Today, Mixpo announced the launch of its new Mixpo SmartVideoTM platform designed to help publishers, ad networks, agencies, and brand advertisers create and deliver real-time-tailored, interactive video ads across any screen and in any ad format (see press release in our news section).
As part of this launch we also introduced SmartVideo for in-stream. Any SmartVideo ad can now run as in-stream, in-banner, in-app, or in smartphone browsers.
We continue to build our technology based on what video ad ecosystem stakeholders are telling us they want. We garner such information through our daily interactions with publishers, networks, agencies, and advertisers as well as through more formal channels.
Last month, for example, we conducted a poll of nearly 100 publisher, networks, and agencies to confirm whether the numbers aligned with our core focus. Combining the results with our own empirical experience as well as research published by others, we came away with five key conclusions:
- Demand for video advertising continues to grow faster than any other online ad format – a fact that the industry is seeing reported by a myriad of sources (aka no surprises here). According to eMarketer, video ad spend is expected to double its share of online ad spend by 2013.
- As shared via a research study conducted by BrightRoll in Q1 of this year, advertisers state that “targeting” is the benefit they value most when it comes to online video ad campaigns.
- Advertisers not only want their media buys to be targeted, but also their creative. They want video ads that are tailored for unique audiences – personalized, if you will – not one-size-fits all. Here’s some relevant data from our survey (Figure A):
Figure A
4. Advertisers also want their video ads to…
- Run on any screen.
- Support multiple formats – not just in-stream – given that different formats influence different facets of brand building and the motivation of consumers through the purchase funnel. Some good, relevant data from eMarketer that we translated into an infographic in Figure B below.
- Be engaging – interactive in a way that’s compelling.
Figure B
5. Up until now, providing the audience-tailored, interactive video ads that can run on any screen, any format that advertisers want has been easier said than done up until now. Getting to the goodness that advanced video ad technology promises has to date been hampered by implementation hurdles ranging from a fractured vendor ecosystem to time-consuming complexity. Advertisers want dynamic and engaging campaigns, but they don’t want it to come at the cost of delays and headaches. Our survey results reflected these challenges (Figure C).
Figure C
Mixpo’s SmartVideo platform addresses the opportunity and challenges of next generation video advertising holistically. Through the SmartVideo platform publishers, networks and DSPs, and agencies are collaborating with advertisers across several industries to create video ad campaigns that are more:
- Engaging by adding compelling interactivity inside video ads.
- Relevant by tailoring videos on the fly based on a wide array of audience profile variables.
- Flexible in that video ads become screen and format agnostic.
- Insightful by providing advanced analytics that cross-tabulate video engagement metrics with granular audience profile data.
Importantly, Mixpo has wrapped these advanced capabilities in a platform that is easy to approach and consume. Advanced video ad technology made simple.
Just as display evolved from static to rich to dynamic so is video advertising evolving from flat file pre-roll to interactive and, now, to dynamically tailored. We’re excited to be part of this trend and look forward to learning more – and building more – as we go.
- The Mixpo Team
1Source: eMarketer, November 2010
2See table on page 3 of the referenced report
