YuMe Networks officially launched a new online service today that allows advertisers to target messaging to online video content. Unlike companies such as Quigo which serves contextually relevant ads to websites on a more broad scale, YuMe is the first company to offer a specific network optimized for broadband video.

"Our network is going to bring real order to the current state of chaos in online video advertising," said Jayant Kadambi, co-founder and CEO of YuMe Networks. "YuMe will for the first time give advertisers the ability to place ads alongside contextually relevant content, ending current run of site buys that are neither effective nor transparent. Now advertisers can see exactly when and where their ads appear, get real time measurement of their audience and change creative to drive greater effectiveness in online video campaigns. Buying video advertising on the YuMe network offers advertisers an experience similar to that of buying television, where they can choose the content and resulting demographic for their ads."

With this system comes a new threshold for acceptable levels of transparency. As Web 2.0 develops and the line between brand-enhancing content versus questionable content that risks brands becomes finer yet ever more important, even giants like Google have been reaching for new levels of transparency to satisfy advertisers.

"As the popularity of online video content continues to explode, it's clear that smarter and more effective approaches to advertising are needed than what's available in today's admittedly first-generation marketplace," said Tim Hanlon, SVP of Denuo, the media futures unit of agency holding company Publicis Groupe. "Advertisers and their agencies desperately need more sophisticated solutions for their video ad messaging campaigns, and YuMe's breakthrough technology promises to bring much-needed flexibility, addressability and measurability to the process."

Because most web video content is user generated, YuMe developed technology that can separate "brand safe" content from the questionable content. Advertisers can also have their advertising targeted to specific content within consumer generated media.

The company's willingness to address the concerns of Web 2.0 and the rich media explosion has won it $7 million worth of confidence from several venture firms, including BV Capital, Accel Partners and Khosala Ventures, the same group of investors that funded sites like Facebook and Brightcove.