Last week, I received a request from one of my first clients, Warner Home Video Benelux. They wanted me to help them out in designing a standard YouTube branded channel for the recently released movie “Schemer”, internationally known as “Dusk”. Continue reading »
I just saw this episode of Beet.TV, which features an interview with Rob Davis, who heads the online video practice at adverting giant Ogilvy. See for yourself.
According to a report by Broadband TV News, CEO Eric Schmidt has said that in long term Google is looking to invent new business models for monetization of content on YouTube. Other than the ad-supported model, YouTube will allow micropayments and subscription-based models as well. Continue reading »
In the article, Richard discusses why Google should enable advertisers to start building traffic from their own content on YouTube back to their own site. Currently, this is not possible. With an estimated 3-15% of views currently being monetized on YouTube, Google could easily increase this value by allowing advertisers to buy ads against their own content on YouTube.
Apparently, the programmers at YouTube have managed to mix up functionality between user and partner/brand channels. Normally, brand and partner channels have autoplay on the selected video, when users visit their channel page. User channels, instead, require users to click the video in order to play it (clik-to-play).
Right now, selected videos on user channels have autoplay, while videos on brand and partner channels feature click-to-play.
How long this glitch will be live is unknown.
Update: 11:45 PM – The bug is now fixed by YouTube. All things back to normal.
In a recent cover story, NewMediaAge shows that selected partners such as FHM, NME and Kerrang! are now able to sell ads around their own content on YouTube. A logical move by Google and good news for partner channel owners. Effectively, it extends media owners reach beyond their own site and fits with the strategy to “think distributed”. However, for somewhat different reasons, YouTube brand channel owners need a similar feature. Continue reading »
Google’s Alexandra Levy, director of branded entertainment was interviewed by Beet.TV earlier this week at the Digitas New Front in New York earlier this week. She talked to Beet.TV’s Daisy Whitney about the partnership with Carl’s Jr. that rolled out this week. Google and YouTube are creating custom content for Carl’s Jr. to distribute across the Google content network and on a newly created brand channel on YouTube.
‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ That’s the thought that crosses your mind when you see the Google Maps/YouTube mashup that international real-estate company Coldwell Banker launched recently. Probably, we will witness other brands doing a similar thing. Think what localisation could do for job markets or anything you sell on eBay…
Coldwell Banker combines the features of YouTube with the power of localisation through Google Maps by enabling visitors to find real estate locations throughout the United States. Very smart move. The production quality of the videos shown on the channel varies substantially (compare this one with this one), but the idea is great. The channel already features more than 600 videos and new content is added daily from various locations. Mainly in the USA and a few listings from Italy.
“YouTube doesn’t offer the ability to find out what videos are local, but we geo-targeted the videos and populated them onto the map,” said Mike Fischer, Coldwell’s SVP of marketing. The goal for Coldwell, recognizing the popularity of YouTube, is to generate traffic outside of its own site. “Many go to YouTube first, instead of the normal site. It’s the place to engage people where they look for info,” Fischer said.
Last week, I held an interview with Mascha Driessen of Google The Netherlands, following her presentation at the Broadcast Business Club. Since 1 February 2009, Mascha is responsible for sales on YouTube and Display advertising at Google. She is a veteran in the media industry with previous jobs in broadcasting (RTL, Endemol) and online (WebAds). Although she was not at liberty to make any specific promises (see how she evades my questions in the video below), Mascha talks about some of the things Google is looking into with respect to YouTube. For example, possibilities for designated sponsors around a brand channel and in-video advertising on brand channels. Enjoy.
Branded Channels is a video marketing consultancy founded by Richard van den Boogaard.
Branded Channels provides fresh thinking on video content syndication, as well as creative video content development & production and channel management services. Also available: (competitive) video tracking reports.