MUMBAI: US video ad network Instream has announced that it has emerged from its Beta period as one of the largest sources of managed video advertising inventory on the Internet.
Instream president and CEO Tom MacIsaac says, "Some have said there is a shortage of quality in-stream video ad inventory on the Internet -- the truth is there is a shortage of quality managed video ad inventory. Instream aggregates high quality Internet video sites onto the leading video advertising technology platform, forming a new, high quality, high reach, single source for brand advertisers embracing video advertising. We believe that, after the major portals, Instream is the single biggest source of managed video ad inventory on the Internet."
The company says that when advertisers venture beyond the few places with sophisticated in-stream video ad management capabilities, such as the major portals and a handful of other leading video internet sites, they have little control over the delivery of their ad campaigns in terms of targetting, frequency capping, session management, ad unit standardisation (such as a synchronised IAB banner) and other requirements.The reporting they receive back is equally limited.
Advertisers who buy the Instream network can receive not only state- of-the-art ad delivery but also get consolidated, rolled up reporting including the enhanced reporting requirements emerging for Internet video such as closed loop auditing and per cent-of-ad-played reporting.
Instream says that it is able to deliver such highly managed inventory because its technology platform is built on the best-of-breed Lightningcast video advertising platform, which is also used by AOL, Microsoft, ABC News, Scripps Networks, A&E Networks, The Employment and Career Channel and others.
As a result, Instream has the opportunity to leverage the Lightningcast network to provide remnant inventory sales for Lightningcast technology customers.This platform also enables dynamic ad insertion into live streams and downloaded content as well as on-demand streams.
Instream claims to have experienced strong demand from publishers and advertisers. Since the launch of the Publisher Beta in July, Instream has been delivering more than 100 million video streams per month and anticipates total monthly volume of more than 500 million monthly streams by early 2006.
Since the launch of the Advertiser Beta in September, Instream claims to have been embraced by major brand advertisers, and has more than a dozen other advertiser campaigns planned for Q4 2005 and 2006.
Carat Fusion media supervisor Christine Peterson said, "Video advertising has become an important part of our clients' digital media strategy. We are excited about the growth in high quality managed video advertising inventory such as that amassed by Instream".
