According to various digital marketing sources, Yahoo, Google, and AOL will be increasing their investments in original video content. The main reasons for this are the increasing consumer demand for short-form series, and the fervent interest of digital marketing advertisers in premium pre-roll ad inventory.

In October 2011, Yahoo made an announcement regarding a content alliance with ABC News. It later launched a slew of new videos targeted towards women audiences. Some of the digital marketing videos featured celebrities such as Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and Judy Greer (Arrested Development). Yahoo also indicated that it plans to syndicate the video content to other sources, which includes other websites and television platforms.

This announcement of Yahoo was made just a few days after the Wall Street Journal reported that Google may be pouring in more than $100 million to fund the production of original video content. Some of the women-centric shows launched by Yahoo are:

• Let’s Talk About Love with Niecy Nash.
• Reluctantly Healthy with Judy Greer
• Chow Ciao with Fabio Viviani, the celebrity host of Top Celeb, a highly-rated show on food and cooking.

These online programmes will be sponsored by leading digital marketing brands such as Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, and Kraft. According to Yahoo, the products of these companies will be lightly placed within the shows. In addition, there will also be overt placements of the brand’s digital marketing ads in the pre-roll, as well as in other sections.

At the same time, AOL has also introduced a new video menu, with more than 15 new shows. Just like Yahoo, most of these digital marketing shows also target women, with some of them having titles, such as ‘Little Women, Big Cars’ and ‘Jocks and Jills’. AOL also includes some great shows for men, like ‘The Engadget Show’; and a show targeted at teenagers, called ‘CliffsNotes Films’.

While unveiling its programme slate targeted at women, Yahoo trotted out a line-up of the celebrities who would be hosting the shows. Most of the hosts, such as Greer and Nash, said that the main reason they chose to work with Yahoo was creative control, and the opportunity to reach millions of women who visit various Yahoo channels.
The new digital marketing video programming on Yahoo will be produced by a collection of independent production studios, in addition to the in-house studio unit of Yahoo.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing consultancy, and can be contacted on 0845 388 5583 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.