The New Digital Gatekeepers

It used to be that movie studios and TV networks were the gate keepers to creating video content and distributing it. Now there's a new gatekeeper in town and his names not Gozer. But it's close.

Ealier this month when Google paid 3.1 Billion for Doubleclick (remember Google paid 1.7 Billion for YouTube) it became the new gatekeeper to video entertainment and required some people to eat their words. Well not entirely, but on a large scale. How is Doubleclick/Google the new gatekeeper you ask? Relationships and technology, that's how.

Doubleclick is the Internet display advertising giant, they have the best systems (DART) and the best relationships with advertisers, publishers and ad agencies in the online advertising business. These are billion dollar relationships with brands and large ad buyers that deal in the emotion of brand advertising. Now, Doubleclick is positioned to do the same for online video adverting.

Sounds great! Just sign me up for Doubleclick. Right?

Well, it's not that easy. Right now as a "video publisher" you have to serve about 5 million video views per month and be willing to spend $5000 per month. So there is the new gate.

There are currently other alternative where you can go to an approved vendor of Doubleclick and pay $1500 per month to use their service but you still need to have the video views to make it worth your while.

How can you expand your online video advertising and grow your views? Maybe by customizing your tool set to automate the video ads you serve. You might even try getting some ideas from Doubleclick and figure out if you can use their suggestions with other ad networks - I mean digital gatekeepers.

That is until Google offers Doubleclick for free. ;)