Industrial Trade Pub Channels YouTube, Caterpillar Sponsors

Cygnus Business Media, which publishes titles like Concrete Contractor, Feed & Grain, Modern Jeweler, and Snow Pro, has rolled out a video channel to deliver heavy equipment ads and product demos to its online audience of building contractors at ForConstructionPros.com.

Caterpillar has signed on as the launch sponsor of the new video presence, which Cygnus created using infrastructure from PermissionTV. Most clips on the “ForConstructionPros.com Video Network,” as it’s being called, show off Caterpillar’s trucks and excavators, though several laser leveling systems and a concrete saw also make appearances.

It’s the sort of video content that until recently was commonly distributed via DVD, since equipment makers for obvious reasons don’t do TV advertising.

“This is a television commercial for the business-to-business industry,” said Cygnus spokesperson Kathy Scott. “The construction market, especially with refurbishments and heavy equipment, is huge.” And because the purchases are high consideration, people actually want to see the ads, she said.

The pay-for-placement platform will shortly be opened up to all equipment manufacturers. Additionally, Cygnus ultimately plans to let its audience upload video content and even to invite themed contributions from readers which could then be sponsored. One such idea is to solicit videos of contractors’ oldest working equipment in action.

Forconstructinopros.com is supported by five magazines that reach 150,000 subscribers per month, according to Cygnus. Those publications, which include Asphalt Contractor, Pavement and Equipment Today, will be leveraged to drive traffic to the new video network.