Papers pushing video ads as new revenue stream

AS newspapers add video to their newsrooms, several publishers are tapping into that foundation by offering advertisers video production services.
Shaw Suburban Media, for example, expects its 21-month-old ShawVideoWorks production unit to generate more than $140,000 in revenues this year — double its 2008 contribution — according to J. Tom Shaw, vice president of advertising.
Shaw owns about 45 publications in Illinois and Iowa.
Shaw said the types of local businesses using SVW runs the gamut from auto dealers and fitness facilities to commercial builders and restaurants.

In addition to commercials, Shaw provides music and computer graphics services.

Cost effective

And the price is right, Shaw said. SVW charges about $2,000 for its package of video business profiles, about a third of what competitors charge.
"We know how to edit, frame the commercials and we know how to make someone feel comfortable in front of the camera," he said. "We make it affordable so if mom and pop want to put a video on their Web site they can do it.
The production unit produces HD-quality long-form videos that range from commercials to video business profiles.
Other services include music and advanced computer graphics. Shaw will even make DVD copies of the video for distribution.
SVW is housed at Shaw's Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake, Ill. Shaw equipped the studio with a high-end HD camera, green screen and associated video editing equipment and software.

The ShawVideoVorks studio houses equipment for editorial and commercial production.

Standard turnaround time from start to finish is four to six weeks, from contract signing to delivery of the finished product.
"We've been able to get in and explain to our advertisers how video would be helpful for their marketing strategies," Shaw said about SVW. "If you're a local business and have a Web site you can use a video because it enhances your online effectiveness."
Shaw said that, overall, traffic has been growing exponentially for the newspaper group's sites.
"Local newspaper sites have the highest Web traffic in their markets so we have both news and ad space on our sites," he said. "And video ads are an effective way of using that ad space."

Branching out employment videos

Meantime, The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y., is making strides in its 10-month-old quest to offer video employment ads, said Brenda Grover, advertising director for classifieds.

Businesses using SVW include auto dealers and gyms.

The paper (daily, 99,971; Sunday, 121,754) is working with online video service company Reel Centric to create and showcase recruitment videos on its CareerBuilder page.
"We wanted to build a continuing connection between our print ads, CareerBuilder job packs and online video," Grover said. "And since the time we launched it we've seen a 43 percent increase in year-over-year sales."
She said the newspaper collects the ad material, sends it to Reel Centric and in about 48 hours the video is ready to be posted.
The video ads contain stock photographs, graphic elements and scripts designed to differentiate among companies searching for the same type of employee — say administrative assistants.
Grover said the videos attract a lot of interest, with each one averaging around 30,000 views in the first quarter this year.
The newspaper is also looking at putting together a strategy to offer video services for the real estate section sometime in the near future.
"We started in the recruitment vertical and can look to build out in different areas, whether it's specific to a special section or for real estate," she said.

Source: newsandtech.com

BBC says it will share audio and video with newspapers

THE BBC has confirmed it is developing a plan to share its online content with newspapers and do more to link to rival news organisations.
In its submission to the government's Digital Britain consultation, published this week, the corporation said work was underway to create an "online syndication strategy".
Last December, BBC director general Mark Thompson said he was keen to help the newspaper industry by syndicating some of the BBC's news footage and waiving the charge it makes to provide TV listings.
"The BBC will explore whether it can do more to support the newspaper industry through a range of initiatives including greater online linking and the syndication of online content," the broadcaster's submission said.
"The current proposal is for a phased roll-out to a limited number of partners in the first instance, before extending the offer more widely.
"Syndication would be subject to partners agreeing to appropriate terms and conditions in relation to branding of BBC content, advertising and editorial considerations."
The BBC has already announced a sharing agreement with Telegraph Media Group, allowing the newspaper publisher to put some content from the BBC iPlayer on the Telegraph.co.uk website.
The olive branch to the newspaper industry comes after the BBC's plans to launch a network of online video news websites across the UK was blocked by the BBC Trust in the face of massive opposition from the regional press.
The corporation's governing body said the local video proposals could have harmed regional newspapers' attempts to make money online and was not a worthwhile use of licence fee money.

Source: Press Gazette