Video AdSence - Google's version of Online Video Ads

Google had entered the lucrative online video ad market by distributing commercials for movie studios and other marketers to its AdSense network of online publishers, which will share in the revenues. "A certain segment of advertisers have told us that they want richer and more engaging messaging capability," said Gokul Rajaram, product management director of Google's AdSense program. This new addition to their product offerings is part of an initiative by Google’s management to diversify revenue and position the company better for the future. The pricing will be base on an auction system similar to the model they utilize for text ads. Links: San Francisco Chronicle May 23, ’06 –Google will offer video ads, AdAge.com May 23, ’06 – Google Adds Video Capability to AdSense

Highest Growth Expected from Online Advertising

Online sales are expected to climb 20% this year to $211 billion, according to a recent study. While travel is expected to lead the way with more than $70 billion in sales, other categories expecting strong growth include computer hardware and software, cars, and apparel. Link: ZDNet/Reuters May 22, '06 - Online Sales expected to rise 20% in 2006

Cable Television Advertising - A Guide for the Radio Marketer

Attention Cable Ad Sales groups… your competitors are getting wiser. Remember the good years before you had ever made it on their radars? That time has long since gone and you’re in the cross hairs. Interep has released a new research report on cable advertising to help radio sales people better understand and sell competitively against an advertising medium that has been averaging 14% annual growth since 2003. The report points out that while cable television has seen strong audience growth over the past decade, ad revenue growth is outpacing the organic growth of the medium. This growth is more remarkable considering some of the challenges facing cable, including the growing pervasiveness of DVR’s, viewing fragmentation, and the increasing popularity of satellite dish services, which do not carry local cable advertisements. The report also outlines the complementary marketing benefits that radio brings to cable television campaigns, including local promotional tie-ins, events, the ability to reach consumers outside of the home and increased reach.

Lost in the Clutter - Changing Times

A survey released by Bolt Media suggests that 85% of people ages 16-34 spend their free time on the internet compared to 69% for watching TV. No surprise however they also uncovered that only one in four 16-18 year-olds can name all four major broadcast networks: ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. Please note: the survey was conducted by Bolt.com, a social networking and user-generated content site that's trying to attract upfront ad dollars. Anyone think they might be biased? Links: Bolt.com summary of the survey results - http://mediakit.bolt.com/research/, AdAge.com 05/15/06 - Study: Only One in Four Teens Can Name Broadcast Networks, BusinessWire 05/15/06 - Upfront Kicks off as Teens Tune out

Cables Ratings Decline more than Broadcasters during Breaks

Magna Global recently completed and released the analysis of their study on commercial pod and program ratings. The research identified that broadcast networks outperform cable networks in retaining viewers' attention when ads are airing. For most of us it hardly comes as a surprise that the study would find that audience dips during commercial breaks. What is surprising is that they are far less than the 20 or 30 percent declines some media analysts had projected. Don’t get to comfortable with that breaking news because offsetting that bit of comfort is another finding of the study, a rather dire one: DVR users skip 75 percent of commercials during playback. Link: MediaLifeMagazine.com – May 11, 06 Ads on Broadcast Retain More Eyeballs

The opposite of Ad Skipping - Ad's On Demand

DVR vendor/service provider, TiVo, which helped popularize DVR technology among the general public, making it possible for TV viewers to skip commercials, thinks it has a new way to get customers to watch ads. TiVo is launching Product Watch, a VOD service that enables advertisers to reach TiVo subscribers who are actively looking for specific products through targeted video advertising content. The ads/shows will range in length from a minute to an hour and will from over 70 advertisers and around 100 major brands. Companies that have signed up for TiVo Product Watch at launch include General Motors, Sony Pictures, Lending Tree and Kraft Foods, each of which, TiVo says, will be the "premium" advertiser for its respective category. Link(s): Zatz Not Funny Blog – Tivo Launches Product Watch, CigaOM Blog – TiVo’s Adwords for Tivo, WSJ.com – Tivo Users can soon search for Ads

CBS Launches 'innertube' Broadband Channel

CBS Corp. has launched "innertube," a new, ad-supported broadband channel offering a wide range of free entertainment programming to Internet users. Innertube launched yesterday with a lineup of original series produced expressly for the Internet, as well as new shows that are companions to popular CBS brands. Initial advertisers include Brinkmann Corporation, Cadbury Schweppes, Chili's, Pier 1 Imports and Verizon SuperPages.com. Innertube will also become a distribution outlet for streaming encore episodes from CBS's primetime lineup and for webcasts of content from CBS's library of 2,600 titles and 100,000 hours of programming. Link: CBSNews.com – CBS Launches Broadband Channel, CBS’s Innertube Site

Outdoor Ad Spending

Outdoor advertising's value has been a well-kept secret among advertisers who, since 1993, have steadily pushed revenue higher. Recent estimates released by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America state that Outdoor ad spending rose 11.4 percent in March with the overall 1st quarter growing at 7.7 percent. This makes the business the fastest growing major ad medium next to the Internet. The industry is currently experiencing a long-term expansion with the advent of new technologies, including digital billboards. Links: MediaPost 5/04/06 – Outdoor Marches On, CNNMoney.com – Look up! Big Bucks in Billboards