Media Storm weekly digital trends 9/19/14: - Rich Media programmatic buying - Flipboard full-screen video ads - AOL debuts second slate of web series - Digital agencies explore virtual reality

1. DIGITAL TRENDS: 9/19

2. Rich Media Programmatic Buying
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What is it?
GumGum, an ad tech company that offers ads appearing inside web images, is partnering with Xaxis to sell its unique inventory through a programmatic system.
How does it work?
Advertisers have the option to develop the rich-media units to GumGum’s specs, or they can build them in-house using the agency’s creative assets. As a third option, advertisers are able to use IAB units on the platform as well. After the creative is set, Xaxis will build the targeting parameters to define when and where the ads will serve across GumGum’s inventory. Third party tracking can be applied to capture standard performance metrics.
Opportunities?
This opportunity signals the growth of the programmatic platform towards the incorporation of high impact digital ad units. The evolving technology has the ability to allow entertainment advertisers to broaden their reach and scale of high impact units tremendously on tentpole days, such as on premiere dates.

3. Flipboard Full-Screen Video Ads
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What is it?
Flipboard is testing new full-screen video ads in its magazine- style mobile apps. There are 10 brands across a range of verticals involved in the test.
How does it work?
The video spots will appear in the full-page ads that serve as people swipe through content on Flipboard’s digital magazines. Currently the ads will be user initiated click-to- play, but the company is considering making the videos auto play. They will monitor reader’s response to the ads to make the decision on auto-play capability. The ads are currently sold on a CPM, as an add-on to Flipboard’s existing full page ads, and require a minimum spend level.
Opportunities?
This offers a extremely premium avenue to run video advertisements in the mobile space, where user engagement is at its highest. The video is already full screen so the barrier to entry for the user is low and the experience is pre-set to be high quality.

4. AOL Debuts its Second Slate of Web Series
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What is it?
AOL’s new crop of serialized digital video offerings, mostly reality TV and documentary style shows, feature a lengthy lineup of stars, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Steve Buscemi, James Franco, and many more. The company touts the running theme behind its original programming as “authentic voices and remarkable storytelling”.
How does it work?
AOL is investing heavily in television-style digital video content in an attempt to convince TV ad buyers to start to transition their TV ad dollars into digital video. AOL already has the scale , with over 1.2 billion views a month on their AOLOn video network, and the ability to break out demographic data using Nielsen from all videos on its network. Now they have the engaging content necessary to entice big budget TV buyers.
Opportunities?
The focus on original content gives advertisers even more premium video inventory to place their ads across the AOL network. In addition, their focus on originals opens the door for involved branded content executions with personalities that carry large sway within the entertainment world.

5. Digital Agencies Explore Virtual Reality
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What is it?
This week production company Unit9 launched a dedicated virtual reality division, hoping to be the vendor of choice for agencies and brands looking to advertise on virtual reality platforms. There are other vendors getting into the space, including Framestore.
How does it work?
The opportunities for VR are endless, recent executions include HBO’s “Ascend the Wall” demo at SXSW for Game of Thrones, England Rugby’s “Wear the Rose” that put users inside a rugby practice, and 5Gum’s “Experience 5Gum” which made users feel like they were flying by integrating VR with Xbox Kinect. The cost is similar to running a CGI-based TV spot, according to those familiar with the process.
Opportunities?
The highly engaging nature of entertainment content seems like a natural fit for advertising on VR. So far this is limited to “stunt” style executions since VR units are not yet readily available to the public, but currently the PR and Earned Media potential for branded VR executions is exceptionally high.