Releases “VPAID” Guidelines as Latest Addition to Far-Reaching Strategy Intended to Fuel the Fastest Growing Area of Interactive Advertising
NEW YORK – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced the release of Video Player–Ad Interface Definition Guidelines (VPAID), advancing an ongoing strategy to greatly simplify the buying and selling of digital video media by building a strong foundational infrastructure. The announcement, at the IAB’s Digital Video Marketplace in New York, outlines methods for communication between video players and video ads and provides specifications that facilitate the planning, production and implementation of digital video advertising. The guidelines will help all stakeholders in the interactive advertising industry—marketers profit from reduced costs of production, creative agencies benefit from the decreased time it takes to execute a campaign and publishers gain from the expansion of the marketplace to more interactive digital advertising.
The VPAID Guidelines help the interactive industry:
* Define a standard method for video ads to communicate with video players and enable ad compatibility across all VPAID-compliant players
* Provide specifications that can be implemented by any type of video player
* Cut production costs and improve ROI for advertisers while enabling a less intrusive experience for video content viewers.
According to the IAB’s 2008 Internet Advertising Revenue Report, digital video more than doubled its revenue with an increase to $734 million from $324 million in 2007, demonstrating how both marketers and consumers are embracing this dynamic platform.
VPAID is the latest addition to the IAB’s work over the past year creating a common structure across the digital video ecosystem. The IAB’s efforts have addressed specific concerns around technology, metrics and consistent terminology. This ongoing initiative has included the release of the following documents:
* Digital Video Overview Document
* Digital Video In-Stream Ad Format Guidelines and Best Practices
* Digital Video Ad Serving Template (VAST)
* Digital Video In-Stream Ad Metrics Definitions
All of these documents can be reviewed at: http://www.iab.net/iab_products_and_industry_services/508676/508950
“Digital video is one of the most critical growth areas for interactive advertising because it provides marketers with the power of sight sound and motion,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. “The standards that the IAB has created have played a key role in paving the way for a greater breadth of marketers across vertical industries to tap its power and I have no doubt that we are only at the very beginning.”
“The IAB’s work in developing the critical framework for digital video has played an important role in its growth and acceptance by both marketers and agencies,” said Joey Trotz, Sr. Director, Strategic Advertising Technology for Turner Broadcasting and Co-Chair of the IAB’s Digital Video Committee. “Consumers’ appetite for the sight, sound and motion of digital video will only increase–the solid foundation which we’ve established through the Digital Video Committee’s work will help ensure that ongoing growth.”
“All of our efforts related to digital video are meant to be infrastructural building blocks that together provide publishers, agencies and marketers with the tools needed to create dynamic online experiences for consumers,” said Jeremy Fain, Vice President of Industry Services of the IAB.
About the IAB’s Digital Video Committee:
The Digital Video Committee of the IAB is comprised of over 180 member companies actively engaged in the creation and execution of digital video advertising. One of the goals of the committee is to implement a comprehensive set of guidelines, measurement, and creative options for interactive video advertising. The committee works to educate marketers and agencies on the strength of digital video as a marketing vehicle. A full list of Committee member companies can be found at: http://www.iab.net/digital_video_committee
About the IAB:
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 375 leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.
