Re: The Next Big Thing

From: Richard Fusco <rfwoodstock_at_ulster.net>
Date: Mon 29 Jan 2001 16:34:20 -0500

Let's not forget that banners are really just glorified
billboards, even media rich banners. Pop-ups and
interstitials are by nature annoying and intrusive.

In my opinion the next big thing in Internet
advertising will be targeted streaming audio and video
ad insertion. Because of bandwidth, audio will likely
lead the way and also because a user can listen to
audio online and do other things such as surf the Net
or do other work on their PC. Video requires the user
to stop whatever else they are doing and watch the
screen. People have accepted advertising on TV and on
radio and if the ads are relevant to the user, they
actually pay attention to the ad.

Audio and video insertion software provides the ability
to market on a one-to-one basis with ads inserted
directly into audio and video streams of not only
Internet-only streamers but traditional media streamers
as well. With the later, the ad for the local market is
replaced seamlessly with an ad targeted at the online
user. Advertisers can even specify how many times they
want a particular ad to be seen by a particular online
user. This exciting feature allows advertisers to send
a series of ads to a user that builds to a call to
action. This method has the potential to be extremely
more powerful than a single ad or banner. Effective
branding will be possible and click-through rates could
reach and level off in double digits.

Targeting criteria includes age, gender, location and
more specific information such as marital status,
income, number of children, purchase preferences etc.
One company, AdAcoustics, uses a 80 million anonymous
profile database to fine tune the targeting. Privacy,
of course, is maintained at all levels. You can check
out one of the companies at www.adacoustics.com. Others
include HiWire, LighteningCast and CoolLink Network.

This software greatly increases the effectiveness of
online advertising and provides the streamer with a
revenue stream that should generate higher CPM or CPC
than banners, Pop-ups or interstitials.

Richard Fusco
New Media Consultation
Woodstock, New York
rfwoodstock_at_ulster.net





Received on Mon Jan 29 2001 - 15:34:20 CST