AOL rolls out Nielsen TV-like targeting product for pre-roll ad delivery to UK in National Apprenticeship Service campaign
AOL is rolling a product created with Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings which guarantees pre-roll ad targeting out to the UK in a campaign for the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS).
Targeting: AOL is rolling out its Nielsen collaboration to the UK
The move is a UK first and the tech giant is working in partnership with M4C to deliver the campaign through its AOL On platform.
The move follows an ongoing collaboration between AOL and Nielsen which last year saw the two companies announce the AOL Video Reach (AVR) tool to measure audience in a more TV-like way. It’s thought that AOL is attempting to position online video advertising as a premium prospect more friendly for TV advertisers.
Mark Melling, director of AOL video for Europe at AOL UK, told The Drum that the tool is suited to campaigns which prioritise age/gender targeting.
“We’ve used this product in the UK, we’ve used it in Canada, but this is a market first in the UK. We’re the first to use the product to guarantee we’re getting specific audiences," he said.
“It’s not so much a departure for the industry in how we target because this type of guaranteed audience targeting has been used in television for years; it’s actually a convergence of products, so you’re allowing traditional broadcast players to purchase their online media in a way they’re familiar with.”
Barney Farmer, commercial director at Nielsen Online & Media, UK, added: “With the rapid increase of online video, and the launch of the Digital Upfronts in the UK, advanced measurement of digital campaigns and trusted metrics like online audience on-target performance and GRP’s are critical.
“We are pleased that AOL is one of the first major publishers to use an audience demo-based guarantee model for online video, to drive confidence in their inventory as a brand medium.”
Melling added that AOL UK has sold a further two campaigns using the product, one to another government organisation and one to an alcoholic drinks client.