Meaningful Media NOT Mass Media

Our CEO and Founder Brad Inman had a byline in MediaPost’s Online Media Daily yesterday.  His commentary on the state of online video and the trouble that traditional producers have had with the crossover from broadcast to online video outlines some of the many challenges that companies face as they try to understand and embrace this new advertising format.

The failed attempts of blockbuster online video campaigns by high-profile brands point to the unique challenges that a highly-fragmented, often cynical Internet audience presents to the old-fashioned advertising paradigm.

From Brad's commentary:

The Web is not about "aiming for the middle," a broad branding exercise seeking the lowest common denominator, big advertising themes and irrelevant emotional hooks. The control is no longer in the hands of the broadcasters; it is in the hands of the consumer. This shift in control changes the consumption of video from a "lean back" disengaged experience to a lean-forward, "I-need-relevant-information" experience, where the consumer determines when and how content is consumed. The world of permission-based, demand-driven advertising, prescribed by the ethos of the Web, offers a relevant ad model opportunity.

The Internet is a micro-media world in which millions of niche audiences with thousands of members make up the greater universe. This ultra-fragmented reality forces advertisers to adopt a new paradigm for reaching consumers in order to be relevant and meet the expectations of today's jaded online audience. Overly produced, generic or irrelevant advertisements fall on deaf ears. The new video ad creation needs to align production costs, content and quality to this new paradigm. It needs to connect with the audience and deliver the content that they want to see, where and when they want to see it.

The Internet is ushering out the age of mass media and heralding the new age of meaningful media. It is not campaign-driven, but relevance-driven.

This new paradigm calls for new thinking, new ways of packaging and delivering content.  And why shouldn't it be different?  The Internet and Television are completely different user-experiences.  The "lean forward" interaction of a typical Web experience stands in stark contrast to the "lean back" reality of watching television.

Advertisers that embrace these differences and leverage them will find their campaigns are more relevant, more engaging and more valuable than any attempt to simply cross-purpose video content from broadcast to the Web.

TurnHere Receives $7.5 M in Funding from Venrock, Hearst Interactive Media

We announced today $7.5 M in funding from Venrock and Hearst Interactive Media.  From our press release announcing the funding issued today:

The funding will enable the development of new, innovative online video products and services for TurnHere customers, as well as enhanced tools for the growth and expansion of the TurnHere filmmaker network and in-house production team.        

“TurnHere is an Internet video pioneer, developing a unique style and approach. The company has transformed online video advertising, producing high-quality online video that is affordable for companies of all sizes – from local merchants to national brands,” said Rich Moran, partner, Venrock. “Given its achievements working with companies across several vertical markets, we believe TurnHere is well-positioned for future growth.”

We're of course excited about the funding as a validation of the approach TurnHere has taken towards online video production.  Creating lean-forward, online content that is engaging, relevant, authentic and searchable has proven to be an effective and exciting form of online advertising for businesses of all sizes and types.

"This financing validates TurnHere’s success in pioneering a new form of video creation that is authentic, relevant and provides demonstrable benefits to our clients,” said Bradley Inman, founder and CEO, TurnHere. “Both Venrock and Hearst Interactive Media share our vision to further broaden our offerings and enhance our leadership position in the market.”   

“TurnHere has developed a solid business model unmatched in the industry, based on the tremendous value of its global filmmaker network and its superior platform of video production and distribution,” said Kenneth Bronfin, president, Hearst Interactive Media. “As adoption of online video continues to increase and companies move more of their advertising budget to the Internet, TurnHere is in a prime position to capture this demand and grow its business.”

If you're looking for more coverage on the announcement there are some great articles at Beet.tv, NewTeeVee, Mashable, VentureBeat, The Kelsey Group, Venture Wire, East Bay Business Times and Paid Content.
   

TurnHere Adds Board Member Justin McCarthy

Justin McCarthy recently joined the TurnHere Board of Directors.  McCarthy, a Google executive in the strategic partner development group, brings his in-depth experience from Google, DoubleClick, and Time Inc. to the board.

We're excited that Justin has joined our board. His knowledge and industry experience will be invaluable to TurnHere.

You can read more about the announcement here.

TurnHere Brings Video to Superpages.com

We're excited to announce the launch of TurnHere's partnership with Idearc Media's Superpages.com(R).  Under the terms of the agreement the 18-million-strong base of Superpages.com businesses will have the ability to add high-quality, TurnHere produced video advertisements to their online profiles. 

This new partnership brings the impact of video advertising to businesses that have typically stayed away from the video due to cost concerns.  TurnHere's network of experienced filmmaker-producers provide flexibility to businesses of all sizes in creating professional, engaging content at a fraction of the cost of traditional video creation.

From the release:

“TurnHere, with their national network of talented video producers as well as their efficient and highly scaleable production process, is an obvious partner for us and will meet the needs of Superpages’ customers,” said Eric Chandler, president, Internet for Idearc Media. “TurnHere’s authentic video style, coupled with the company’s value-oriented delivery process, will serve as a compelling advertising tool for clients ranging from local merchants to professionals and emerging businesses.”
...

“TurnHere has established the standard for scaleable online video production in a variety of industries – our new relationship with Superpages.com demonstrates our growth and success in the local market sector,” said Bradley Inman, CEO and founder, TurnHere. “Our goal continues to be helping companies convey the unique personalities and services behind their businesses through a real-time medium that is both dynamic and cost-effective.”

Learn more about how you can add video to your Superpages.com(R) listing.   If you're a filmmaker and want to be a part of TurnHere's network of professional filmmakers visit us here.

TurnHere Announces New Distribution Partners for BookVideos.tv

TurnHere has added nearly one dozen new distribution partners for its highly-successful book-centric online video channel, BookVideos.tv. New distribution relationships include  aNobii, Blinkx, blip.tv, Book Divas, Buy.com, FORA.tv, Goodreads, Lib.rario.us, LibraryThing, Revish, Veoh, Vuze and WhatsOnMyBookshelf.

TurnHere’s current distribution network consists of many of the major Web portals including AOL, Google, MSN, Yahoo! and YouTube. With new video and publishing partners, TurnHere aims to bring a worldwide audience of book lovers even broader access to BookVideos.tv, which launched in June 2007.

In addition to introducing new and innovative distribution options for BookVideos.tv, TurnHere also unveiled a brand new customizable widget and enhanced video player for book publishers, which will expand the reach of author videos across the Web (please see http://admin.turnhere.com/bookvideos/getawidget.html).

 

TurnHere takes center stage in Vator interview series

TurnHere founder Brad Inman appeared on Vator.TV this week in the first installment of the site's weekly interview series. View to learn more about TurnHere's initiatives in the publishing industry, local business video production, and organizing filmmakers around the world.

Watch great video about your favorite authors and books

This week, TurnHere launched BookVideos.tv, which lets you watch the story behind the story. At BookVideos.tv, visitors can watch high-quality videos about their favorite authors and their bestselling books. The site is also a social media experience. Watch videos, share them with your friends, comment on the videos, and even embed video in your own blog or Web site!

Check back every week for new videos!

Here is a video about popular author Jeannette Walls, a contributor to MSNBC.com and author of memoir The Glass Castle.

   

Mag publishers get Video

A growing number of magazine publishers are producing video. It is an exciting new way to tell long-form stories and on the business side they can get higher CPMs on video ads. Here is a video TurnHere produced with Meredith Publishing for Figure Magazine.

Rice Patties

TurnHere and Discovery are producing some exciting Web videos.