Held in NYC during Advertising Week, the inaugural BRX Video Summit was comprised of a series of interesting and relevant panels, bookended by catered meals and networking breaks that provided great opportunities for additional ideation among some of the top executives in the industry.

If you didn’t have a chance to join us you can view the panel sessions here and on the BRX YouTube channel.

Welcome Address:

How Video Exchanges are Changing Video Buying

Separating Fact from Myth: The Value of Exchanges

How Agency Trading Desks are Approaching Video:

Smart Targeting: Using 3rd Party Data Effectively in Video:

Video Everywhere: Reaching Consumers Wherever They Consume Content:

Don’t miss the next BRX Video Summit, coming in Spring 2012!

BRX takes a bite out of the Big Apple from BrightRoll Events on Vimeo.

On Monday April 4th, BrightRoll and BRX made a huge statement at the iab’s Digital Video conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the heart of Times Square. BRX was a title sponsor, hosting a workshop and cocktail reception following the event. Tim Avila, BrightRoll’s VP of Product Marketing, quenched a crowd of eager minds with his workshop entitled, “The Video Buying Revolution: Know What You’re Buying and Pay What It’s Worth.” In the workshop, he discussed what challenges have traditionally plagued media buyers and how the exchange model is an effective solution to those challenges. In short, exchanges like BRX offer unprecedented control, transparency, and scale to the video buy. Though Keifer Sutherland couldn’t attend, Tim and Kevin Pollak (acclaimed actor and guest mediator) kept us all entertained!

At the cocktail reception, there were a wide array of branded beverages and it was the gin-based “Transparency” that was clearly the drink of choice. Needless to say, BrightRoll and BRX made a huge impression on the attendees. There was a lot of interest in the Exchange and it is clear that we are only seeing the beginning of a booming industry.

If you weren’t present at the event, please take a minute (:50 seconds to be exact) to enjoy the video slideshow above. Enjoy!

Recently, Jason Burke wrote a piece entitled “The Limitations of Video Ad Exchanges,” where he discussed the benefits and challenges inherent to buying and selling in a bidded marketplace. A knotty topic, indeed; a commenter responding to Jason’s piece asked, “How is buying from video exchange… [different] than display exchange buying? Challenges in one that [don't] exist in the other?” Great questions!

1) Not all pre-roll is created equal. And much of what sometimes passes for pre-roll, isn’t — not really, anyhow. Display units can be above the fold (great) or below the fold (cheap). So can pre-roll, but it can also be user-initiated, auto-start, sound on, sound off, :15, :30, with or without companion or not even pre-roll at all. It is therefore critically important that buyers understand how the exchange merchandises the various ad executions: paying a deeply discounted price for non-premium implementations is great, but paying top dollar for a below-the-fold, sound-off auto-start unit would be most unfortunate. Understanding not only where, but how, your campaign will run, followed by post-campaign metrics that close the loop, are key to buying video at the right price.

2) There is no monkey to punch. Video advertising, almost without exception, is repurposed TV ads and interactive adaptations of TV executions. Unlike in display, there is currently no saturation of “punch the monkey”-style RON ads, and that void, along with the precise bidding that exchanges offer, creates the ideal opportunity for direct response advertisers to execute and fine-tune campaigns in a thoroughly uncluttered environment.

3) There is less video inventory than there is display. For now, at least. This means that buyers who may be accustomed to overlaying multiple targeting criteria will find that they either need to increase their bids or expand their inventory selections in order to achieve their delivery goals. Good exchanges aggregate the biggest pools of video inventory, offering strong liquidity and enabling buyers to execute across television-like reach.

4) Validate your results. As video exchanges quickly grow to fill a market need, buyers need to be sure that their bids and trades translate to meaningful, real-world results. Video ad networks often offer suites of in-depth, post-campaign analytics and research, and buyers should demand the same from their exchanges. Regardless of the media purchase channel, marketers need to tie back their campaigns to actual impact on consumer behavior.

Exchanges aren’t new, but they do represent a new buying path in the video ecosystem. Beyond assuring that their chosen marketplace is clean and well-lit, buyers should be aware of the differences between display and video exchanges, letting them leverage the precision and buying power that a bidded market can offer.

-Lewis Rothkopf
Senior Vice President, Network and Exchange

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=146069

Click play below for a hilarious parody of Drake’s popular song!

BRX – Cocktails at the Starlight Room from BrightRoll Events on Vimeo.

On the night of January 19, over 60 clients and friends joined Craig Whitmer and the BRX team for our very first BRX event. High atop the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, a lively bunch of savvy professionals shared conversations and sipped cocktails in Harry Denton’s “Starlight Room”.  Elegant décor and breathtaking 360-degree views of the San Francisco cityscape set the perfect stage for a memorable night.  Drinks were in no short supply as many enjoyed a glass or two of “BrightRoll Bubbly”, while the more daring ventured to try our very own concoction, “The BRX.”

Hors d’ oeuvres were abundant and delicious, ranging anywhere from shrimp skewers to mini grilled cheese sandwiches.  We even had a branded Ice Sculpture!  In addition to all the great content from the preceding OMMA Video event to discuss, the sculpture served as a great conversation piece… an “Icebreaker” if you will. As we wrapped up the event, we were fortunate enough to have a visit from the famed owner of the venue himself, Harry Denton.

In addition to the photos featured below, our talented designers here at BrightRoll took your pictures and videos and made an exciting recap of the event. Whether or not you were able to join us, the video captures the excitement and energy that bounced off the walls that night. I encourage you to spare a few minutes and enjoy the show! (above)

Thanks again to all of you who joined us for our first of many BRX events. We couldn’t do it without you.  Next up, we’re headed East! BRX will be hosting another exquisite cocktail party following the IAB Marketplace: Digital Video event on April 4^th in New York City.  See you there!

For more information on upcoming events and BRX updates,

Visit www.brx.com or Follow @_BRX

Jamie Feaster
BRX Marketing Coordinator