Consumers will be able to intentionally click on and interact with native ads that relate directly to editorial content based on Vibrant Media‘s new In-View ad format.
Brands will be able to use video, rich media or static images with In-View, which will highlight words and phrases and will be positioned as a “natural break” within content.
Craig Gooding, founder and executive chairman of Vibrant Media, said the In-View format was inspired by the success of the in-feed placement in online real estate, but is taking a more consumer-centric, user-controlled and responsive approach.
“Auto-reveal and auto-play of video in-feed can be irksome to consumers,” said Gooding. “A consumer doesn’t even have to see an In-View ad if they don’t want to.”
Vibrant’s algorithm and ad ops teams can help brands execute their marketing strategy with In-Feed, but Gooding said it’s a good example of where less is more.
“The campaigns aren’t about getting high numbers of untargeted consumers to interact with the ads. In fact, quite the opposite,” he said. “Of course, brands and agencies are more likely to have consumers initiate the ads when the triggers are placed within relevant content and on the most campaign-relevant key words and phrases.”
Gooding said the format can adapt to suit various campaign objectives, rather than upselling different campaign mechanics to brands and agencies.
Some In-View campaigns will be about engagement, where Gooding said rich media options will work bets. Other campaigns are about getting click throughs – whether to ecommerce sites or to branded content sites – and static images work well for that, he said.
“Of course, if brands want to dip their toe in the In-View water with a static image campaign, we are happy to work with them on that. But that’s not the reason a variety of creative mechanics are available in the In-View format,” he said. “It is really to be able to achieve a variety of KPIs.”
Right now, 42% of revenue through Vibrant Media’s U.K. head office comes from users around the world choosing to interact with Vibrant’s ads on handheld devices, Gooding said. That means the company is expecting brands will want to split their budgets 50/50 for In-View campaigns.
