One could liken Google to a house that keeps expanding, with new room additions every few months. Google’s house is already the largest on the block and it seems to keep getting bigger. Two related moves represent further expansion. The first is the announcement last week of the Google Media Server, which conveys content from […]
According to comScore, U.S. Internet users watched 11.5 billion online videos in March, 2008. The average viewer watched nearly three hours of video online. These statistics make video an attractive means for advertisers to reach their audience, and in turn, a potential windfall for online video hosts such as YouTube and Google. So far, however, […]
According to SEMPO and its Annual State of Search Survey 2007, SEMs largely remain focused on search fundamentals: traffic, conversions, CTRs, and ROI. Very consistent with percentages in last year’s results, marketers and agencies are interested in direct sales (58 percent) and brand awareness (61 percent). But there’s new interest in video and mobile, as […]
We were just hit with a handful of Yahoo press releases. They include powering the ads on Walmart.com, partnering with Havas Digital to adopt the Right Media Exchange Platform, working out a video distribution deal with CBS, and launching the Yahoo Circular Program for newspapers. All this was announced by Susan Decker at Advertising 2.0.
The NY Times has a wide ranging article that discusses online ad trends and the apparent weakening of the display segment, which is roughly 21 percent of online ad spending. The article discusses how marketers are looking for measurable results and concrete audiences, and in that context niche networks/sites are attracting ad dollars and general […]
As I wrote in last month’s column, video offers enormous opportunity for local SMBs to market online more effectively. Admittedly, some folks differ with that point of view. For example, one commenter wrote that “although the technology exists for businesses to deploy video online, SMBs can’t compete with big brands on creative work.” This person […]
A few minutes ago, I posted screen captures of Google’s new video ads in the real, live, and wild search results. These were announced back in February but only now appear to have really gone live. Searches that triggered this result for me included cell phone or smart phones or phones. It seems like BlackBerry […]
Search has historically been seen as a direct response vehicle and the notion that search is a branding medium has traditionally been met with considerable skepticism by search marketers, albeit somewhat less recently. In an effort to be provocative in moderating the “branding and search” panel at SMX West last month, I said, “Search is […]
Last night I heard a commercial for Honda, where it told the audience to go to Yahoo and search for “shop honda.” I, being an obedient TV viewer, did as instructed and searched for shop honda and saw this ad:
Steve Chen: YouTube to Add Live Video from NewTeeVee reports that YouTube’s founder said they will be adding live video support this year. Videoblogger Sarah Meyers asked Chen about video blogging, in which he said: 2008. We’ll do it this year. Live video is just something that we’ve always wanted to do, we’ve never had […]
As expected, Google announced another push to get advertisers and publishers to utilize video ads. Yes, Google did a pilot video ad program back in May 2007 and then another video ad push in October 2007. But from these, Google said they’ve learned much and have made changes to the new program. Google said they […]
We’ve been expecting them — now they’ve arrived: video ads on Google. Google Tests Video Ads on Search Results Pages from the New York Times has confirmation from Google that they are out there, though I haven’t seen anyone reporting them live and in the wild yet. It really shouldn’t be that much of a […]
Using an expansive definition of the marketplace, Borrell Associates says that “local online advertising” is worth $8.5 billion today. That number consists of local search, “local banners,” and local video. Banners is the biggest spending category and video the smallest. But Borrell expects local search to grow substantially to become almost 50% of the total […]
Beet.TV and Silicon Alley Insider discuss the new Adobe campaign (and others) featuring graphical ads and video overlay ads on YouTube. Below is a screenshot I captured after watching numerous streams because the ads don’t always appear. But the appearance of these ads indicates that YouTube is ramping up its monetization and experimenting with presenting […]
AOL is introducing a new video advertising format: ticker ads. It’s the latest video site to move away from pre-roll, which the Online Publishers Association suggests is a good model but otherwise is roundly rejected by users as delivering a bad experience.
Local search and directory provider Superpages has announced video advertising on a national basis after a several-month test in selected U.S. markets. All the major U.S. yellow pages advertisers are now offering video advertising, though all are in early stages of rolling it out. To my knowledge, Superpages is the only performance-based model where bidding […]
On the heels of yesterday’s Google AdSense video announcement, video search engine Blinkx has announced advertising for video using its “AdHoc” contextual ad platform. The difference is that the AdHoc contextual ad widget works with other video players embedded in third-party sites.
Google’s AdSense to distribute videos from BusinessWeek reports that Google and the creators of “Family Guy” and Raven-Symone, star of the Disney Channel show “That’s So Raven,” have formed a deal to distribute their videos with ads from AdSense. The TV programs will be distributed throughout the AdSense network and will contain ads either prior […]
Superpages becomes the second major local search destination to add video advertising after Citysearch did so recently (in partnership with TurnHere). Other local search and yellow pages sites with video include DexKnows (published by RH Donnelley), Smalltown, SavoyNewYork and MojoPages. And there are an increasing number of travel sites that have video as well.
Gary Price points us to a recent IDC online ad forecast that says search will lose some of its appeal as display (specifically video) ads become more popular and prevalent online. The release identifies this anticipated shift as a “strategic challenge” to Google. While that characterization is attention getting, the reality is not as dramatic.
China.com signs ad pacts with Google, China Mobile from Reuters reports that Google signed a deal with China Mobile to provide video ads for China.com. In addition, Google has been powering China.com’s search engine since 2006.
Today Google introduced a “closed beta” that allows for the in-stream insertion of ads in video content on its AdSense network. Here’s the Inside AdSense explanation: “[W]e’re extending AdSense to online video content. Publishers in this test will be able to define at what point in their videos that streaming video ads will appear.”
YouTube’s New Inline Ads: Screenshots from NewTeeVee has screen captures of the inline ads in YouTube that we have been anticipating for a while. The ads display at the bottom of the video, much like a text ad, but has a play button. When you click the play button on the ad, it overlays the […]
Google just announced that Google Video Search now includes YouTube video results. For example, a search on michael jordan in Google Video, brings back many results from YouTube already. Here is a screen capture: The remainder of the press release discusses how Google will keep YouTube as an “independent subsidiary” but will continue to build […]
Allen Stern designed a mock up of what it would look like, if Google added their Google Video ads to the Google search results page. It is pretty funny and you would hope that Google would never take it this far. The inspiration for Allen Stern’s design was based on the recent news that Google […]
The Google AdSense blog announced that Google is to test new video ads on the AdSense network from content providers such as Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. AdWeek reports that the ads are to be tested for four-weeks, and have already begun. InformationWeek informs us that the ads will be “billed on […]
MediaPost reports Google has hired Michael Steib, the general manager of strategic ventures at NBC Universal. A Google spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have Michael Steib join the Google team to help us work with advertisers to create effective, measurable video advertising.” Googl added, “As we continue to grow our video ads business, Michael’s […]
AdWeek reports that Google is testing video ads at Beet.tv for AllState. The reports indicate that about a week ago, Beet.tv has 15 second Google ads for AllState in their videos. The ads linked to www.allstate.com/google with a special landing page for those users. The ads “were sold at $15 per thousand views, with the […]