advertising. I promise to keep you updated as soon as I can reveal more!
