Zentrick Collaborates With European Media Powerhouse, Schibsted, to Advance Engaging Video Experiences for VGTV
Initiative Enables VGTV, Schibsted’s Web-Native TV Network, to Create Immersive, Interactive Ads and Video Content at Scale
Merelbeke, Belgium and Oslo, Norway(17 Nov 2015)
Zentrick, the smart, interactive-video platform company, today announced a collaboration with VGTV, the Web-native digital TV network from European media powerhouse, Schibsted. VGTV recently unveiled the first of its interactivity-enhanced digital TV shows powered by Zentrick. This will soon extend to a much broader set of content as part of VGTV’s overall viewer-engagement strategy.
This initiative follows on the heels of a year-long agreement between the companies to offer Zentrick interactivity on pre-roll ads for VGTV’s brand advertisers. After first witnessing significant results for their advertising customers, VGTV is now adopting an interactive video content strategy for its own content. Overall, viewers of the interactive pre-roll ads spent up to 18 percent more time engaging with the videos, and generated click-through rates to lead-capture pages north of 71 percent. This is significant, as more than 40 percent of all Norwegians view VGTV on a monthly basis.
VGTV is deploying various types of interactive elements, based on the content and context of the video, and the viewer actions they aim to drive. Recently, VGTV unveiled interactivity-enhanced fashion and talk-show content that includes contextual overlays, interactive contests and live polling to solicit opinions and viewers’ sentiments. Beyond real-time engagement and viewer data, Zentrick’s actionable video technology creates the potential for new revenue streams across VGTV’s network of news, sports, fashion, health, movies, music and other niche content channels.
For Schibsted, VGTV is a next-generation business investment. The company aims to grow a substantial audience among video-centric millennials, constantly connected through tablet and smartphone devices. Viewed as an innovator by its peers in Europe, VGTV is at the forefront of experimentation with Web-TV projects - such as conducting the world´s longest live interview with Norwegian historian and politician, Hans Olav Lahlum. The company continually looks for new ways to engage audiences and recast traditional TV models.
“VGTV is another industry-leading move by Schibsted, and we're proud to see Zentrick as part of this initiative which gives viewers a choice in how they engage with content, and a voice around timely topics and events,” said Pieter Mees, founder and CEO, Zentrick. “We offer a streamlined path to actionable video and performance insights, together with reusable interactive elements that are optimally suited to VGTV’s library of multiscreen video content and advertising.”
“We’ve been tasked with the bold mandate to become a global leader, which we’re tackling through a seamless combination of media, classifieds and growth initiatives. Our work with Zentrick is an example of this,” said Erik Saastad, product manager of VGTV, a division of Schibsted Media Group. “Zentrick’s extraordinary approach to interactive video creates entirely new touch points and engagement streams using gamification, content marketing and social media - among other innovations - to help us engage our viewers right where they are watching. Our integration with Zentrick lets us rapidly trial and deploy various creative executions, giving us a scalable, competitive advantage.”
About Zentrick
Zentrick makes video smarter and more engaging for brands, agencies and publishers. The company's platform, Zentrick Studio, adds an interactive ‘smart layer’ over any video, helping major brands elicit consumer engagement via integrated clicks, commerce, personalization, gamification, and countless other response-driven creative options. Zentrick enables attribution and transparency in video marketing, as every in-video action can be tracked and optimized against performance metrics. Founded in Belgium, Zentrick is based in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Europe. www.zentrick.com.
About VGTV/Schibsted
Schibsted Media Group is an international media group, with 6800 employees in 30 countries. Our strategy to become a global leader within our fields is bold. It consists of three elements that work seamlessly together: classifieds, growth and media houses.