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For The Big Trip, we needed to sell Neal’s piano, but selling a piano is sentimental, so we decided to give it to Geoff Smith so that he could use it for his Ustream concerts. We decided to do that while putting this Brief together.
Yamaha is having a design exhibition in Milan. The designs show off concepts of what a piano can be beyond the keys. One piano morphs from the grand piano shape into a table space where people can pull up a stool and sit around to enjoy the music. Another design puts a tiny little keyboard inside an elegant leather notebook. Those are concepts we may or may never see, but Yamaha’s Disk Lavier IV is a piano you can actually buy, IF you have $40,000 to spend on a piano. The Mark IV connects to the Internet. It records the nuances of a key stroke using optical sensors. A performance recorded by a famous piano player or a nine year old, is played back with the hammers hitting the strings, and the keys of the piano rising and falling just like they did during the recording. Recordings can also be synced with video.
Apple announced that movies will be available for rental in the iTunes music store in the same day they’re released on DVD.
iPhone owners are now finding free WiFi at Starbucks. Where it’s rolled out, it will ask for your phone number, and then connect you.
I’ll be writing a blog post today about the Beck’s sponsorship to address the concerns of parents and teachers.
« GBTV #0355 | GeekBrief.TV
GBTV #357 | GeekBrief.TV »
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
Hi Cali,
I* am a regular viewer & fan of “Geek Brief” & have always considered it to be a great form of unbiased “Tech-ertainment”. With the first “pre-roll” attached it seems more like a sponsored clip (as if someone hopped on the boat for financial gain. You seem to be very passionate about the products you display & talk about & that is where I see effective promotion coming from (honest word of mouth). Hope this helps & have a grewat day!
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
hmm… it’s a bit difficult, but I think 15 seconds are pretty OK.
But it’s the same Bill said above: it doesn’t seem like you want us to buy that. I mean, it’s also pretty hard to promote beer in your show, it isn’t a gadget! =)
And: I think the way you had been doing this was better, cause I (and other’s, I think) keep it in mind. If it’s the end, you know: “This show was sponsored by xx, I’m Cali Lewis and thanks for watching!”. That’s just something you will remember when you think about buying something. Not because it’s in a pre-roll.
Oh, and I think this was also good, cause we all are talking about that pre-roll. That makes us also remember in the future =) . But you can’t do that with all of them!
So: tell your sponsors that it’s more effective to integrate the product into the show, not to show it in a clip.
And: the beer which stood at your table in 355, was, well, also improper. You have to use the thing of your sponsors, to tell us what it’s about, and, to be honest, it’s pretty difficult to do so with a beer… =( I, for example, knew before you said it: Beck’s is your sponsor. There’s the beer standing around, and not in one place, but always where you can see it best.
But that all isn’t anything why I would stop watching GeekBrief. Never!
Keep rockin!
netsnake
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
I know this is all experimental and such but having the pre-roll be the same thing that’s on TV makes it WORSE. If it was something NEW and CREATIVE then it would fit with the show. Just having the same ad that plays with what I watch on SPIKE or whatever… well I ignore that on TV so I ignore it here also…that does nothing to help the advertiser…
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:45 am
The pre-roll was pretty harmless and kinda amusing. As long as it pays the bills I say why not? Also, don’t underestimate that few seconds of ad. Next time I am in a bar, I might just choose Beck out of curiosity even though I don’t drink that often. I usually pick Budwiser because of the frog commercial. It’s not realistic to be advertising only for the products you are passionate about, so as long as Cali is not advertising for the tobacco and alcoh…..err…. gun industry, then the pre-rolls are just fine.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:03 am
Somewhere out in the world, there’s a good preroll ad waiting for an audiance. But this wasn’t it. It wasn’t shiny, happy, or tech. I guess it was brief — it had that going for it. I agree with JalenJade — ads for “new media” need, for the most part, to be “new” themselves. I think the countdown timer was the only thing “new” I saw there.
Please don’t misunderstand — Shiny happy tech news is quite worth a few seconds of rolling one’s eyes at mistargeted ads. I’m glad to be able to watch the Brief, and I know this pays the bills. But you asked for feedback, so there you go.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:07 am
The preroll is totally harmless. Keep it as a permanent fixture, since you two are doing this as your main source of income it makes sense to milk it a little.
