AOL have launched BrandBuilder by AOL, a new ad creative framework which will bring a less intrusive way to build brand awareness and drive sales. eBay was one of the first to join the program last summer and helped influence AOL’s Player Up experience.
Player Up, unlike traditional video pre-roll ads prior to content (think YouTube ad style experience), is a suite of non-intrusive, consumer-friendly ad experiences that offer an alternative to pre-roll. Creative can be displayed as part of a custom :03 – :07 second experience that introduces the content (Bumper), a rich media overlay that extends beyond the introduction into the content (Watermark), or as part of the pause button (Pause). Player Up is currently available in the US, UK and Canada.
“Our customers are the heart and soul of eBay, and our number one goal is to give them the best experience,” said Olivier Ropars, Senior Director of Global Internet Marketing at eBay. “Through AOL’s BrandBuilder Beta program, we became an architect and helped shape a truly unique experience that is less intrusive and more relevant to our consumers. As brands, we’re only as successful as our customers are happy, and programs like these are what help us continue building a brand people love.”
There are some obvious categories where the new AOL ad experience will give huge wins for eBay. Fashion immediately springs to mind – On any site that a designer or fashion blogger is talking about the latest trends, eBay can have overlay watermarked adverts with relevant content.
This could easily translate into other verticals – I wouldn’t be surprised to see eBay Motors jump on board promoting everything from parts to car tyres. Say you’re looking at a “How to change the alternator on a Ford Focus” and an overlay offers you new matching alternators from eBay for example.
Whilst it’s unlikely that most individual eBay sellers will have the resources to run AOL BrandBuilder campaigns that is the benefit of partnering with a marketplace who do have the scale to take advantage. Driving traffic is eBay’s role, providing the product and a superb buying experience is where sellers should be focusing allowing eBay to do what they do best.
4 Responses
“Our customers are the heart and soul of eBay, and our number one goal is to milk them for everything they have.”
they have a knack of making it sound like they’re doing you a favour by crapping in your handbag.
one of the main reasons youtube does ads before the video, is so your video isnt ruined by ads. the stuff you want to see, you can see.
every watched a US tv show recording, only to cringe because for 1/3 of the show you cant see the bottom 1/3 of the screen? cos the US loves to advertise every other program that is not the one you’re watching, over the top of the thing you want to see? thats what this is.
My brother makes these types of ad’s with a smartphone, and all it costs me is normally the latest videogame.
Churning them out pretty regular right now.
They are exactly the same.
We were even putting them on eBay collections (via US ebay) till they took away the option (we had to take out our own overlays as I could not see ebay having my own www.
We use them for Facebook ad’s Twitter, there good short and good for building your own brand.
So you do not need to partner with a marketplace all you need is a free app,smartphone, bit of patience, bit of creative input and you can do it yourself. Love to know what AOL actually charge. Someone could make a pretty business targeting smaller ebay sellers than looking for the golden goose all the time.
its getting to the point where the missable is unwatchable. Apparently we watch 23% more advertising TV ads now, since freeview; of course, no one show can attract the huge audiences thus there revenue is depleted. Seems to me all the clever advertising guru’s are chasing hard to dimish thier own market share. Overlay the screen you are watching? thats a sure fire way to get your finger on the channel changer. Enough already.