With the recession taking a chunk out of ad dollars everywhere, the industry can no longer afford to be passive when it comes to standards for online video ads. That's the impetus for a project called "the Pool" -- a group of media firms, including Microsoft, Yahoo, CBS Interactive, and Hulu -- that will work together to test online video ad formats, according to the Wall Street Journal. Big-time media buyer Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest is the company behind the project, which also includes marketers such as Allstate and Capital One Financial.
According to the report, the group has narrowed a group of 30 formats down to five, which are being tested in focus groups. The two highest-scoring formats will be beta tested on the media companies' sites.
"Among the ad formats being tested are videos that contain elements that, when clicked on, display more information in a separate pane or open a new browser window and videos that allow viewers to pick the ad that they wish to watch."
We've been bemoaning the lack of standards for some time now, the efforts of the IAB notwithstanding. Online video advertising is still growing, but the industry can ill afford to let a golden opportunity slip away because of market confusion.
With a recession hanging over the industry, it's good to see some leadership in this area.