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 am
I absolutley approve this pre-roll clip, since it is the beer of my hometown (Beck’s comes from Bremen, Germany)!!!
Kidding aside, I think it’s totally okay if it pays the bills. I mean, it’s not the first time you played ad clips. Those Sony headphones were for me more disturbing in the middle of the Brief than it would have been before or after the show. Or in my taste you (and some others) kinda went over the top with Drobo. I really don’t mind as long as the clips are not brain damaging (i.e. I don’t want a Ballmer screaming at me).
btw the Beck’s bottle really didn’t work there, a Beck’s T-Shirt would have rather been better! I can get you one, if you’re interested! ;)
I totally love your work and you should keep it the way it is most sustainable for you!
Cheers
Saksith
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:10 am
Not a fan of drug advertising in shows that reach a teen audience. And the ad was poorly written too. Stiff is the word, boring too.
The product placement didn’t fit the show at all. For first time viewers it might give the impression that you’re boozers or posers with the bottle on the table. Looks very forced.
And with a female host a martini or cosmo would be more of a fit anyway. With shiny, I associate class and beer has never been a classy drink.
Next!
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 am
Cali,
I have to admit that the timer at the bottom of the pre-roll distracted me. I had to actually watch the pre-roll over again to tell you what I thought of it. ;-)
I will agree with my fellow viewers that the ad didn’t include any tech. It was a beer. That being said, it didn’t annoy me in the way that some commercials do… by thinking they’re funny and failing miserably to amuse.
All in all, I don’t believe that it was a horrible experience and certainly won’t stop watching The Brief because it existed. I know that the remaining three experimental Briefs will contain the same pre-roll ad, but if you choose to continue the pre-roll, a little variety would be nice.
My two cents: I didn’t find the example offensive or annoying, I’d prefer a tech-related product to keep with the theme of the show, and a variety of pre-roll ads to keep us from getting (overly) bored with them.
Have a safe and very uneventful drive home, and remember: Keep the rubber side down.
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 am
The pre-roll didn’t work for me for 3 reasons:
1. The 15 seconds weren’t that long, but as they aren’t tech-related in any way, they are actually disorienting. |For a moment I thought I had clicked the wrong file.
2. Beer just doesn’t work for me (which may be just me). The fact that the brand isn’t available here (the Netherlands) does not improve things.
3. The poor lonely bottle on the right (for viewers) side of your desk didn’t improve things. What if your next sponsor makes vaults, will you put a vault on your desk?
As I said, the 15 seconds aren’t too bad, but you might start with the Geekbrief intro, or slap a Geekbrief logo in a corner.
Also please look for sponsors that tie in to the program-context.
Cheers, ^.~
Robbert,
Amsterdam
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 am
Don’t really mind the pre-roll, but it would be nice to see show id before the ad (would make it feel less tacked-on).
This next bit is totally a nit, but the quality of the ad was sub-par. It gives the impression that Becks doesn’t really care if the ad works in this medium. Between the partial screen size, bad color timing, and countdown clock, I’d say they sent you an early internal evaluation copy of the ad. If possible, I’d ask for a better copy.
Thanks as always for the Brief, and keep doing what you do.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:03 am
the preroll was relatively harmless but I have problems with it.
1) It just doesn’t fit with the Brief or it’s audience.
2) It was completely unimaginative (see also #1)
3) I couldn’t read the words because the video was blurry on my iPod Touch – although the whole brief was too.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 am
I was not expecting a beer ad, not that it worried me, the 15 seconds was acceptable when compared to the length of the brief. The important thing with the pre-rolls, is that if you have a number of them and rotate them that makes them more acceptable. The pre-roll trial is going to use the same pre-roll which is ok for a test, some variety would be nice.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:03 am
As a German (not from Bremen) i don’t like this beer and i definitly do not like advertising. But i understand why it’s necessary for you. And so i think this way is better as you done before.
Because the message steps a little bit away from you. Sometimes i had the problem to make a difference between your opinion about the product and the advertising when you repeated the message so often. Yes, i think you lost authenticity….
Now the message works for its own and so i say: that’s not a good but the better way.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:17 am
I will stick to my 7-10 seconds for a pre-roll. 15 seems to really be pushing it for me, but that’s my opinion. It may not sound like much, but I think it feels less of a blatant ad (but then again, I’m sure they are trying to maximize in your face time).
