Tagged: google

Google TV and interactive video

“Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in an interview late Thursday that a new killer ad format—which he dubbed “interactive video ads”—is coming. Such ads, which could appear anywhere on a Web page not just inside a video, would allow users to interact with the ads in new and more engaging ways, such as asking users to click on a video to learn more about a product. He said he has encouraged Google’s ad teams to think along those lines, but didn’t comment on any specific plans.”

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704075604575357180763918638-lMyQjAxMTAwMDEwNjExNDYyWj.html#ixzz0wlyxBvKs

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With the introduction of Google television I definitely feel that they are using YouTube as a testing ground for interactive video advertisements, and therefore depending upon the response received could be used to a larger extent on Google TV. With statistics from other sites showing that an interactive video is far more successful in creating sales, I think that it is only common sense to say that it will also do well on Google’s video products too.

Reelseo interviewed Jimmy Healey, Senior Manager of E-Commerce for Onlineshoes.com, one of the first companies to actively use online video to advertise their products in 2006. He considers how video has evolved, and how it has adapted how they use it in their advertising, to begin with it was primarily used to increase info on the products on sale on the website, to now actively using interactive video as a major advertising resource.

“I think the greatest insights we’ve gained is, one, just doing it – taking the willingness to make the business decision to actually invest in it.” Says Jimmy. “We didn’t invest heavily at first, but we did do a lot of testing with it. And with testing we found that we made a strong business case for investing considerably more into it.”

http://www.reelseo.com/video-ecommerce-onlineshoes

Though interactive video is still quite new it is definitely set to boom in the online advertising market. As Mr Healey points out, it was perhaps a risk plunging money into this relatively untapped resource, though as shown in the comScore statistics it is definitely going to play off for any advertisers that do so. I think therefore somewhat like what Mr Healey did with Onlineshoes.com using video as a test resource, Google are also doing the same with their interactive video on YouTube, of which I definitely feel will be increasingly effective. What is now especially interesting is to see what Google choose to do with Google TV and online interactive video.

A Google video format? VP8?

An interesting article on Ecommerce Journal this morning about Google’s accquisition of On2 Technologies for $106.5 million.  The article makes a lot of relevant points. On2 video’s 8th generation (VP8) brings bandwidth savings far beyond any other format available.  Currently most online video content is Flash using VP6.  Google will be saving a lot of money as the article states in bandwidth costs and license fees alone.

However, we have to assume that most times Google thinks bigger and wider than just the dollars and cents, it thinks in terms of infuence, disruption and market penetration as well.  Google continues to make strategic moves in the video space, it has to.  This accquisition may give Google an immediate edge in terms of cost and quality, it also shows Google’s continuing desire to engage in the video space and to try and diversify and increase its market share.

YouTube may at times seem like the white elephant in the room at Google, but existing video is just content (a canvas) waiting to be “re”created, repurposed, re-energised and monetised.  When the time comes and we have learned and taken up what online video can be, YouTube is going to be another little cash cow for Google, that just ticks in revenue with every impression or the possibility of revenue for every impression.

Google opening and releasing VP8 for general public use or charging fees for it’s use?  Interesting question, but Google will probably see that the benefit of allowing everyone to use their format will profilerate it and therefore profilerate them.

The future is not bright, it is interactive and may be VP8….

How much difference is there to the quality?  See for yourself below.  They do recommend that the video be viewed in fullscreen.  The average internet user is not going to notice much difference really, but it is improvement and we will always strive to improve.

7 August 2008 – Gary Wilson

google invest in the online video advertising eco-system

I see google have decided the online video advertising market needs a kick start and the news that they are going to offer agency commision on video adverts is good news.

http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/40221/Google+to+introduce+agency+commission+on+video+ads.html

I will be following this with interest to see if it has a knock on effect for video ads not on youtube

Google Study Finds Packaged Goods Spots Perform At ‘Parity’ Online Vs. TV

I found the latest research published on MediaPost very interesting, it is backed up by our own statistics around engagement.  In essence the research finds that online video advertising is at least as good as TV in building brands.

“The takeaway is that nothing is lost and much can be gained. There is no downside in terms of bringing a brand-building message,” Marianne Foley, senior vice president-strategic initiatives at Harris Interactive said referring to the impact of running TV commercials online.

The study found that the commercials performed equally in all the major attributes on each of those platforms, but that embedded video ads might actually perform slightly better in terms of their ability to influence “purchase intent.”

Maybe this is why we have seen a huge spike in activity over the last few months. Long may it continue..

Irfon