Rich media with Xspots

December 11th, 2009

Advertisers whose branding goals include aided brand awareness, online ad awareness, brand favorability, or purchase intent should invest in rich media with video.

That’s the conclusion from the June, 2009 DoubleClick research report, The Brand Value of Rich Media and Video Ads, which presents the results of a comparison of brand metrics for more than 4,000 online campaigns across a variety of verticals.

If your advertising clients are running Flash banner ads and TV spots separately, you can now offer them an easy way to jump in to the rich-media-with-video space.

In the Mixpo platform, you can upload and customize the two ad formats so that, on click or mouseover, the Flash display ad expands to an Xspot.

The following examples of an expanding 160×600 skyscraper Flash display ad demonstrate the power and flexibility of the feature. (Note: Because these ads are for demonstration purposes only, clickthrough URLs and lead capture emails are directed to Mixpo rather than the actual advertiser.)

Example 1 On mouseover, a 160×600 skyscraper display ad expands to a 400×300 Xspot anchored in the bottom right corner.

Example 2 On mouseover, a 160×600 skyscraper display ad expands to a 400×300 Xspot anchored at the bottom left corner.

Example 3 On mouseover, a 160×600 skyscraper display ad expands to an 800×600 Xspot anchored at the center right.

You can access all of the performance data for the two associated ads in one easily accessible location.

But remember, even the most effective format can’t compensate for weak content.

In a MediaPost article, Judy Franks, principal of The Marketing Democracy and faculty member at Northwestern University, reminds agencies and advertisers that “People love good video content and they’ll take it wherever they can get their hands on it.”

The cautionary advice in a 2007 Beyond the Click article that all online video ads are not created equal is just as true in 2009. While data from 101 campaigns showed that all video ad campaigns positively moved at least some branding metrics, the most memorable campaigns performed dramatically better than the least memorable. In fact, least memorable campaigns had little or no effect on brand favorability or purchase intent.

More information

Mixpo subscribers can learn more about expanding display ads by visiting the Create page, and then clicking Can I run a display ad using the Mixpo platform?

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Posted in Agencies, Product features, TV and Xspots | No Comments »

Monitor Xspot views by DMA

December 10th, 2009

Online video advertising is increasingly local. The Kelsey Group predicted that local online video ad revenue would reach $1.5 billion by 2012.

In an interview with Fred Aun of ClickZ, Matt Booth, SVP and program director for The Kelsey Group’s Interactive Local Media practice, explained the revenue growth this way: Local video ads are effective and result in action. Kelsey’s "User View" study found that 47.3 percent of the people who watched a local video ad visited the advertiser’s website.

In keeping with these predictions, large and small advertisers are jumping on the local video bandwagon. National advertisers are increasingly turning national campaigns local by geotargeting calls to action and contact information.

With this trend toward local advertising, advertisers need to know if their ads are reaching the intended audience. That’s why Mixpo recently supplemented the Viewer Locations map that we’ve always provided with a new analytics feature that allows advertisers to monitor Xspot performance by designated marketing area (DMA).

Viewer Locations map

Viewer Locations map we've always provided

By generating a custom Xspot report in the Dashboard, you can immediately see a list of the 210 U.S. DMAs arranged in descending order by the number of views that occurred in each.

Portion of DMA list in custom report

Portion of DMA list in custom report - Click for larger image

How DMA data can shape campaigns

Suppose a state agency is running a campaign for the local lottery. By examining the DMA view data (especially in combination with the Domain filter), the agency can tell how effectively publishers are delivering impressions to the target audience. Based on the data, the agency can modify its media plan or work with existing publishers to improve targeting.

Suppose a travel agency is running an Xspot campaign to promote discounted fares to the Caribbean. Based on click data from the DMA list, the agency can identify cities where the campaign generates the most activity. This gives the travel agency valuable insight into shaping future campaigns by directing impressions toward the most active markets.

More information

Mixpo subscribers can learn more about monitoring performance by DMA by visiting the Reports page, and then clicking Can I monitor Xspot views by DMA?

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Posted in Measurement and metrics, Product features | No Comments »

Conversion tracking for Xspots

November 30th, 2009

Publishers charge more to run online video ads than display ads. But, in many cases, video ad click-through rates (CTRs) are not substantially higher than display ad CTRs. Is the higher CPM cost worth it?

