Video Alone is Not Enough: PointRoll Standardizes Interactive Online Video Advertising with Co-Published Reference Guide

Video Alone is Not Enough: PointRoll Standardizes Interactive Online Video Advertising with Co-Published Reference Guide

In addition to the guide, PointRoll formally unveils its Preferred Partner Program, giving the advertising industry first-ever, one-stop availability of breakthrough technology and creative expertise

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- PointRoll, Inc., leading creator of rich media technology solutions that go beyond the limitations of existing advertising while maximizing return on investment, today announced it is leading the charge for greater adoption of online video advertising. As the first steps in executing this initiative, PointRoll has co-published along with AccuStream iMedia Research the advertising industry's first online video advertising reference tool - The Streaming Video Advertising Reference Guide: Understanding and Optimizing Online Video. The company also announced its Preferred Partner Program that benefits advertisers, agencies and publishers who seek a one-stop shop for marketing services tied to PointRoll's online advertising technology.

"Video alone is not enough," said Chris Saridakis, chief executive officer of PointRoll. "To truly motivate and engage users to fully experience a brand online, video ads need to include interactivity.

"By teaming with AccuStream and formalizing our deep network of strategic partnerships, we hope to leverage our leadership role in interactive video to the benefit of the industry while proving how interactive ads are finally beginning to fulfill the promise of online advertising that only until recently has been long on promise and short on delivery."

The Streaming Video Advertising Reference Guide: Understanding and Optimizing Online Video

In 2005 alone, PointRoll powered more than five billion online video advertisements. Sharing its legacy of rich media and video expertise, the company co-authored this industry benchmark for online video campaigns with AccuStream iMedia Research. It offers agencies and advertisers the guidance for how to effectively utilize innovative, interactive online video ads to maximize campaign success.

Some of the guide's key findings include:

-- Online video campaign optimization: Optimizing a video campaign by
product vertical and media channel (type of site on which the ad is
placed) can significantly improve the results in two key metrics:
interaction rate and time spent on the brand.

-- Online video advertising best practices: Executing a successful
campaign begins by examining the marketing objectives, creative
execution, the ad placement, desired reach, and methods for reporting
and tracking.

-- Technical considerations of video advertising: Since connection
speeds can vary by time of day and location, the need for bandwidth
detection to be embedded in online video ad campaigns is critical.

-- How best to leverage the creative in an online video campaign: Brand
advertisers are maximizing the impact of their TV video creative by
adding an interactive message in a synchronized banner box that
enables them to retain the user longer.

-- Online Video Advertising Billings Forecast: Streaming video gross ad
billings are forecast to increase by approximately 40% in 2006.

To access the complete reference guide, please contact Jackie Lewis, Jackie@0to5.com or Matt Helmke, Matt@0to5.com.

PointRoll Preferred Partner Network

Moving from the page to the creative war-room, PointRoll has also formally launched its Preferred Partner Network. Combining efforts with other industry experts in the creative, technology and delivery space enables PointRoll to leverage its full range of marketing solutions and deliver an unprecedented array of online advertising solutions.

PointRoll builds on this prestigious network of technology-based partners, which includes ePrize, the industry leader of interactive promotions, and On2 Technologies, the premier developer of video compression technology for Flash, Internet, VoIP, video-on-demand, and wireless applications, with the addition of The Buddy Group. The Buddy Group specializes in interactive video and is the first firm to formally go to market with PointRoll as part of the Preferred Partner Network. Through the partnership, the companies will share R&D insights, develop co-processes in building interactive video ad units, and team up to drive standards and efficiencies in the ever-expanding media format.

The partnership has already resulted in several advances in interactive video, including a patent-pending process for developing hot-spotted video that cuts development time by 75%. In addition, PointRoll and The Buddy Group are currently offering the following interactive video options:

-- Choose Your Own Adventure Scenarios: Throughout a video story, the
user decides between different choices to drive the narrative path of
the story. This encourages a high level of interactivity, immersion
and re-play by the user.

-- Relational Hot-Spotting: By clicking on elements within the ad unit,
graphical descriptive elements change dynamically on other areas of
the ad unit. The user can view drill-down information on-the-fly
while continuing to view the video.

-- Green Screen Overlays: "Talking heads" filmed on a green screen
interact with video, graphical or textual elements within the ad
unit. This provides a multi-dimensional feel and allows the users to
choose what information the talking head presents.

-- Zoom & Learn: The user can click on elements within the video to
pause and drill-down into more descriptive videos on topical
interests.

-- Pause to Play Experience: The user can pause the video by clicking on
different elements to view descriptive pop-ups that present insider
or "behind-the-scenes" information.

-- The Cinematic or Live Experience: These videos are delivered in a
straightforward manner as would be seen in the movie theater in
either a pre-packaged or live stream. To view this video, the user
simply rolls over the ad unit.

"We are taking interactive video in rich media to the next level through this partnership," said Pete Deutschman, chief buddy and founder of The Buddy Group. "Combining our unique skill sets offers agencies and brands with a one- stop-shopping alternative for capitalizing on interactive video in an effective and creative way."

To view the PointRoll and The Buddy Group video solutions, please visit: http://video.ads.thebuddygroup.com/.

About PointRoll, Inc.

PointRoll, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), creates rich media technology solutions that go beyond the limitations of existing advertising options and maximize return on investment. PointRoll's innovative, interactive technology engages and motivates consumers, allowing the brand to be fully experienced online through a single entry point. PointRoll's proprietary technology platform, "The Boys," provide a full range of marketing solutions that include comprehensive service support and extensive data reporting capabilities. "The Boys" include: FatBoy(R) expanding ads, Tomboy(TM) universal 100K+, TowelBoy(R) snap-back units, BadBoy(TM) floating ads, and PaperBoy Local Delivery(TM). PointRoll works with more than 800 advertisers and its technology is accepted by thousands of online publishers including Yahoo!, MSN and AOL. For more information, please visit http://www.pointroll.com/.

About The Buddy Group

The Buddy Group, Inc., headquartered in Southern California with satellite offices in San Francisco, is an interactive creative agency specializing in online video, rich media advertising and interactive websites. Billing itself as "The Agency's Agency" due to its extensive behind-the-scenes work for ad agencies nationally, The Buddy Group has been the creative influence behind many interactive media campaigns unbeknownst to anyone but its clients. The Buddy Group offers its clients creative strategy; interactive design and development; video production and post-production out of its own production studio; and a host of other interactive creative solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.thebuddygroup.com/.

About AccuStream iMedia Research

AccuStream iMedia Research, the resource for precision iBroadcast and streaming media research, publishes a comprehensive series of data and analysis reports on streaming media, on-demand broadcasting and user directed content. AccuStream iMedia Research reports are acknowledged by the industry for their depth, clarity and accuracy. When making strategic streaming media and interactive broadcast investment decisions that require precise market forecasting and data analysis, you can rely on AccuStream iMedia Research for your total research and consulting needs. Areas of research, publishing, consulting, data research and analysis include: streaming media usage, wireless content, tech/bandwidth services, new report releases, consulting/custom research and advertising/subscription. For more information, please visit: http://www.accustreamresearch.com/.

Source: PointRoll, Inc.

CONTACT: Jackie Lewis, +1-215-996-9918, Jackie@0to5.com, or Matt Helmke,
+1-215-483-0865, Matt@0to5.com, both of Zer0 to 5ive for PointRoll, Inc.

Web site: http://www.thebuddygroup.com/

Web site: http://www.accustreamresearch.com/

Web site: http://www.pointroll.com/

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