I have been a huge fan of Hulu ever since they launched in private beta and continue to view them as the trend setter when it comes to all aspects of online video. Last night I was online watching full episodes of my favorite shows on Hulu.com, something I do on a regular basis, and saw something that I have not seen before – not just on Hulu, but anywhere else online. Before an episode of The Simpsons started a screen came up giving me the choice of how to view this video in regards to advertisements (see screenshot below). I could either watch the full movie trailer of “Ghost Town” and then have no commercial interruptions or watch the video with normal commercial breaks. This is an absolutely brilliant move by Hulu to not only increase the value of their ad placements but also engage the user on a whole different level.
When it comes to professionally produced long-form content it is a widely accepted practice to force ads however the website sees fit. This after all is premium content so commercial breaks, overlay ads, or any other form of content monetization is viewed as a necessary evil. However, by giving the user the option Hulu is creating a automatic engagement with the website beyond watching videos….choice, regardless of what it ecompasses, is a powerful thing.
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Hello Kieran,
If you would like to know more about the brilliant patented ad format that offers viewers a choice in regards to advertising when it comes to videos, music, online games and more, please visit Ulramercial website;
http://www.ultramercial.com/
Or, you could read what istockanalyst had to say in their recent Ads That Reward article;
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2500670.html