A June, 2009 DoubleClick research report, called The Brand Value of Rich Media and Video Ads, suggests a resounding Yes. Viewers exposed to rich media ads with video showed a 1.16% increase in purchase intent compared with only a .50% increase for viewers exposed to rich media ads without video.

But for many advertisers, recommendations based on cumulative research data simply aren’t compelling enough. They want to see concrete results based on their own ads for themselves.

That’s why, at Mixpo, we now offer advertisers an easy way to compare the number of conversions that result from a display ad versus an Xspot.

Advertisers can use the Mixpo platform to run a display ad and an Xspot simultaneously and track the number of people who visit a landing page after:

  • Opening the page where the online ad is embedded.
  • Viewing the online ad.

In addition, advertisers can compare what Aaron Reinitz, in Clicks, Cookies, Conversions, and Cough Drops, calls “intention metrics.”

Conversion tracking intention metrics

Conversion tracking intention metrics

For each type of online ad, advertisers can track visitors’ progress through the purchase funnel, from the landing page, through the purchase intent page, to the page where the final sale occurs.

This not only answers the question about which type of online ad drove more sales. It also generates valuable consumer insights and helps advertisers optimize their purchase processes.

Resolve the display ad versus Xspot controversy for yourself. Contact a customer service representative about running your own display-ad-versus-Xspot campaign.

More information

Mixpo subscribers can learn more about conversion tracking by visiting the Advanced page, and then clicking Track conversions resulting from an Xspot.

Didn’t know you could run display ads using the Mixpo platform? Visit the Create page, and then click Can I run a display ad using the Mixpo platform?.

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Posted in Measurement and metrics, Product features, Research and industry data | No Comments »

Track performance by domain

November 23rd, 2009

If you’re running campaigns across multiple publisher sites, as most advertisers and agencies do, you need data that helps you best optimize your media spend. It’s crucial to understand which publishers are giving you the best return on your CPM investment.

At Mixpo, we’re always refining our performance analytics to give you the data you need. Recently, we added a Domain filter to the Dashboard that allows you to compare impressions, views, clicks, exposure, viewer locations, and even Xspot placement across publishers.

Example: Compare Xspot Position maps

Suppose you’re seeing large differences in engagement rates between publisher sites. Xspot placement may explain it.

Compare the following Xspot Position maps. The first, for the publisher with a lower engagement rate, shows the Xspot running primarily below the fold. In contrast, the second map, for the publisher with a higher engagement rate, shows the Xspot running above the fold.

Xspot running primarily below the fold

Publisher 1: Xspot running primarily below the fold

Xspot running above the fold

Publisher 2: Xspot running above the fold

Example: Compare Viewer Location maps

Suppose you’re seeing loads of impressions for one publisher but few views or clicks. Another publisher has fewer impressions but a significantly higher views-to-impressions ratio. Audience targeting may explain it.

Compare the following two Viewer Location maps for an Xspot targeting a Montana audience. The top map suggests that the Xspot is being served to all viewers regardless of their locations, which results in a lot of wasted impressions. The bottom map suggests that the Xspot was better targeted at the appropriate local audience.

Xspot served to all viewers

Publisher 1: Xspot served to all viewers

Xspot served to viewers by location

Publisher 2: Xspot served to viewers by location

More performance analytics enhancements are on the way, including an analysis of performance data by designated marketing area (DMA). Check back soon for details.

More information

Mixpo subscribers can learn more about the Domain filter by visiting the Reports page, and then clicking Can I monitor Xspot performance by domain?

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Posted in Agencies, Measurement and metrics, Product features | No Comments »

Extending the Xspot to 30 U.S. Markets

October 13th, 2009

Today, we announced a new partnership with Gray Television extending the Xspot to local TV advertisers in 30 markets across the U.S.

“Gray Television is a leader in local TV and an ideal media partner in our efforts to extend local TV advertisers’ spots to the Web,” said Anupam Gupta, Mixpo’s president and CEO in today’s press release.

Through Mixpo, Gray Television is bridging the gap between TV and Internet advertising. The partnership brings the Xspot to local TV advertisers partnered with Gray Television’s 36 TV stations stretching from KOLO-TV serving Reno, Nevada to WITN-TV serving Washington, North Carolina.

