U.N. Enlists Internet Star for Antipoverty Pitch

LonelyGirl15

The article U.N. Enlists Internet Star for Antipoverty Pitch by Suzanne Vranica was published October 9, 2006 in the Wall Street Journal. The main focus of the article is on the growing use of online video-sharing sites as an important part of online advertising and the marketing mix. The article tackles this topic by talking about the launching of online videos as part of the United Nations’ ad campaign to promote an antipoverty event. The video ad features LonelyGirl15, an internet star created through the spread and increasing popularity of video-sharing sites such as YouTube. This campaign is one of many examples, demonstrating the increasing acceptance and importance of online video-sharing sites as a serious tool for online advertising. More and more marketers are beginning to discover this medium and starting to exploit it for their purposes. Marketing on such video-sharing sites can range from site sponsorship, banner ads or minivideos to advertising presented disguised in amateur videos or comments. Many companies launch competitions to produce ads with the goal to create awareness among the online video community and oftentimes to gain attention in other media, such as newspapers. The Wall Street Journal article is a great example to support this statement. The United Nations are gaining awareness for their cause through free publicity on the web as well as offline. With the acquisition of YouTube through Google it is expected that the use of online video-sharing sites as marketing tools will increase. Advertising on video-sharing sites allows marketers to promote their products to a young, very engaged crowd. This young crowd, which consists mostly of members of the Generation Y, is known for its skepticism towards mass advertising and difficult to market to. The Generation Y is very internet savvy and due to its large size of increasing importance for marketers and companies. Online advertising in forms of vlogs, blogs, interactive websites and video-sharing sites seems to be an excellent opportunity to reach this market segment and create brand loyalty in young years. A concept the United Nations seem to have understood.