VideoEgg
Encyclopedia
VideoEgg was a privately held advertising network, which re-branded itself in September 2010 as SAY Media. Their network is composed of over 100 million users across more than 500 sites, blogs, gaming and mobile environments.
graduates David Lerman, Matt Sanchez and Kevin Sladek were hacking video software. At the time, the three were involved in a social venture
that was matching non-profit organizations that needed public service announcement
s with a nationwide network of filmmakers who would make video with their digital cameras and desktop editing packages.
The three soon encountered a lack of simple, foolproof tools for people to get video on to the web from the diverse range of devices, editors, encoders, and players, people owned. They began to create tools to manage web video.
As their business matured they began to focus on monetization
, and found an opportunity in video advertising
in online video and online social networking services. In May, 2008 the company officially discontinued video hosting services to focus entirely on its online advertising network.
In June 2008, VideoEgg and one of its partner websites, hi5
, were sued in the United States by EMI
recording labels and music publishers. The plaintiffs alleged that the services are liable for copyright infringement
due to videos uploaded by hi5 users through the VideoEgg application, and sought injunction
s against the allegedly infringing activity.
, WPP Group
, August Capital, Focus Ventures and Maveron
.
VideoEgg has an in-house creative team to help create an ad unit. The company’s in-house design team creates the display ad unit and the custom overlay
using advertiser’s creative assets.
In July 2008, VideoEgg announced several new capabilities to their ad network. These include offering advertisers increased ad features and functionalities, such as:
Publishers are able to integrate VideoEgg’s AdPlatform. VideoEgg then serves the ads, which are designed to fit in any space and publishers receive payment every time a user engages with one of the VideoEgg ad units on the publisher’s site.
History
VideoEgg was founded in early 2005 when Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
graduates David Lerman, Matt Sanchez and Kevin Sladek were hacking video software. At the time, the three were involved in a social venture
Social venture
A social venture is an undertaking by a firm or organization established by a social entrepreneur that seeks to provide systemic solutions to achieve a sustainable, social objective.- Background :...
that was matching non-profit organizations that needed public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s with a nationwide network of filmmakers who would make video with their digital cameras and desktop editing packages.
The three soon encountered a lack of simple, foolproof tools for people to get video on to the web from the diverse range of devices, editors, encoders, and players, people owned. They began to create tools to manage web video.
As their business matured they began to focus on monetization
Monetization
Monetization is the process of converting or establishing something into legal tender. It usually refers to the coining of currency or the printing of banknotes by central banks...
, and found an opportunity in video advertising
Video advertising
The term video advertising could encompass online display adverts such as MPU’s that have video within them, but it is generally accepted that it refers to advertising that occurs on Internet television...
in online video and online social networking services. In May, 2008 the company officially discontinued video hosting services to focus entirely on its online advertising network.
In June 2008, VideoEgg and one of its partner websites, hi5
Hi5 (website)
hi5 is a social networking website based in San Francisco, California. The company was founded in 2003 by Ramu Yalamanchi. By 2008, comScore reported that hi5 had become the third most popular social networking site in terms of monthly unique visitors....
, were sued in the United States by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
recording labels and music publishers. The plaintiffs alleged that the services are liable for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
due to videos uploaded by hi5 users through the VideoEgg application, and sought injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
s against the allegedly infringing activity.
Funding
VideoEgg is a privately owned company. As of 2010, VideoEgg had conducted four rounds of funding, raising over $30 million. Investors include First Round CapitalFirst Round Capital
First Round Capital is a venture capital firm that specializes in providing seed-stage funding to technology companies. Managed by Josh Kopelman, Chris Fralic, Rob Hayes and Howard L. Morgan, the Philadelphia-based company typically provides seed-stage investment that ranges from $250,000 to $500,000...
, WPP Group
WPP Group
WPP plc is a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and employs over 150,000 people in 2,400 offices in 107 countries...
, August Capital, Focus Ventures and Maveron
Maveron
Maveron is a venture capital firm with offices in Seattle and San Francisco that invests in consumer-focused businesses. The firm was founded by Dan Levitan, a former managing director at Schroder Wertheim & Co., and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz....
.
Products and services
VideoEgg provides an online advertising network. The company’s network comprises over 200 social, video and gaming sites, reaching over 80 million unique online users and more than one billion page impressions monthly.VideoEgg has an in-house creative team to help create an ad unit. The company’s in-house design team creates the display ad unit and the custom overlay
Overlay
Overlay may refer to:*Overlay architecture, term used to describe ‘event architecture’ and relates to the temporary elements that supplement existing buildings and infrastructure to enable the operation of major sporting events or festivals....
using advertiser’s creative assets.
In July 2008, VideoEgg announced several new capabilities to their ad network. These include offering advertisers increased ad features and functionalities, such as:
- Real-time RSSRSS-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...
feeds to continually update the ad experience - Zip codeZIP CodeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
-specific messaging - Rich multi-video ad experience to increase user interactivity
- MerchandisingMerchandisingMerchandising is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity. In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer...
multiple items in a single real-time ad experience - ViralViral phenomenonViral phenomena are objects or patterns able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them....
capabilities to help spread the message through virtually any communication or social channel
Publishers are able to integrate VideoEgg’s AdPlatform. VideoEgg then serves the ads, which are designed to fit in any space and publishers receive payment every time a user engages with one of the VideoEgg ad units on the publisher’s site.