Today’s announced partnership builds on Mixpo’s efforts to expand media companies’ local TV ad sales easily to include the Web, while furthering our mission to extend local TV advertising to the Web.

Posted in TV and Xspots | No Comments »

The Xspot – Local TV & Online Video Ad Convergence

September 17th, 2009

We know Mark Robertson, founder and creator of ReelSEO well, but not enough to know that he watches TV to fall asleep, as he describes in his post on ReelSEO.com! We have a hypothesis: that there are millions of people just like him that haven’t abandoned TV for the web but use them both – moving seamlessly from one to the other throughout the day (or night in this case) or watching both at the same time.

To bad advertising doesn’t work that way… yet. As Robertson says, “I think the opportunity exists to build this bridge between local TV advertising and Internet advertising is an obvious one…”

But what makes the bridge even more interesting is that advertisers can take locally targeted branding TV spots and make them do more on the web.

“Interactivity is a crucial piece of the puzzle, especially with measurability and conversion,” according Robinson who goes on to say, “By fusing together the branding aspects of television advertising with the interactivity of rich media video display ads, you end up with an engaging and effective, locally targeted online video ad unit.”

Posted in TV and Xspots | No Comments »

BIA Kelsey on Extending Local TV to the Web

September 17th, 2009

According to a BIA/Kelsey Local Commerce Study, “The trend toward integrated campaigns running cross-platform is driving a lot of change both on the media planning/buying side and the media sales/marketing side.”

A lot of what’s driving this trend is the shift toward creating greater efficiency (leveraging existing TV creative) but also by solutions that make it easy to export TV spots to the web, as well as manage and monitor performance of those campaigns.

The opportunity to extend TV campaigns to the web bodes well for media companies and agencies alike that undoubtedly work together to deliver effective advertising for their clients. Now they can do it in a multi-platform way.

Posted in Research and industry data, TV and Xspots | No Comments »

Mixpo expands local video ad offering to agencies

September 17th, 2009

Today we announced that we’re expanding our video ad solution to help agencies and marketers extend their local TV ad campaigns to the Web. “Working with our media company partners and their advertisers over the past year has revealed the opportunity to answer those needs, which is why we are expanding our local online advertising capabilities to agencies and in-house marketers.” said Anupam our CEO.

According to the Kelsey Group, local TV advertising is estimated as a $25 billion market. There’s a huge opportunity for agencies and advertisers to take their existing TV spots and make them highly interactive and local response driving video ad units we call Xspots. A lot of analysts get caught up in solving the video production issue when talking about online video advertising (either how to produce custom videos or how to use templates) but in reality, there is a lot of money that’s already been spent to create high quality, compelling TV advertising. These same ads can easily be turned into highly interactive Xspots that are very effective online ads that drive local response.

We see the promise of helping advertisers, their agencies and media companies bridge the gap from TV to the Web. As Anupam states, “Our hope through our offerings for both sides of the local TV ecosystem is to facilitate a faster growth of the emerging local TV to the Web process.”

Posted in Agencies, TV and Xspots | No Comments »

The synergy between TV and the Web

September 15th, 2009

According to a recent Brightroll Report Q1 2009, when polling agency executives on their online advertising budgets, “the majority (71%) of survey participants also view online video advertising as a complementary medium to TV.”

Will all the emotive and brand building power TV advertising has, it’s not going away. The opportunity is to leverage that power and add to it by making it highly measurable, on the web.

This study is packed with interesting facts and insights, from how many respondents said they plan to spend more on online video advertising (87%) to where they are likely to purchase video ad inventory (51% said via publishers).

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Posted in Research and industry data, TV and Xspots | No Comments »

Video Kills the Display Ad Metrics

September 15th, 2009

In an article published awhile back in Adotas, we said, “ Display ads have needed an overhaul for the longest time. Uninformative, overly flashy, cheesy as in “lose 30 pounds in one week” type ads have lead to banner blindness. With the advent of video display ads, the time has come to reinvent the experience as well as the metrics.”

Our meta-point is this: it’s not the display ad that is dead, it’s the content that has been running in it, and the metrics used to gauge success.

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