VOLOMEDIA BRINGS INTERACTIVITY TO iTUNES FOR VIDEO PODCASTS
iTunes Plug-in For Podcasts Offers Sharing and Discovery Tools to Viewers While Providing Usage Metrics to Advertisers
SUNNYVALE, CA, September 21, 2008 - VoloMedia Inc., the leading advertising network and reporting solution for downloadable media, today announced the availability of its latest VoloMedia iTunes Plug-in. This plug-in is the first to offer user interactivity within the iTunes Media Player environment.
The VoloMedia iTunes Plug-in is a fast, lightweight download that dramatically enhances the user experience of viewing podcasts by enabling sharing, bookmark and discovery capabilities directly into the iTunes Media Player. Three buttons - Share, Bookmark and More - appear when a video podcast is paused and at the end of each video.
The Share and Bookmark functions introduce long-needed viral dynamics to downloaded content, enabling it to be shared easily from within the iTunes player environment. The More button enables publishers to define a branded experience by promoting additional and/or related content while offering additional iTunes subscription opportunities with a simple click.
"The VoloMedia iTunes Plug-in enables publishers and advertisers for the first time to extend audience reach and monetization opportunities while understanding audience consumption whether playback occurs on the PC or a portable device", said Brian Steel, CEO of VoloMedia. "At the same time, the plug-in provides consumers new functionality to share and discover additional content - all without leaving their familiar iTunes Media Player environment."
"Enabling interactivity within the iTunes environment fills a feature gap that we believe has been missing", said Michael Olson, technology analyst at Piper Jaffray. "Historically, publishers put content into the iTunes podcasting store without knowing what happens to that content afterwards and without an ability to tap into the user base. With the plug-in, publishers will be able to receive consumption metrics and have cross-marketing opportunities with an already engaged audience."
These capabilities allow publishers to reach a larger audience, extend the lifecycle of the content and increase user engagement, all of which drive higher CPMs. As content is downloaded, played and shared, VoloMedia's dynamic ad insertion and rotation technology allows advertisements to be targeted and refreshed from the PC to the portable device, ensuring that every user is served the most relevant and timely advertisements.
VoloMedia iTunes Plug-in Key Benefits:
PUBLISHERS:
- New functionality within iTunes environment that:
- Promotes viral sharing and discovery of content
- Enables cross-promotion
- Widget integration
- Comprehensive metrics including online and offline plays
- Total control of media through VoloMedia's Campaign Management Portal
Advertisers:
- Precise targeting including time of day, geography and demographics
- Dynamic ad insertion and rotation, extending from PCs to portable devices
- Increased audience engagement - superior brand awareness retention
- Total control of campaigns through VoloMedia's Campaign Management Portal
Consumers:
- Free, downloadable, quality content
- Flexible consumption: play anywhere, anytime
- Easier discovery of related content
- Sharing of favorite programming via e-mail and social bookmarking services such as Digg, del.icio.us, Google Bookmarks, and Facebook
The VoloMedia iTunes Plug-in is integrated with VoloMedia's Campaign Management Portal which offers online management of the publisher's media, advertising campaigns and reporting. Publishers receive timely, comprehensive reports on media consumption, including download attempts, completed downloads and plays from both online and offline environments. The web-based portal is accessible anytime, anywhere.
