Jivox Launches D.I.Y. Video Ad Platform for Small Firms

Jivox, a new online video advertising platform launching today, is targeted at small companies that want to hop on the online video ad bandwagon but can’t afford hiring professionals to create the ads, said company founder Diaz Nesamoney.

The differentiator between San Mateo, Calif.-based Jivox and other online video ad creation companies is “self service,” said Nesamoney.

Small businesses can create online video ads by following the site’s step-by-step procedures. In addition to pre- and mid-roll spots, ads can run as separate video ad units. “But the best vehicle for a video ad is, of course, video content. When I’m watching a clip or a movie on a Web site, an ad that appears there is as natural as it would be on TV,” said Nesamoney.

The site’s free ad-creation tool, called Jivox AdSlate, allows users to place images, video clips and music files from Jivox’s large library or their own collections into ad templates. The ads can be customized with copy, contact information and interactive features such as coupons and click-through promotions.

Other firms like Spot Runner, EZShow, Visible World and AditAll also are going after small and local business clients with pre-packaged video ad offerings.

Once an ad is made in the Jivox system, users define the demographics of their target audience and tell the platform how much money they want to spend and the dates they want their ad to run. Then, Jivox places the ads on publisher sites within its network.

CPM rates typically are between $10 and $40, and there are no minimums on the budget an advertiser can set.

Nesamoney said the company is currently working with two publishers. He stressed the goal of most advertisers using the system is to get published on local sites, such as those owned by regional newspapers and TV stations.

“Some of the publishers we are working with are publishers that operate those Web sites or have aggregated ad inventory across those Web sites,” he said. “We would route the ads electronically to those Web sites through this aggregator. We can get very granular, right down to very small towns.”

Nesamoney said the company has 10 to 15 advertiser clients and has served as many as 100,000 impressions in the past couple of weeks.

“One thing the advertisers really like is that they can come back and change their ads,” said Nesamoney. “The advertisers can come in literally in a day or two and say, `This thing’s not working. Let me change it and try again.'”