Bumper Ads now available on Medialaan-De Persgroep network

Medialaan-De Persgroep follows the trend of online video market and launches a new format. Bumper Ads is an unskippable 6 seconds spot that may be used in-stream on the Long Form Network (pre-roll and mid-roll positions). Bumper Ads may be already booked as a part of best Premium video Network of Medialaan & De Persgroep.

There are two main advantages for online video campaigns: price and reach. Saleshouses have usually a basic price based on an 15 seconds spot. Even with a 6 seconds spot, the price used to be the same. Introducing Bumper Ads format means paying a lower fixed price less  and reaching more people.

Even if they are unskippable, Bumper Ads remain an user-friendly format thanks to their length, which allows to deliver a direct message in a short time. With this new format in addition to other formats we see an opportunity as a reminder of or an echo with longer spots.

Brand Safety Update – YouTube removes Sensitive Content Category

Starting in September, YouTube has done some changes on their Brand Safety settings via the two campaign management platforms: Google AdWords and DV360 (former DoubleClick).

Until now, we were capable of choosing which sensitive topic we wanted to exclude. The platform gave the opportunity to select among categories like Social Issues, Tragedy or Sensational. For a maximum level of safety, we excluded all of them.

The new Brand Safety settings will give us three different levels: 

• Limited Inventory — Exclude most types of sensitive content 
• Standard Inventory – Default access to the majority of videos which meet standard requirements
• Expanded Inventory — Maximize available inventory by being present on some sensitive content

Our recommendation is going into Standard level for the size of the inventory, but continue with Brand Safety settings from our side by excluding sensitive keywords and topics related to religion, social issues, politics, etc. However, we are always flexible to our clients specific requests. .

Towards a "Vlaamse Netflix"

Medialaan-De Persgroep have just announed that their platform VTM GO will bundle all programmes from the channels owned by Medialaan (VTM, Q2, Vitaya, CAZ, VTMKZOOM and KADET). They will be available either live or in time shift (up to 30 days). The platform will also consists of back catalogue programmes from Medialaan. This will be free for viewers and funded by target advertising.

The ambition goes further: their intent is to federate all other Flemish channels into a "Flemish Netflix" to package local fiction supplemented by "international films and series" in order to be "complementary to Netflix". While the local focus is obvious, the complement to Netflix is not pretty clear.

Custom Intent Audiences launched for YouTube campaigns

Whitelisting is no longer required for the "custom" targeting option that enables advertisers to reach people on YouTube just after searching for their product on Google network. This new targeting will be available on AdWords and DoubleClick Bid Manager.

By using a combination of signals from users searches on Google.com, Play Store and Google Maps, a new way of targeting becomes available for your YouTube campaigns. Custom Intent Audiences is based on separate bunches of keywords according to the intent profile we are looking for. Custom Intent will be mainly used as a strategy for lower funnel YouTube campaigns, but it may be also part of broader targeting. Like Contexts and Interests, we will be able to optimize based on performance within different segments of keywords.

Partnership Transfer-Pebblemedia

Transfer starts its digital transformation with a new association with Pebblemedia. Fox, MTV, Viceland or TF1 are some of the websites that are now part of the Pebblemedia offer.

The partnership with Transfer means a good complement to Pebblemedia existing offer, that includes (among others) VRT, Één, Sporza and Dagelijkse Kost. Thanks to sites like TF1, available from May 1st, Pebblemedia will provide advertisers with a more balanced North/South distribution of audiences.

Among the best known brands of Transfer we can find Fox, Eleven Sports, MTV, National Geographic, Viceland and TF1. They have many other  thematic channels such as Brava, BX1, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, DobbitTV, Evenaar, History Channel, Kanaal Z/Canal Z, Ment TV, Plattelands TV, XITE or Stingray Hits.

Pebblemedia Instream inventory will reach 20 million of impressions per month. If we combine Instream, Outstream and Spotify, the offer increases to 40 million of impressions/ month.