BEIJING and LONDON, November 3,
2015 /PRNewswire/ --
- Samsung becomes the first brand to
jump onboard
Youku Tudou, Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), a leading multi-screen
entertainment and media company in China ("Youku Tudou") and Mirriad Advertising
Ltd, a global leader in native, in-video advertising, have entered
into a long-term exclusive collaboration arrangement in
China, the world's second-largest
advertising market.
In this alliance, Youku Tudou will connect Chinese and
international brands with Mirriad's award-winning technology on its
platform, enabling these brands to reach China's fast-growing consumer base through
digitally embedded brand advertising in highly popular premium
original content. China continues
to be one of the most attractive markets for consumer brands, as it
is expected to be the world's largest retail market by
2018[i], while three-quarters of the urban population is
projected to qualify as middle-class by 2022[ii].
Mirriad's patented technology will offer Youku Tudou a vast
number of new, premium advertising opportunities within its
entertainment and media ecosystem (by way of ad units featuring
brand integrations inserted after the content is shot). Mirriad's
patented NIVA (native in-video advertising) technology enables
advertisers to digitally insert their brands into video content
through products, signage, video and other branded assets at scale.
Through the new collaboration arrangement, Youku Tudou will utilize
Mirriad's suite of marketplace applications to create new, prime ad
inventory immediately at scale, providing content owners and
distributors with editorial control over brand integrations and
overall ad operations.
"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."
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.
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.
About Youku Tudou Inc.
Youku Tudou Inc. (NYSE: YOKU) is a leading multi-screen
entertainment and media company in China. Youku Tudou is China's leading online video platform,
enabling users to search, view and share high-quality video content
quickly and easily across multiple devices. Its Youku brand and
Tudou brand are among the most recognized online video brands in
China. Youku Tudou's American
depositary shares, each representing 18 of Youku Tudou's Class A
ordinary shares, are traded on the NYSE under the symbol "YOKU."
About Mirriad
Mirriad's pioneering video technology revolutionizes advertising
for the skip generation - the generation of consumers from six to
sixty who now bypass traditional video ads. Its technology
integrates products and signage into professionally produced
content, such as TV programming and music videos, creating ads that
look authentic and contextual. Brands and their agencies use
Mirriad to manage and run multi-title campaigns, media-planned and
tuned for reach and frequency in exactly the same way they
currently buy advertising that appears outside the content.
Mirriad turns premium content into premium inventory. These
Native In-Video Ads have been extensively researched around the
world by the likes of Nielsen and proven to achieve outstanding
increases in awareness, brand sentiment, and intent to purchase.
Mirriad currently operates in more than 20 countries and works with
many of the world's leading content owners, broadcasters,
distributors, ad agencies, and brands. In 2013 this technology won
an Academy Award for technical achievement. Last year, it was
Innovation Award finalist at Cannes Lions and in May 2015 awarded Cool Vendor 2015 by Gartner.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.mirriad.com
Media Contacts:
Youku Tudou Inc.
Jay Chen
+8610-5890-6883 x 8338
jaychen@youku.com
Chang You
Youku Tudou Inc.
+8610-5890-6883 x 8056
changyou@youku.com
Berkeley PR for Mirriad
Nick Head
+44-118-909-0909
mirriad@berkeleypr.co.uk
i.
http://www.chinainternetwatch.com/12782/become-worlds-largest-retail-market-2018/
ii.
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/consumer_and_retail/mapping_chinas_middle_class
iii Interpret Comparison Study 2014