WebAdvantage.net Survey: Content and Consumer Engagement Top Agency Concerns for Online Video Advertising

Business Wire, June 28, 2006

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. -- WebAdvantage.net (http://www.webadvantage.net), a full service Internet marketing and online advertising agency, released the results of its informal industry survey assessing the state of online video advertising from the agency perspective. The survey of about 100 ad agency representatives involved in online video advertising asked about experience level, media budget allocation, familiarity with industry standards, top concerns with online video advertising and publishers making it available, features of online video advertising and plans for future implementation. The survey reveals "keeping consumers engaged with the ad" and "creating unique content vs. re-purposing TV ads" are the top agency concerns when it comes to online video advertising (63 percent and 50 percent respectively). Respondents expressed a strong, immediate desire for more video ad features including interactive clickable video, contextual targeting, and advertising in consumer-generated media. Agency top concerns with publishers are video ad inventory availability (#1); metrics, tracking, & reporting of online video advertising (#2); and implementation of online video ad campaigns (#3). Agency experience with online video advertising lags, however, with 36 percent of the respondents reporting little to no experience with advertising. Of those with experience, 91 percent have less than 20 percent of their online media plan budgets allocated to online video advertising at this time. Full survey results can be found at http://tinyurl.com/pobh4.> According to Hollis Thomases, WebAdvantage.net's founder and president, who also wrote an article about the survey results (http://tinyurl.com/eje6s), "The recent buzz about online video advertising has been astronomic. You would think that everyone is suddenly and expertly doing online video advertising. This survey reveals this not to be the case and that, though promising, there are many immediate concerns about this form of advertising that need to be addressed."

Founded in 1998, privately-held woman-owned WebAdvantage.net's core competencies include online advertising, search engine optimization, paid search campaign management, and Internet strategy. WebAdvantage.net's client list includes Nokia USA, Zurich North America, Nature Made Vitamins, Johns Hopkins University, SafeNet, and the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association. Company president Hollis Thomases writes a bi-weekly expert column for ClickZ.com, is frequently quoted online and in print, and often speaks at Internet conferences and to associations and trade groups. For more information, visit WebAdvantage.net's web site at http://www.webadvantage.net or call 410-942-0488.