And while I understand we’d like the ads to be tech related, I would say this is a good direction. Having it non-tech related can allow you to have a further honest opinion on something. And it pays the bills. I never understood why it was soooo bad to have. If it’s done right, and not obtrusive, I don’t mind it.
And if there’s a product you truly like, such as the drobo or nokia n810.. you can still tack that on at the end to promote it, and hopefully to get a little kickback for doing so
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:18 am
I agree with jalenjade, if your going to have a pre rol i think it should be unique to YOU and the show-not something that has just been converted for the internet.
It would also be good if they were different, e.g 9/10 minimum i would have though (2 week rotation?)
I think the timing is good though and i think i could luve with it as long as in some from or another it involved you-the presenter of geekbrief
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:32 am
Hi Cali and Neal – I thought the preroll ad was fine. I didn’t even notice it really – but I think that if it were much much longer, it would probably be a bad thing.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:41 am
I have no problem with pre-roll ad, but this ad was boring. It didn’t seem to fit with the overall tone of Cali and the Brief. A better tone match would be great.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:57 am
Cali and Neal,
The 15 seconds were fine. The ad totally didn’t fit in with the theme of GeekBrief at all. The ads need to be more relevant to the audience, relevant to what is on geekbrief in the current episode, and needs to be more exciting. Tell the advertisers that this is a new medium and they need to be more creative. They need to think more like the 1984 Mac commercial. A television on a podcast will never get anyones attention. I am still waiting to see true creative in a pre-roll. Keep up the good work.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:28 am
Been viewing GeekBrief since last year and look forward to the show each day.
Pre-roll is fine. Short enough to not warrant my FFWDing through it. I think most people realise that in the real world you guys need to pay the bills, heck you deserve to make a good living for all the hours you put it!
I say keep it nice and short like it is, vary it if you can – and bring it on.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:29 am
Ok I don’t understand this at all…..
Why do a pre-roll ad at the start of the video why not at the end before the credits.
Also BEER?? come on, this is not the right message to be shown to teens, we know from our site that your podcast gets a lot of Teens watching your video (stats by twitoosearch.com membership stats)
why do you think they don’t allow beer to be advertise during kids shows, or before 9:30PM (Australia)
Also you told us off for pre-roll ads we to have to pay the bills to plus we where not making money from our pre-roll ads and they where advertising Apple….
If we have pre-roll ads and you don’t it will increase the number of people that subscribe to your video…
Just my rant…
Thanks
Russell Harrower
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:32 am
I believe the pre-roll was harmless but if Beck really wants to sell their product a short personal pitch from Cali would be more effective.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:35 am
When you said you were doing a pre-roll, I’d just kinda assumed it would be tech related.
It doesn’t work for me and advertising alcohol is slightly questionable anyway.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:38 am
I hate the pre-rolls, but if you have to put it at the end so I don’t have to watch it,
I do agree that the pre-rolls should be tech related, becks tastes crap anyway.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
I don’t necessarily mind pre-rolls. I would like to see something that identifies that I am watching Geek Brief though. Maybe a logo in a corner, or just a “This is Geek Brief TV” before the ad starts. I know that makes it less “pre-roll.”
I do mind un-targeted advertising. I don’t watch Geek Brief because I want to know about beer. I watch it for tech. Whether it is beer or a Saab commercial, it needs to relate to the technology of the product, or not have it at all. The reason advertisers should pay is because they are hitting their targeted audience.
I personally am one who is offended by being fed a beer commercial. Yes, I will stop watching Geek Brief (and be very vocal about it) if you continue with beer advertisements. I realize you have a short contract to test out these pre-rolls, but if it continues, I will sadly and vocally back away from Geek Brief.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:51 am
This particular pre-roll didn’t bother me much. I understand the need to pay the bills! It was a fairly boring ad. As far as advertising goes, I am probably more likely to try something that you talk about in the brief rather than a pre-roll. For me pre-rolls just give me time to adjust my chair, the sound level, etc. before the show starts.
Personally I thought the Becks on the counter was better advertising than the pre-roll. However, a tech related pre-roll may grab my attention more than a beer I don’t like.
Just my $.50.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:53 am
The countdown clock was an outstanding idea.
I’m sorry, but if future GBs all have similar ads, I will be hitting the FF button.
