We conclude our conversation with a brief discussion about Google, and any potential impact it may have on Adapt.tv, including competing for talent. SM: Which companies are out there that you find interesting, who have good approaches, besides yourselves? AA: We obviously think the approach should be viewer friendly, effective monetization. I think it is
According to Amir, the learning system is an important aspect which will lead to optimized ad campaigns for content providers. Is it? I’m still very skeptical … SM: I see, so what you are basically doing is trial and error while the learning system figures out effectiveness, and then you push ads out accordingly. AA:
In June 2006, Yahoo! Video was launched to promote online video sharing. The service allows visitors to search online video clips produced by partners as well as independent content providers. Yahoo shows video content from associate sites including Discovery Communications, CBS News, Buena Vista Pictures and VH1. Yahoo also has exclusive rights to show clips
For many venture startups, getting funding is always a significant challenge as well as a strategic milestone (taking too much funding, or not enough). Amir had little difficulty gaining funding in the midst of the greatest boom market, and made what ultimately turned out to be the correct decision in the amount of funding received,
There are several very interesting aspects to keep in mind when considering Shopping.com. First, the comparative shopping marketplace was a low-barrier-to-entry marketplace to enter, leading to significant competition. Second, revenue generating strategies were difficult to figure out in the 1997-1999 timeframe. Online advertising as a revenue model had barely started to take off. Finally, once
Amir Ashkenazi is the founder of Adap.tv, as well as the former founder and CTO of Shopping.com. Adap.tv is in the midst of the Online Video Advertising fray, on which I have recently written quite a bit. In fact, Danny Cohen suggested this conversation after reading one of those pieces about one of Adap.tv’s competitors,
Yahoo’s future suddenly looks brighter, as Terry Semel steps aside, and Co-Founder Jerry Yang takes back the reins. Semel, a former Hollywood executive who joined Yahoo in 2001, will remain chairman in a non-executive role. Yahoo also expanded the duties of Susan Decker, who was earlier named the head of the company’s advertising business, and
Now that it has been a few months since Google bought YouTube, we can look at how it is benefiting from it. Comscore data for March 2007 seems promising. YouTube’s popularity has made Google the most frequented site for streaming videos. Out of 57.4 million unique visitors who played video clips on Google, almost 53.5