Videoplaza Signs First UK Clients

Ad Operations OnlineIncisive Media, Factory Media first UK sites to use video dedicated ad server to monetise time

London, June 4th, 2009 – VIDEOPLAZA, announces its first UK clients for its ‘built for video’ ad server platform – Monetizer. Factory Media and Incisive Media will both launch online video advertising services, through Videoplaza, to capitalise on the growing popularity of online video.

Videoplaza, a privately owned company, based in Stockholm and London, enables clients to manage, present and track online video advertising. It has developed an ad server platform that can increase revenues and demonstrate media value, from advertising placed in and around their online video content. Working with leading broadcasters, news media, business and consumer publishers in five countries, Videoplaza’s ad server technology, creative ad formats and real-time reporting enables clients to monetise the time users spend watching online video, rather than started streams.

Factory Media’s extreme sports video channel Mpora www.mpora.com will offer advertisers and sponsors access to its valuable audiences using Interactive Pre, Mid and Post Roll advertising. The channel will also use In-stream overlays, served within the video content, a format proving popular with advertisers and users alike and also Companion Ads synchronised with a client’s video ads.

Incisive Media, www.incisivemedia.com, a leading business information provider, is implementing Videoplaza’s ad server to offer exciting new opportunities for brands and B2B advertisers to target its high value audiences, starting with the IT professional community VNUnet  www.vnunet.com

By adopting Videoplaza’s ad server platform both companies will be able to more effectively manage their online video advertising inventory, optimize client campaigns and demonstrate improved advertiser ROI, in terms of advertising exposure and engagement. The deals will also introduce the next generation interactive preroll format to the market called the iRoll.

John Barnes, Managing Director – Digital Strategy and Development UK & Asia for Incisive Media stated “We see a great opportunity in video and want to be equipped with the best monetisation tool in the market. We have chosen to work with Videoplaza not just because of their technology, this company understands this space and has made it work in other markets.”

According to Darryl Newton, Managing Director, Factory Media, “Mpora.com is now a significant part of our business, with over 2 million video streams served each month. Demand for advertising on our platform is growing incrementally and clients are particularly excited by creative video solutions. Working with Videoplaza we feel we can meet the needs of these customers better by offering more dynamic and engaging formats combined with video specific reporting such as engagement rates and time spent with the ads.

Sorosh Tavakoli, Founder and CEO for Videoplaza added “We are delighted to announce agreements with these two great innovative publishers. We are doing everything we can to repeat the success from the Swedish market where more and more publishers have profitable online video products.”

Videoplaza has been in the UK since January 2009 and is building a local team to advise and support both local media owners and international networks based in London.

For further information contact:

Sorosh Tavakoli, Founder and CEO Videoplaza
+44 7530 885 492
[email protected]

John Barnes, Managing Director – Digital Strategy and Development UK & Asia, Incisive Media
+44 (0)20 7316 9007
[email protected]

Darryl Newton, Managing Director, Factory Media
+44 (0)20 7332 9700
[email protected]

About Videoplaza

Videoplaza AB is based in London and Stockholm, privately owned and backed by venture capital company Creandum. The company is working with leading broadcasters, newspaper publishers and other premium media owners in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the UK. It has developed an ad server that is uniquely designed to meet the challenges of monetising online video content. The technology is compatible with any video platform, offers rich video specific reporting and maximises the clients potential advertising inventory. The ad formats offered are all compliant with the new IAB UK Video Guide launched April 29th, 2009.

Videoplaza website: http://www.videoplaza.com
Videoplaza blog: http://www.videoplaza.com/blog
Videoplaza client list: http://www.videoplaza.com/customers

The value of online video advertising is forecast to increase, in line with its growing popularity with users. eMarketer estimates the market will be worth $1.9Bn by 2011 and to account for 10% of all online advertising spend.

The technology challenge for many publishers is to make their traditional display ad server work seamlessly with their video platform. Too often, their existing technology is not able to deliver the potential volume of ads given the length of time users are spending watching video. Videoplaza’s ‘built for video’ ad server lets publishers place and then track the effectiveness of their clients advertising, while allowing more campaigns to be served while not being too intrusive to the users. The company can demonstrate how this has more than doubled client revenues.