Agency.com Alignment Enhances PermissionTV Agency Roster
The interactive agency has chosen to work with the video platform provider for clients' upcoming video efforts.
As online creative matures to incorporate more extensive use of video, creative agencies like Agency.com are looking for highly-customizable platforms for brand clients. The interactive agency has chosen to work with video platform provider PermissionTV for upcoming video efforts, ratcheting up the number of agency relationships the technology firm already has established.
“It’s a build versus buy equation,” PermissionTV Chairman David Graves told ClickZ News yesterday at New York’s Streaming Media East Conference. Though agencies do build their own platforms for broadband video-enhanced branded content, Graves believes it makes more sense for them to use a white-label platform like his. “They could do it, but why?” he added.
Agency.com as of yet has not employed the platform for clients, but according to a spokesperson, “We’re beginning a couple of projects with them.”
PermissionTV already has worked with agency Armchair Media to power branded video projects including one for Armchair’s client InterContinental Hotels and Resorts. The campaign encompasses over 100 videos shot by local online travel video producer and distributor TurnHere and displayed on InterContinental sites through players customized by PermissionTV. Narrated by each hotel’s concierge, the branded mini-movies spotlight sights and places of interest surrounding each hotel.
When collaborating, Armchair typically handles design specs and relies on PermissionTV to customize the player. A third project with the video platform firm is in the works, according to Armchair CEO and President Scott Woelfel.
Sometimes, however, building video platforms in-house is still necessary, Woelfel said, noting the agency is advising one client to build its own video player to accommodate its unique cross-platform needs. “The nature of the content they’re managing goes a long way beyond Web content to extend across multiple platforms,” he explained.
The PermissionTV platform enables video on Mitt Romney’s official campaign site, through a relationship with Web consulting firm Molecular. Visitors to the Republican presidential contender’s site can navigate through buttons and tabs to view various categories of video, such as “On the Trail,” and “Ask Mitt Anything.”
Though other video platforms allow for some customization, Bryant Shea, director of content management at Molecular suggested PermissionTV does not confine clients to a handful of template options. “By customizing the player, you’re able to decide how to manage your brand,” he said.
The player allows users to pass the video along via e-mail, get code to embed the video, or grab a link to it. The platform also enables easy publishing with metadata, insertion of ad units that pause the video to play an advertiser message, and tracking and reporting on viewer interaction.
Web media properties like FHM Online, Fox’s MyNetworkTV and BobVila.com use the platform, too. PermissionTV also has announced a relationship with Hollywood-based talent agency Metropolitan Talent Agency, which will promote the platform to its ad agency, media and production studio clients.
