Roo, Tribal Fusion Partner For Contextual Video Ads

by Tameka Kee, Friday, Jun 29, 2007 6:00 AM ET
ROO HAS PARTNERED WITH EXPONENTIAL'S Tribal Fusion network to develop
a contextual application that will serve video and ads through
interactive Web page text.

The online broadcast company said it has aggregated more than 18,000
clips of licensed content from news organizations, film studios, and
record labels such as Warner Music. Content will be paired with
relevant text and links on Web pages across both its own network and
Tribal Fusion's network (which reaches a reported 160 million users
per month).

When users mouse over specific terms on a page, they will have the
option to view relevant videos--i.e., a Madonna interview that's
linked to the word "interview" on a music news site--with the option
for pre- or post-roll, interstitial, and overlay ads in the mix. The
companies said they are working to deliver the platform to existing
clients within six months.

"We call it incremental content," said Rob Price, senior vice
president, product and network, Roo. "And we think it's exciting for
publishers and advertisers, but most importantly the users--since
they'll have the opportunity to view content that's tuned to their
interests."

The two companies had not collaborated on client solutions before, but
Price said the effort comes at the right time: "Tribal Fusion had been
keen to enter the video space, so they'd done their due diligence well
before we approached them. The quality of their technology and the
breadth of our content made this an ideal partnership."

At the OMMA Video conference on Thursday, several representatives from
digital media companies discussed how brands could move beyond the
30-second spot for viable Web advertising. With this partnership, Roo
and Tribal Fusion aim to deliver a video advertising platform that
breaks the traditional mold but still provides the quantifiable,
highly targeted opportunity sought by marketers and their agencies.