• 3 Video Predictions for 2012: RAMP's Tom Wilde

    Following are 3 video predictions for 2012 from Tom Wilde, CEO of RAMP, whose Content Optimization platform improves discovery, engagement and revenue for video, audio, text and images.

    1. Video advertising matures
    For the past few years, while growing quickly, video advertising has been relatively basic in its approach.  The set of technologies to place video on a level playing field such as contextual and behavioral segmentation, inclusion into the real time bidding landscape, brand safety and ad delivery verification have become available in 2011.  However, most video advertisers were not in a position to take advantage of these features.  In 2012 the advertisers will catch up to the market and begin taking advantage of these capabilities at scale, deploying campaigns and creative that drive ever improving ROI's.

    2. Video context becomes as important as content
    Just as the advertisers will catch up to the new capabilities in 2012, publishers will do the same.  The ability to place video into context will become a priority in 2012.  Whether it is matching the right video to the right article or vice-versa, creating contextual experiences from a video's timeline, or the mainstreaming of the "second screen" experience, a winning video publishing strategy will seek to differentiate using context.

    3. The first Video IPO sets off a wave of consolidation
    As an industry, online video in 2011 had all the characteristics of an industry moving from adolescence into maturity.  In 2012 this will be evidenced through the first IPO of a pure-play online video company, either in the content management category or ad network category.  This will kick off a wave of M&A as the industry rationalizes what is today a fairly complex value chain.