VOD Campaign Proves Many Viewers Like To Watch Ads

We know what everyone calls TiVo users: ad skippers. So what should we call Video On Demand users? Ad-oholics? In Los Angeles, Adlink just finished a campaign in which traditional 30 second commercials drove traffic to cable viewers' On Demand menus. Prospective car buyers could then choose to watch lengthier videos from a luxury dealership. In four weeks, viewers demanded to see advertising 4500 times. Not earth-shattering, but not bad for a city of ad skippers.

Press Release: February 25, 2008

Adlink Streamlines VOD Advertising in Los Angeles

Adlink, the nation's leading digital interconnect, completes first two market wide, video-on-demand (VOD) campaigns in Los Angeles. As the second largest VOD market in the nation, with nearly 2 million VOD households, L.A. is a "must" for any VOD advertising buy.

The appeal of VOD advertising is that it enhances the traditional thirty- second spot buy. A VOD media plan starts off with thirty-second ads that drive interested, pre-qualified viewers to watch a brand's long-form video(s) located in the On Demand menu. The viewer then has extended exposure to that advertiser's product in an uncluttered environment that provides the viewer with DVR-like controls.

"VOD advertising is beneficial for both advertiser and viewer," states Judson Ferdon, Director of Advanced Advertising at Adlink. "It allows advertisers to execute a complete messaging strategy to an audience that is highly engaged."

Adlink launched a preliminary run of its VOD advertising initiative in 4th quarter of 2007 with two advertisers. Each advertiser ran a series of spots across Adlink's 44 TV networks steering viewers to their respective VOD campaigns. One VOD campaign, executed for a luxury automotive client, utilized 22 of Adlink's premiere networks to direct potential consumers to ten long-form videos highlighting a variety of models and driving experiences. Of the ten, the most watched long-form-video was "The Purchase Experience," which showed viewers the experience of purchasing an automobile.

"In four weeks, the automotive VOD campaign generated 4,500 views," said Lisa Palmer, General Manager & General Sales Manager for Adlink. "The success of this campaign illustrates the potential of VOD as a valuable part of a media plan."

The other VOD campaign, a public service announcement on healthy living, incorporated a media schedule across all Adlink's networks. It also provided viewers with three animated, educational long-form videos with a call-to- action encouraging viewers to visit the organization's website for more information. The three month campaign generated 13,391 total views and 1,008 hours of long-form viewing with an average viewing time of five and a half minutes.

"In a market served by three cable operators, it made sense to streamline the On Demand ad buy for advertisers trying to reach the entire Los Angeles footprint," said Hans Fischmann, General Manager of Advanced Media for Charter Media. "We were happy to team up with Adlink on this initiative."

The three cable companies operating in the L.A. DMA are Charter Communications, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable.

About Adlink

Adlink, the nation's leading digital interconnect, enables advertisers to reach nearly 3 million cable households in the Los Angeles market through powerful television programming that spans across forty-four top rated networks including: ESPN, MTV, Lifetime, TNT, CNN, Comedy Central, A&E, Discovery and USA. More than 400 top national and regional advertisers including General Motors/Chevrolet, McDonald's, Coors Brewing Company and The Walt Disney Co. use Adlink to reach current and prospective customers. Adlink's equity partners include, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications and Cox Communications.