YouTube Will Reign Supreme in Ads
David McCullough’s book on John Adams is a slow read but has its moments. One such moment is the description of Washington D.C. and how it became the capital before it was much of a town. Adams thought the president and capital should be in a big city – a place befitting the center of the new world. Jefferson, however, wanted something a little closer to the South and had the vision to recognize you had to start somewhere. So in 1800 our nation’s capital moved to the little backwater town of Washington D.C. and began its long path to greatness.
Early Washington D.C. is an apt metaphor for what YouTube is today as an advertising vehicle. YouTube is only expected to generate $200 million in ad revenue this year and Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt (parent of YouTube) has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying “the company hasn’t yet found the best formula for video advertising.” Oh, it will. Give them another year. And if you buy online media today, YouTube is a great place to start. Soon they will be printing money.
One prediction: the solution won’t include pre- or post-roll. Peace!