‘Pay-for-Placement’ Has YouTube Seeing Dollar Signs
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Written By Reprise Media | August 23, 2006 | Share This
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Since it unexpectedly hit the internet big time by (temporarily) hosting a hit Saturday Night Live sketch, YouTube has had a problem: despite exploding popularity, high user-friendliness and incredible buzz, they didn’t seem to have any idea how to get the dough rolling in.
Now, they’ve got one (they hope).
According to ClickZ, YouTube has introduced two new ways to earn itself some cash: PVAs (Participatory Video Ads - you know, as opposed to…Mandatory Video Ads, we guess) and Brand Channels.
The PVAs are essentially just run-of-the-mill YouTube videos - users can view, rate, embed and comment on them just as they would any other clips - that get first-class placement on YouTube’s front page. The site kicked-off its PVA program with a promo from the infamous Paris Hilton, hoping to plug her new CD by buttering up YouTubers (“Hey YouTube! - xoxo Paris”). Views: 500,000 plus. Ratings: 8700 plus (averaging 2 stars out of five). Comments: 1100 plus, some supportive (”dont listen to these no talent, no body, thats giving bad comment. they just jealous.” [sic]), some apparently “just jealous” (”dont quit ya day job lady!!”).
The Brand Channels, meanwhile, promise “more brand-centric video experiences,” and look essentially like YouTube’s take on a MySpace page. As with PVAs, these Brand Channels are not too different from the channels any YouTube user can create - they’re collection points for videos sharing a similar theme (or one creator, or both) that other interested users can subscribe to. Branded Channels just have a more overt marketing bent. For instance, would you believe that Paris Hilton has one? It’s “brought to you by Prison Break on Fox.”
As its deals with such an under-exposed person as Hilton indicates, YouTube is not shying away from, let’s say, polarizing content. The favored PVA of the moment is a video game trailer for Bully, a title that some lawmakers have wanted banned for the crime of having been made by the Grand Theft Auto people (and apparently little else). You can accuse YouTube of ’selling out,’ but Paris Hilton videos and controversial video games are exactly the kind of viral content that’s been the bread-and-butter of ‘net video for a long time. The shoe fits; if YouTube’s lucky, it’ll wear well.
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