YuMe Joins PointRoll “Included Program” to Enable Simple, Cost-Effective Rich Media Advertising Adoption for Clients
Redwood City, CA— February 26, 2008— YuMe, the largest online video advertising network, today announced the addition of PointRoll’s TickerBoy video solution to its expansive selection of offerings available to advertisers. The in-stream video overlay ad unit is powered by the “TickerBoy” technology developed by PointRoll, the leading provider of rich media technology solutions, as another creative alternative to pre-roll ads. YuMe will also support PointRoll’s suite of rich media ad formats and has joined PointRoll’s select Included Program to open the door for a wider range of opportunities as well as significant cost savings for advertising agencies and their clients.
As online video grows in popularity among consumers, advertisers are seeking new and creative ways to reach this key audience in a non-intrusive, fully interactive manner. PointRoll’s TickerBoy technology enables an interactive banner ad to be integrated within a streaming video, without obstructing the viewing experience. When the ad overlay is clicked on by a consumer, the ticker expands to launch a video or interactive rich media ad within the player window while the video pauses.
“TickerBoy lets advertisers provide consumers with a fully interactive, branded dialogue that complements their online video experience rather than distracting from it,” said Jayant Kadambi, CEO of YuMe. “We’re pleased to expand our growing roster of innovative ad products with this new format, and to be the first video advertising network to offer our clients the benefits afforded by membership in PointRoll’s Included Program.”
With more than 30 members, including iVillage, AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, About.com, NYTimes.com, Walt Disney Internet Group, MySpace, IGN and Advertising.com, PointRoll’s Included Program makes discounted pricing available for advertisers seeking to adopt rich media solutions. By collaborating with online publishers who understand the strategic value of rich media, PointRoll removes traditional price and distribution barriers often encountered in such initiatives. PointRoll’s large agency/advertiser sales force leverages the Included Program in the thousands of sales calls the company conducts each year, acting as an extension of the publisher’s sales force and providing access to a broader range of advertising media buys.
“We are thrilled to have YuMe as a strong video partner in the Included Program. In-stream video advertising is on the rise and marketers are increasingly utilizing online advertising with video as a key brand vehicle,” said Jason Tafler, CEO of PointRoll. “TickerBoy creates a deeper, longer brand dialogue that encourages participation without being disruptive to the user, and we believe this will benefit advertisers and publishers in the YuMe network.”
TickerBoy will also now be supported by YuMe’s Adaptive Campaign Engine (ACE), a recently launched feature of YuMe’s ad management system, which helps publishers in its network match each video ad impression with the best money-making ad placement in real time. A unique capability of YuMe’s platform, ACE supports the delivery of ads from multiple sources: publisher sales team, YuMe sales team, third-party ad networks, third-party syndication feeds, and now PointRoll’s TickerBoy and rich media ad formats. With this announcement, YuMe adds yet another option to its leading ad management platform to help publishers maximize inventory revenue.
To view demos of the various ad placements available on the YuMe video network, including TickerBoy, visit the ad gallery at http://www.yume.com/ad_gallery/gallery.html.
About PointRoll
PointRoll, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), offers a solution to the limited performance of standard banner ads by effectively bringing a mini-website to the user without requiring a click. PointRoll’s superior rich media technology and service enable advertisers to connect with consumers by creating an interactive online environment that generates conversion. With interactive features such as streaming video, polling, instant email, data collection and more, marketers can easily create and deliver ads that build brand and drive sales. The result: great creative controlled by the user and improved ad effectiveness without the negative experience associated with intrusive technologies. Additionally, PointRoll delivers comprehensive, real-time reporting that definitively illustrates return on investment. For more information, please visit www.pointroll.com
About YuMe
YuMe is the first dedicated video advertising network and ad management system built exclusively for the new world of Web video. With 400+ websites, more than 150 million video streams, and 46.9 million unique visitors, the YuMe network provides both scale and quality for advertisers. The YuMe ad management system gives advertisers and publishers the unprecedented ability to identify, classify, and track content to ensure brand safety, contextual relevance, controlled syndication, and consistent delivery across all digital media platforms—Web, downloads, mobile, and IPTV. Key YuMe innovations include the first cross-platform ad solution and the ability to serve multiple ad formats and placements through a single, unified system. YuMe is a privately held company headquartered in Redwood City, CA and backed by Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, BV Capital and DAG Ventures. For more information, visit YuMe’s website at www.yume.com and the take2video blog at www.yume.com/blog.
