Case Studies

Achmea "Oddcast's VHost™ talking ad technology gives us a powerful tool with which to convert site visitors. The click-through rates are simply much higher with VHost™ than with any other ad format. We are delighted that publishers and clients are beginning to see the value of these talking units." - Guy Makmel, President, Easyconcepts

Client Overview

The Challenge

Achmea had recently launched a new print and broadcast branding campaign that included an animated "gnome" character. The company wished to create an online association with the offline campaign and drive qualified leads to its corporate Web site.

The Solution

Easyconcepts, one of the Netherlands premiere rich media services companies, and Tribal DDB Amsterdam, Achmea online agency of record, launched an Oddcast VHost™-powered talking ad unit to drive targeted traffic to Achmea's corporate lead generation site. The talking ad unit featured Achmea's Gnome. The gnome spoke to site visitors beckoning "Do you wanna help somebody, send me to your friends and colleagues with a surprising message."

The Results

Multiple advertising units ran on popular finance-related Web sites and other Dutch-oriented B2B Web sites. Click-through rates for the VHost™ powered talking ad unit logged in at 11%. According to DM News, click-through rates for static banners average 0.4%, while Double Click reports rich media units clicking through at 1.24%. The huge success of this program is attributed to the extensive interactivity and the ability to share the "gnome" with colleagues and friends via the VHost™ "send to a friend" functionality.

The VHost™ powered ad unit was also awarded the GOLD prize in the prestigious 2004 SPIN (Society of Public Information Networks) awards for best ad banner unit.

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