Robert Andrews

NAPA, CA — As much as it poses challenges, the ongoing explosion in digital media is also opening up a wealth of new opportunities for marketers to reach consumers, says DigitasLBi North America’s chief investment officer Adam Shlachter. “The numbers are there now – if you look at platforms like YouTube… the content creators are generating a […]

Comcast-owned video management outfit thePlatform is launching a new product with aims of helping content owners encode broadcast material for VOD quicker. So-called mpxReplay can be used to help viewers watch recently-aired shows as catch-up VOD or to start over watching currently-airing shows. “We can keep the same ads and include the Nielsen watermarking so […]

NAPA, CA — Comcast-owned video ad server FreeWheel cut its recent partnership with TubeMogul to protect but empower both sides of the advertising chain, says FreeWheel business solutions GM James Rooke. The partnership sees advertisers use their own audience data to buy video ads via TubeMogul, whilst TubeMogul lets publishers do deals using that data – but sensitivities […]

Lifestyle digital publisher Say Media is gung-ho about producing branded content for advertising partners on its content sites – but that doesn’t mean it thinks it should have exclusivity over the ensuing material. “We give the partners rights and permissions to use that video content on their own (channels) – it needs to have a […]

NAPA, CA — It’s one of the hottest media buzzwords of 2014 – but everyone seems to have a different definition for the set of new-wave ad-trading techniques collectively referred to as “programmatic”. At programmatic’s core, says Nielsen digital MD Andrew Feigenson, is moving dollars that, once, were transacted manually in to some automated process. […]

NAPA, CA — The TV industry may move from selling in-stream ads upfront to inserting them in real-time, if Chris Hock gets his way. Hock’s Black Arrow helps cable companies dynamically insert ads in to streamed programming. “Through the third quarter of this year, we’ve seen a 250% growth over impressions from last year,” says […]

NAPA, CA — TV ad billing and management software platform WideOrbit is moving in to the “programmatic” advertising space after observing “huge” industry demand for the new methods of trading ads. “We’re focused on building programmatic in to all of our television to make it a lot easier to transact, particularly with local broadcasters,” the company’s […]

NAPA, CA – The promise of targeting individual TV viewers with ads just like advertisers can on the web is certainly appealing to many in the business. But, so far, it’s mostly just an idea, says MediaVest advertising and technology platforms SVP Oleg Korenfeld. “It’s not scaleable enough (today),” Korenfeld tells BeetTV in this video interview. We’re […]

TouchCast, the interactive video platform co-founded by former TechCrunch editor Erick Schonfeld, has been gaining traction in use by the BBC. Now it is announcing The Wall Street Journal will also use the innovative new service. TouchCast lets video producers embed interactive web elements including images, maps, web pages and other videos inside digital video, […]

SAN FRANCISCO — Earlier this year, UK satellite TV and telco giant BSkyB set up an outpost in Silicon Valley, hoping to invest in technology companies that might give it an edge in digital media. Having already invested in video aggregator Pluto.TV, mobile native ad tech’s Sharethrough and VR video upstart Jaunt, business development VP Hilary Perchard says he […]

CHICAGO — From clients who will take on the role of their own agencies to the need to reach out to YouTube stars – media agencies know they need to adapt, but how? In a panel convened by Beet.TV, several agency reps chewed over their tactics and visions. Havas Media Worldwide social marketing director Len […]

CHICAGO — In the age of viewer impatience, creative agencies may no longer have the luxury of stringing marketing messages out over even something as short as 30 seconds, says a chief from IPG’s media planning and buying agency BPN. “You have to think about the first few seconds. We have to think about modularity of […]

SAN FRANCISCO — CBS may just be beginning to unbundle its TV service but, in the UK, dominant pay TV service BSkyB has been offering over-the-top interview device viewing for some time to both its existing subscribers and a new wave of non-subscribers. The company’s separate NowTV brand offers Sky movie, sport and entertainment subscription channels on […]

LONDON — If every TV ad campaign can be individually targeted, what good is fixed ad pricing anymore? UK satellite and telco provider BSkyB, which this year launched its AdSmart addressable ad initiative, envisages a spectrum of prices for different advertisers. “The conversation has moved on from being a commoditized rate that is transparent for […]

For serious news video, forget Vine’s microscopic content, says the co-creator of Huffington Post’s live streaming video network, HuffPost Live. “The average video being watched on mobile devices is getting longer,”HuffPost live president and co-creator Roy Sekoff tells Beet.TV in this video interview. “A lot of people have made the bet on micro nuggets – […]

Digital video won’t follow display down the “programmatic” ad-trading route until publishers are ready and willing, says one of GroupM’s digital division chiefs. “For video to truly become programmatic, the reach will have to increase, there needs to be more inventory,” GroupM interaction global COO Rudd Wanck tells Beet.TV in this video interview. “Publishers are not making […]

TouchCast, the interactive video platform co-founded by former TechCrunch editor Erick Schonfeld, wants advertisers to start using its new video format as an engaging new ad format. The startup counts broadcasters and newspapers amongst early adopters on the editorial side. “Their people on the advertising side want access to TouchCast as well because they see […]

When Vivek Shah took over at the helm of PCMag.com publisher Ziff Davis, the company was still recovering after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, continuing to sell off properties. If he says so himself, Ziff Davis under Shah may has turned a corner. “Ziff is probably one of the more remarkable turnaround stories in […]

CHICAGO — What are the key ingredients to a making a video that works both as editorial and marketing? One big barbecue food maker mixed entertainment, education and a healthy dose of passion. IPG’s BPN chief strategy officer Chris Hiland tells Beet.TV in this recorded panel interview how his agency helped food client Hilshire appeal […]

CHICAGO — Digital video is performing highly as an advertising medium, and nearly approaching the volume of TV in some quarters, says one of the leaders of venerable media metrics house comScore. “You need about three times as many display impressions to get to the same lift in impact which you get with video,” co-founder […]