Between global conflicts and natural disasters, there’s rarely a shortage of bad news. With wire services and television broadcasters putting their video news online for free, it’s often the case that fact seekers are treated to an ad for new cars or baby wipes before they’re able to access perhaps urgent information about a disaster or international event.
Advertisers often find their ads as pre-roll on such videos because of blanket ad buys or complex ad-serving algorithms. Top stories draw big viewing numbers, but is it beneficial for a brand to find itself in front of images of Osama bin Laden’s last stand or post-tornado devastation?
