@ OMMA: Online Video’s Slow Evolution From 30-Second Spots

Figuring out the proper format for ad-supported online video during the second morning panel at the OMMA Video conference served to continue the dialogue from the first session:

Randy Kilgore, chief revenue officer, Tremor Media: There is a tremendous need for innovation to take place alongside the blocking and tackling associated with earning revenue today. But part of the problem a lot of companies have is “paralysis by analysis.” The thing is, you learn and invent from experimenting. That leads to greater innovation and evolution of video formats and advertising methods.

Lars Bastholm, executive creative director, AKQA: We’re doing a prodject for ESPN, grabbed the stars of the 20 second shoot and did on own version that reflected the engagement of the web. It was about fantasy football. Inside a banner, built a punting game around it.

Troy Young, CMO, VideoEgg: We’re trying to monetize user video. We’ve all had clumsy experiences with companion ads and pre-rolls, which I liken to a clown jumping up from behind your TV. Our platform allows you to bring a permission-based opportunity to interact with consumers.

Robert Petty, CEO, Roo Networks: We’ve been doing an enormous amount of work on P2P. We’re very focused on getting high quality long-form video and on getting the advertising down to less time per hour than TV, so that we keep viewers engaged and avoid clutter.

Anna Kassoway, VP Marketing, VibrantMedia: You don’t need video content to deliver video advertising. We’ve relied on textual advertising to trigger videos related to the content a consumer is reading. For example, on we did a campaign for Unilever, a user could read an article on iVillage, mouse over the word “blonde” and then decide if they want to launch a related video in a separate video window. The user could then continue reading the article, mouse over the word “brunette” and get a video ad for that. We can identify triggers for video ads that allows the user to keep control. We always made it very easy for the consumer to choose what she wanted to view and when. And having that consumer experience in mind, and respecting that control, is essential in online advertising and particularly crucial when it comes to online video.

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