paidContent.org - YouTube Tests Choose-Your-Own Ads

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Tameka Kee

paidContent.org
Monday, June 15, 2009; 6:06 PM

Adding more fuel to the notion that there's no one "sweet spot" for ad formats on YouTube, comes news that the video site is testing a "choose your own" ad feature. Viewers will be able to pick between watching a single pre-roll ad (usually 30 seconds or longer) or up to four commercial breaks (at least 15 seconds each) within a given clip. If they go with the pre-roll, there's also a choice between two different ads.

YouTube product manager Phil Farhi said that soliciting viewers' opinions would help the company "find the right advertising formats;" the brands themselves would also benefit if YouTube ends up providing real-time data on which ads most users were volunteering to watch.

Since it's just a test, the option will only show up for certain viewers; the choose your own ads are also only running against premium, long-form content (like the pictured episode of Alf). The idea may be new for YouTube, but Hulu has been testing self-selected ad units from the start. Video ad and tech firm Tremor Media also launched V-Choice, a user-selected ad option, earlier this month (per NewTeeVee).

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