Fred Wilson has come to the conclusion pre-rolls (ads before a video starts playing) are dead on arrival; while post-rolls (ads played after a video are promising because they're "well targeted and entertaining". He's wrong because its way to early arrive at this conclusion given we're arguably only 11 months into the online video revolution.
To date, pre-rolls have failed to resonate because advertisers are approaching video clips in the same way they approach traditional television. This is misguided because consumers are willing to watch a 15-second or 30-second ad if it's before, during or after a 30-minute or hour-long program. In the online video world where clips last 30 seconds to five minutes, showing a 15 or 30-second ad using a traditional approach before a short video is a disconnect with the medium.
What the advertising industry needs to do is re-calibrate its approach to online video (and pre-rolls and post-rolls) by realizing ads need to be shorter, punchier and more aligned with most video content, which tends to be bubble gum-like entertainment. Look at the way that Rocketboom has made post-rolls part of its modus operandi by creating its own ads, which also tend to be entertaining. The ad industry needs to embrace an edgier and shorter approach to online video spots. They - and Fred Wilson - will discover that pre-rolls work if you do them right.
Note: One more thought about online advertising in general. One of the challenges facing advertisers and advertisers critics is getting their head around the fact it's still early, early days, and there's still an awful lot of experimenting and testing happening. This makes it very difficult to come up with a sweeping generalization about many of the things happening online.

Technorati Tags: ,