PopTent Debuts: Connecting Brands and Content Makers In a Collaborative, Engaging, and Lucrative Environment

You all know I love the folks at XLNT Ads. Well, a powerful new initiative has debuted from them, and it is definitely worth your time and attention. Full disclosure: We occasionally do projects for XLNT Ads.

So what the heck is PopTent, anyway? Well, the core concept is right there in the brand name, a big tent of brands and content producers that come together to build brands and make great video in powerful, cooperative ways.

Here's their promo video, which will give you the spirit of this community:



There's a lot more to PopTent than my capsule summary text above. First, the environmnet offers producers a real honest to goodness HD player on which to showcase their productions. They can also store, organize and make their great content available in a far more attractive and user friendly environment than the ole 'Tube.

Second, the activity nucleus is around assignments from brands and organizations interested in connecting with great content producers on important projects. There is an opportunity to earn real money from these brands!

Users can keep track of activity on the site through groups on most social networks, tracking producers and brands just like friends.

PopTent has gotten some remarkable buzz since its launch, here are a few excerpts:

Mashable:

PopTent is a new social networking platform for independent and freelance filmmakers and videographers where they can collaborate on projects and earn income as well. Members (also known as Creators) create their profile as they do on other social networks and showcase their talents by sharing their videos online. Potential clients (known as Brands on the site) can hire any member after seeing their profile or work. Members can follow brands or projects just like they do on Twitter and Facebook.

Tech Cunch:

Poptent, a startup that crowdsources advertising to the public, has just launched in public beta. The site allows advertisers and brands to post requests for an ad, which are then produced and submitted by the pool of small studios and videographers that make up the site’s members. Poptent is a sister site to XLNTads (also launching today), which focuses more on the brand marketers rather than video creators.

Poptent CEO Neil Perry says that while Poptent is designed to encourage submissions from its thousands of members, it isn’t going for the “YouTube crowd”. Instead, it’s focused on catering to small but professional teams capable of producing TV-quality ads.

To participate on the site, advertisers pay Poptent a fee of around $25,000, and then post guidelines as to what they’re looking for, along with assets like company logos. Poptent members then film and submit their ads to the site. If an advertiser finds an ad they like, they can purchase it for around $5-7,500 (oftentimes they will purchase multiple ads at once).

It's about brands and content producers and unleashing creativity. And it's about time that someone figured out a great way to bring these folks together.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Get Your Vacation Underwritten: XLNTADS UGC Video Contest

I've talked about XLNTADS before, but I assure you there is no relationship between Catalyst and XLNTADS other than my undying love for their great approach, ideas, and community. I may be shilling, but it is a sincere shill.

XLNTADS helps marketers by creating sponsored content video either about your product or the subject of your choice. It works by offering pro and pro am video producers a chance to win big prizes in exchange for making the kind of content and advertiser is looking to sponsor online. It can be a make an ad contest or simply the development of videos and serials that advertisers can sponsor in some way.

Their latest program is a video contest asking people to chronicle road trips in webisode form. I don't know who the advertiser is...they don't appear to be making the requirement that you use suspiciously large quantities of the product on your trip ;-). Instead, they want high quality engaging pro and pro am video content in the travel vertical that they can sponsor.

And that is really an important need that needs to be filled. Those of you who read the trades know that Unilever has decided to develop a series of original Spanish language content in large part because no one out there has existing content to support! Translation:

Unilever: Please Mr. Publisher, take my money.
Publisher: Pish Posh. I'd much rather focus on these T&A things.
Unilever: Fine, we'll make it ourselves.

BTW, the first prize in the road trip contest is $,7500. Would be DeMilles would line up at their web site and get taping. You don't have to vacation on spec. You submit your idea, they approve it, then you go! No muss no fuss.

And brands should really consider this format/approach as a way of getting UGC passion and excitement without the dangers of having their ads run next to amateur Girls Gone Wild wannabes. And don't think producers are whoring out for brands here. The beauty of XLNTADS is that it represents the union set between what producers want to make and advertisers want to support.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Get the Dead Bird Out Your B*tt

Ah, Zadby, the product placement service for Youtube videos. This is all that. Companies make compensation available to Youtube videos.

For example, Polk Audio is offering the following program: $12.80 CPM for views between now and September. Not a bad rate -- actually I think that's probably more than UGC usually drives.

Sort of a competitor to XLNT Ads, which I also love.

As always, the creativity of users is astounding. Check dis awt:



Kudos to Polk Audio for paying for creativity like dis. Zadby is worth a look. Peaceout.

Preroll for Skateboarding Dogs

Videorix is a new service offering advertisers and UGC creators a way to get together and moake money. Producers of video can add preroll ads and make money on a CPM basis.



Advertisers create "opportunities" that outline the type of content they want to sponsor. Producers can then match content to these specs and bing bang boom ad opportunity.

This is VERY SIMILAR to XLNT Ads, which I think will actually good for XLNT. Market activity raises all boats, to mix a metaphor. This is a winning concept and there is room in my opinion for multiple players -- actually that will grow awareness and interest in the concept.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.