iMedia: Video games seem like the most obvious place for "beyond the browser" digital advertising, but what other formats are available?
Kroese: The spectrum that's available today is actually quite broad. As you mention, we offer in-game, around game, and custom game advertising solutions. These include everything from non-clickable in-game ads, to clickable "around game" ads, to streaming video, and more. We also do a lot of content associations, from sponsorships to sweepstakes.
The key to our success has been the ability to optimize campaigns for the environment -- we tailor ad opportunities to the specific nature of the user experience. We've learned that simply taking things that have worked on the web and trying to shoehorn them into this environment doesn't always work, for the audience or the advertiser.
In terms of new and emerging formats, we are always incubating new stuff. Not everything works, but when it does, we scale it up pretty quickly. We are currently very excited about the possibilities of in-game ads with a game called "1 vs. 100," and with Microsoft Tag [a mobile application that lets consumers scan over a code to access additional information].
iMedia: In a past interview, you said one of your goals is to maintain the "integrity of the user experience." How do you go about doing that?
Kroese: Maintaining that integrity is fundamental to every campaign we create. If we don't, we risk alienating our strongest asset: our audience. We have great respect for our audience and their time. We assume our users are smart, rational people, and we invite them into a conversation -- the advertising. Our core principle is to ensure that there is a value exchange between the advertiser and the audience. We invite, we don't interrupt, and we put them in control. This why we've seen some off-the-charts results in our ad effectiveness research. The viewers are driving the interaction, and we give them something valuable in exchange for their interest.
iMedia: You've mentioned before that the environment and context within which an ad is offered is central to delivering results. How do you create that environment and context?
Kroese: The first thing to do is to recognize that the user experience now traverses across the TV, the PC, and the mobile device. This is what we call "three screens and the cloud." There is no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" advertising experience. Each advertising experience is designed as a natural extension of the user experience on the TV, on the PC, and on the mobile device. To create an experience that really resonates with the user, you need to offer value to the consumer. On the TV that might be some HD video. On the phone it might be a location-based search service.
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