Chitika launches Viral Branding Unit for video advertising

The Chitika advertising network has announced a new “Viral Branding Unit” which is supposed to bring the power of video and interactivity to advertisers.

According to a recent survey by Chitika, over 3 in 4 publishers using the network are “very interested” in incorporating video branding on their sites.

The units are designed for both business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer advertising. As the name suggests, there’s the possibility that they could “go viral” if someone decides to send or share the video with other contacts, or join others in rating it.

“We founded Chitika on the idea that branding is a fluid conversation between brands, buyers and online publishers,” said Venkat Kolluri, chief executive officer at Chitika. “The new VBU takes this dynamic to the next level by delivering more impact, more interactivity and more of the conversational attributes consumers want. And rest assured, we’re not done yet; billions will soon be flowing into the blogosphere and social media, and Chitika will continue to lead the way with innovation and a keen understanding of the dynamic of the new web.”

Darren Rowse of problogger.net, who uses Chitika to help monetize his site, said, “The web is becoming a more and more interactive space. Web users are not satisfied simply to consume content by reading any more – they want to watch, listen, click, interact and play. The Viral Branding Unit is one of the best ad units that I’ve seen to meet web users in this interactive space.”

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Not everyone’s in favor of the new ads, though. The single comment currently left on the sample ad reads, “duh. Advertising that steals focus from your blog content IMO.”

Of course, Chitika aren’t the only company getting involved in video advertising, and there’s little doubt the medium will grow as online video in general plays an increasingly important role in online content delivery.