Chinese video streaming company Youku Tudou has joined forces with Mirriad Advertising for a new in-video advertising collaboration, with Samsung becoming the first brand to jump onboard.
Using Mirriad’s technology on its video-on-demand (VOD) platform, Youku Tudou will let both Chinese and international brands digitally embed brand advertising in its premium original content.
The first Mirriad campaign on Youku appears within talk show Life & Fate and features electronics giant Samsung as the inaugural brand to capitalize on this new opportunity.
The campaign launched on Monday 19th October and features Samsung throughout 6 episodes over a 2-week period.
“We are pleased with this exclusive partnership, the first of its kind in China and at the cutting-edge of innovative trends in advertising. Working with an industry leader such as Mirriad allows us to further our efforts of placing digital advertising directly into content; empowering advertisers and content owners to enhance relevance, context and effectiveness without detracting from the narrative,” said Edward Su, chief operating officer, Youku Tudou.
Mark Popkiewicz, CEO, Mirriad, agreed, “We look forward very much to collaborating with Youku Tudou to bring this technology to China for the first time. This agreement is not just strategically significant to us – it paves the way for advertisers to benefit from NIVA technology on one of the world’s largest distribution platforms and sets a global precedent. We anticipate that our work with Youku will provide the foundation for a new and exciting era of in-video advertising across the globe.”
“The Chinese market offers immense opportunities and challenges for brands looking for the best ways to reach its highly desirable consumer base,” said Michael Rees, Asia-Pacific Vice President, Mirriad. “It is no secret that the Chinese market has its own uniqueness which makes finding the best local partner all the more crucial, and we are delighted that our digital technology will enable Youku Tudou to offer innovative advertising opportunities to brands at scale. Research shows that in-video advertising is twice as likely to be recalled as traditional forms such as pre-roll, and it offers a seamless experience for the consumer.iii Everyone wins: the viewer, the advertiser, the content creator and the channel.”
This announcement builds on Mirriad’s global strategy of partnerships with Universal Music Group (UMG) the global music leader, Havas, the multinational advertising and Public Relations company, and Cheil Worldwide, a leading South Korea-based marketing solutions company.
The news comes as Alibaba bought the remaining shares of Youku Tudou, in an all-cash transaction estimated to be worth some US$3.7bn.