Format Dynamics, a Denver-based advertising technology start-up has created an advertising platform that enables online publishers to insert targeted advertising into pages printed from the Web. MediaPost has an article on the new platform:
Enter the "PrinterStitial." Denver-based startup Format Dynamics has perhaps invented a whole new ad category by developing a service that inserts ads into printouts of Web pages, combining the "advantages of online ads with the power of traditional print ads." Using 18 months of actual "PrinterStitial" results from early publisher adopters combined with data from market researcher MetaFacts, Format Dynamics estimates that U.S. consumers print 61 billion Web pages annually--creating what the company's CEO Ethan Holien calls a previously "untapped market opportunity, with scale and legs."
Using “CleanPrint” technology developed by the company, ads are better formated for print media:
When consumers make printouts from Web pages enabled with Format Dynamics' "CleanPrint," the technology dynamically reformats the pages to be more appealing to both consumers and advertisers--including text, photos, charts and ads--while completely eliminating such Web-centric features as navigation bars. The PrinterStitials can either be print-friendly versions of ads already on the Web page or completely separate "print ads."
For many, printing from the Web is a dreaded horrible experience: full color web banners wasting ink and having no context in the static world; page format snafus that waste ink and paper. And generally unpredictable results. This has driven companies like HP to develop technologies that make printing from the Web simple and predictable.
Discussion
By Eddy Hagen on May 11, 2008
Interesting to see that these guys are convinced of "the power of traditional print ads"... But not really environmental friendly to put extra ads into the prints of web pages. And not budget friendly as you correctly noted: it's the user who is paying for the paper, the ink. If this would become a succes, you could end up printing a 3 paragraph document, which increases to 5 pages, thanks to the targeted ads.
Regards,
Eddy Hagen
VIGC
By Bryan Yeager on May 11, 2008
I think if this technology is implemented correctly, it could be effective. For example, let's say that a website has a Flash ad (similar to the Presstek one that's next to PrintCEOBlog "Submit Comment" text box). When I attempt to print this page out (at least via PDF in my case), that ad doesn't even show up. Other animated GIF ads show whatever frame is present at the time of spooling the website to print.
I would imagine that with this technology, if a person decides to print out a website by clicking a "Print" or "Print formatted" link, there would be a call to a repository that links the animated ad with a print version. This version would include all of the information portrayed through animation, or maybe even has a totally different message. Because there has to be a call to switch out the images, this can be tracked, showing how many people got the print-delivered ad versus the web-delivered ad. Couple that a technology like HP's Smart Web Printing and you actually have a valuable printed document generated from the web.
This technology gives the ability for websites and ad networks to add value to their advertising. Not really a bad idea at all. If these websites are properly formatted, they will actually decrease page print counts. That magic blank page you get when printing some websites that just shows a browser header and footer will pretty much be eliminated.
Discussion
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