Missing the Mark with Online Video?

The premise of the article is that there's more value in online video than simply pre-roll and branded content—even if that's where industry eyeballs are focused. Other opportunities exist like creating discoverable content, owned media, native video and experience integration.

Here's a quote:

Online video advertising should be ushering in a new golden era for our industry. Except its not, because most of the ad business is focused on the wrong things.



There are essentially two areas of discussion that dominate the conversation when it comes to online video. Both are tethered to the Mad Men world of "things we've always done."



The first is pre-roll -- putting spots in front of content. We focus on this because it's what all the big agencies are set up to do and it's where the dollars are.



The second is the creation of branded content. Another page from the history books. We did it with soap operas. Red Bull seems to have made it work . Let's do it again. We focus on this because people who work in advertising all secretly wish we worked in Hollywood.



These are important opportunities for sure, but to limit our attention to them is myopic.



Advertising used to be about things like persuasion, perception, inspiration, desire. It was Bill Bernbach who said "It's not the numbers of ads you serve, it's the impression you make."



Today, the word "impression" has a whole new meaning, and advertising is about spreadsheets and quantifiable ROI.



It can be about both. It should be about both. Online video can bridge that gap.

Read the rest of the article on Ad Age .