Video network enables targeted ad opportunities for pharma
October 28, 2009 – 8:37 am by Gina MonariA partnership between 5min and HealthCentral creates an opportunity for over-the-counter and pharmaceutical advertisers to pinpoint engaged and highly targeted health audiences through a new online health video network. 5min and HealthCentral are offering contextually relevant health videos to health seekers online.
Each company brings complementary strengths to the partnership. 5min already had a large library of health and wellness videos, unique proprietary VideoSeed technology, and a network of hundreds of distribution Websites. HealthCentral brought their sales force – with established relationships with prescription pharmaceutical and over-the-counter advertisers – more than 1,000 health videos, and a large audience of owned and affiliate health Websites.
“This relationship blends 5Min’s unique technology platform and ability to access quality video content and quality distribution partners, with HealthCentral’s marketing capabilities, high-quality condition-specific health videos, and our ability to help increase adoption of the 5Min platform by other on-line health publishers,” says Jeremy Shane, president and chief operating officer, HealthCentral.
The deal adds HealthCentral’s library of hundreds of health videos to the existing 5min library, which will be distributed through the 5min VideoSeed semantic syndication platform that matches videos to relevant audiences across more than 350 Websites. In addition, HealthCentral is implementing 5min’s Smart Player across many of HealthCentral’s owned and operated Websites.
HealthCentral was originally built with the understanding that health seekers want information that is relevant to them, when and where they want to find it. 5min provides the organization with a technology that enhances its ability to deliver the most specific videos to the right people at the right time.
“After an introductory meeting with HealthCentral, we saw that both parties spoke the same language and had shared vision – that being the leader in health and wellness video on the Web would be achieved by targeted distribution rather than by creating a single destination,” says Richard Bloom, senior VP, business development, 5min.
As the exclusive seller of inventory to prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical advertisers, HealthCentral will sell into 5min’s health advertising inventory to provide its advertisers with a new source of video streams. The 5min ad inventory has been sold out for the past six months and reaches niche audiences across 20 major verticals and more than 200 sub-categories.
HealthCentral will exclusively sell advertising to pharmaceutical and over-the-counter advertisers on 5min’s millions of video streams that are focused on health, specific conditions, parenting, pregnancy, fitness, and nutrition. The relationship creates an opportunity for over-the-counter and pharmaceutical advertisers to pinpoint engaged and highly targeted health audiences
Mr. Bloom believes that the new network is a natural fit for prescription and over-the-counter advertisers looking to reach targeted audiences who are watching the same high quality videos across hundreds of Websites through contextually targeted ad serving.
“As online video gains more traction with consumers, HealthCentral and 5min identified an opportunity to disrupt the current market by offering a monetization solution for health advertisers while creating a valuable resource for online health seekers,” Mr. Bloom says.
HealthCentral will offer advertisers a range of pricing options reflecting the degree of targeting and reach an advertiser wishes to achieve. For example, advertisers may want to reach an audience on mom-oriented Websites only, or by topic such as diabetes, or on certain video segments like health news. The organizations welcome customized programs and will build offerings and pricing that reflect marketer objectives and return goals.
Prescription pharmaceutical marketers want to reach consumers who are in the mode of seeking health and wellness information, and making a decision on treatments or other actions like diet, exercise, and self-help suggestions. These consumers tend to be the most active with physicians and medical professionals in making treatment decisions.
“Video is uniquely engaging, and consumers who seek out video that tells a compelling story, or helps in practical ways, like 5Min’s and HealthCentral’s, are exactly the topics and audience pharma marketers aspire to reach and engage,” Mr. Shane says. “Consumers who are making dietary decisions, who want to know how to do every-day tasks relating to their care, often find video the most helpful and direct ways to gain knowledge and confidence in taking charge of their health.”
Pharmaceutical marketers may post videos that they produce for syndication across the network. The primary opportunity, however, is for pharmaceutical marketers to associate their brands with trusted news and educational content from HealthCentral and other health video publishers, and to reach consumers with branded messaging in association with real insights from health influentials, activists, and everyday people with unique perspectives on managing their family’s health and well-being.
The partnership combines 5min’s 21 million monthly unique audience with HealthCentral’s 11 million monthly unique audience. A list of HealthCentral’s owned and operated properties is provided here. 5min distributes its technology and video library across a range of health, wellness, and women-oriented Websites, featuring content of value to health consumers and moms, including Pregnancy.org, RightHealth, Real Savvy Moms, HealthBoards, mdinfo.com, SteadyHealth.com, and Pregnancy.org, along with the health sections of comprehensive knowledge Websites, including Answers, ArticlesBase, and Associated Content. High quality health, wellness, and lifestyle Websites can join the 5min network for free.
Tags: 5min, HealthCentral, targeted ads, Technology, video
