Google’s AdSense Distributing Original Content? No Thanks!

30 June, 2008 (21:14) | Digital Marketing, Google, Online Advertising, Search, Search Engines, Tech Companies | By: Kieran Hawe

As many of you have probably read already, Google has signed a deal with “Family Guy” creator Seth McFarlane to distribute a series of original videos. Starting this September, MacFarlane will launch a new animation project called “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy” that will be shown exclusively on the Internet. The Google twist is that the new animation series will be syndicated through AdSense, Google’s advertising platform, to targeted websites. To break it down – when visiting your favorite blog or website instead of the standard text or graphic based ads you will see the “Cavalcade” videos. The videos will be 2 minutes long and are described by MacFarlane as “animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier.” Each of the 50 episodes MacFarlane will be developing will be different, but according to a NY Times article a typical example will be the 28 second long “Mad Cow Disease” episode.

How does this make money? Advertisements in various forms will be embedded into the video experience - the type of ads displayed can range from pre-roll, ad breaks or ads wrapped around the video - all options are on the table in terms of monetization. MacFarlane will also be involved in creating animated commercials that will run with his content. In return for his efforts MacFarlane will get a percentage of all revenue generated by his episodes.

Now, I do agree that this is a very bold move by both Google and content creators, a move that will be watched closely. The distribution of content, especially when it is professionally produced, is a huge challenge. However, AdSense ads are never put in prime locations - that is reserved for content. AdSense ads, and therefore MacFarlane’s videos will be regulated to the sidebar, bottom of an article or maybe if it lucky embedded into the actual content. On top of that, the whole power of AdSense has been the ability to target ads based on relevancy of the site. You have a blog about gum, you get gum ads. The videos will lose this specific targeting ability and be targeted to a broad demographic (e.g. young men) and not specific to the content.

So what is my problem? As an owner of numerous content websites, including many focused on videos, why would I want another video taking my visitor’s attention away from my content? Yes, I understand I will get paid if someone clicks on the ad but that is not the point. For many websites the main draw is not just to get someone to click on an ad and get a few pennies, the goal of most websites is to get those visitors to engage in the site, not engage in the ad. Also, let’s look at it from the content creators’ side. Online ad space has always been looked at as a “hate it but I can live with it” part of the Internet. You don’t mind the ads because the content is free…is this how you really want your professional videos to be seen?

To me the addition of professional video in ad spots is the same as all of the other types of intrusive ad formats out there. So, again – no thanks Google. I will pass.