Firefly Video Launches New Ad Units Where Consumers Actively Choose to Watch an Advertiser's Video Content

EMERYVILLE, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

Exponential Interactive, the global provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions, today relaunched its brand engagement video advertising solution Firefly Video.

The launch includes two new ad units, Glow and Illuminate, which are designed specifically to drive consumers to actively choose to watch a brand's video content.

Campaigns using the new Glow unit have delivered an average of almost 1.5 times the average time spent (ATS) of previous units, while campaigns using the full-featured Illuminate format delivered an average of twice the ATS, the company said. Average engagement rates are more than 1%, it added.

Firefly Video is offered on a cost-per-engagement (CPE) model, meaning advertisers pay only when a consumer actively chooses to watch content. Both units require prolonged user rollover on the teaser video to spark expansion of the unit and sound. Combined with CPE pricing, this ensures advertisers are only paying for the Active Attention of their prospective customers.

Firefly Video is powered by Exponential's e-X Advertising Intelligence Platform, which enables advertisers to target against a taxonomy of 50,000 different user interests and intentions at scale. Exponential's premium publisher network reaches more than 450 million unique monthly users worldwide. This means brands can combine the power of video advertising with the scale and audience targeting only available in 'traditional' online display advertising. An automotive advertiser for example, can choose only to reach people to have indicate an interest in buying a car, or people who have recently visited their site. By leveraging their long-form video or TV ads, they can then engage with their prospective customers with their most impactful advertising format.

Joe Gallagher, former EVP, global sales, at online video network pioneer BBE, has been appointed as general manager of Firefly Video to lead the newly formed division. Gallagher also held management positions at Dow Jones, Tribune Company and Real Media.

He said: "These new units, combined with a cost-per-engagement pricing structure, guarantee advertisers the Active Attention of their intended users. Brands know that the users viewing their content have chosen to do so, and they know they only pay when that happens. With strong video content constantly available to brand advertisers, along with the added features of social sharing, multi-video content and product information, Firefly Video delivers a strategically advanced platform to reach and engage their prospective customers."

The overall U.S. online video ad market grew 46% to $2.9 billion last year, according to eMarketer's observations on trends in video advertising.

Gallagher added: "As consumption behavior evolves beyond just the television and toward the internet on their digital devices, it is vital to reach them online, where they are becoming not only more predisposed to watch video, but also to engage with the content they are viewing. Firefly Video's custom-tailored audience segmentation ensures we capture the active attention of an advertiser's most relevant consumers.

"Compelling video, delivered to the right eyes and ears, has more power to drive brand interest, consideration and overall awareness. Firefly Video offers opt-in engagement solutions that cater to consumers' interests, ultimately providing stellar results - at great value using our advertiser-centric pricing system -- for brands."

About Firefly Video

Firefly Video (www.fireflyvideo.com) is a digital video advertising solution that delivers the active attention of advertisers' target audiences to drive engagement and brand lift. It is a division of Exponential, the global provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions to brand advertisers that also owns in-stream video advertising specialist AdoTube, mobile rich-media provider Appsnack, and global display advertising provider Tribal Fusion. Exponential offers solutions in 26 countries worldwide and reaches more than 450m unique users every month.