Also, if you’re being sponsored by a beer company, do you think it’s proper to have a “G” rating on iTunes?
Having the beer bottle displayed like that during the show really shouldn’t have bothered me, but for some reason it did. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s a symbol for what we don’t like about ads.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 am
not a big deal and you’ve got bills to pay…although i can’t promise i’ll watch them…
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:00 am
Made my thirsty :)
After opening a beer (not Becks, sorry – I would have to import it myselft :)) and second thoughts about pre-roll I have to that I can’t find way between beer and tech news :) But that’s not what bothers me (well I like beer) – I personaly think that pre-rolls shoud have begeining and end to smoothly go to the Brief. Now it just ends violent :)
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 am
One thing after wathing all: I miss previous set when you were standing during Brief. Mostly beacuse of all the gesticulating you did and now it looks like your’re trapped in this chair.
1 point for the coaster Cali :)
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:22 am
I don’t find the scroll commercial bad at all, but I did notice either a bottle or superimposed bottle of beer on your desk. One of the things I liked about geekbrief is anything within the program was tested and either given the thumbs up or down. What I am awkwardly saying is if it is in the geek brief it should be at one time or another been the subject of the brief. Otherwise leave it in the scrolling commercial, but what do I know. I still will watch GB, but will take somethings more with a grain of salt if you haven’t included it in the brief.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:33 am
Hey Cali,
After seeing the preroll, I don’t really object at all.
The countdown was a great idea, as you never really know how long the ad is going to go for. 15 seconds was a good time length.
I think 15 seconds of preroll is certainly acceptable considering the entertainment and information that we all tune into.
Any more than 15 seconds, and I’d probably skip ahead – wouldn’t turn away from the show, but certainly wouldn’t sit there and watch any more than this.
Also.. if the preroll is the same each time this would be another ’skip’ factor to me – however I know you said it would vary.
My $0.02 worth.
tastyworm
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Not being a beer drinker, the pre-roll ad didn’t have any impact on me. I was surprised to find it something not related to tech though. But perhaps that is better than running the risk of being called “not objective” if running a tech based ad.
Personally I really don’t mind a few ads in podcasts. Just make sure there are not too many.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:54 am
I’ve now seen the pre-roll in question.
The lack of any GBTV content beore the ad does make the experience jarring. The ad itself was the standard “we want to seem like some hip new microbrew” sort of beer ad that adds absolutely nothing to my desire to drink or even try the product (which is not my adult beverage of choice). The product placement actually works better for getting attention, but looks out of place on the set.
15 seconds isn’t bad, but maybe a “GBTV #xxxx is brought to you by:” slash screen fronting the pre-roll (regardless of product) may be a very good idea.
As for the product being beer – I see no problem with that. It’s a legal product after all. Tech geeks (including me) have a history of consuming beer, so it’s not even that much of a stretch to be “tech related”. Short beer was served to children in the US since the states were mere colonies and those kids seemed to turn out pretty well (seeing as they managed the Constitution and all…) so any “but the children” arguement falls only on deaf ears for me.
And yes, Twitter has become my center of the internet…
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:56 am
I do not object to pre roll advertising.
I do object to you promoting alcoholic beverages, particularly since a substantial portion of your audience is too young to legally purchase the product you are pushing. And they are not healthy for anyone! Would you see this ad in a Hannah Montana show on The Disney Channel? No. And it was not just pre roll advertising. The beer bottle on the set was unnecessary and too much. No thanks. The people at http://dailybuzz.mobuzz.tv/ have not found it necessary to push beer.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 am
Just like everyone else, I don’t mind the pre-roll ads.
I do agree that Becks is probably a better advertiser on Diggnation than GeekBrief but I guess their numbers will show if thats true.
I think Technology or Software company pre rolls would be the best way to go. Personally, I know I have been watching the Macbreak episodes Alex Lindsay did at NAB and even though he is running the same pre roll on each one it is tech related and seems to have some production value. Same can not be said for this ad
Anyway, keep up the great work and see you on the road.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 am
I found the pre-roll just another automatically-filtered ad – Just like regular TV. How sad that we are converging to that model so quickly. That quiet bottle of Becks sitting on the set was much more effective in making me think about the product (why are these companies so *dumb*?).
Given that the drinking age in the bulk of the modern world (excepting the US) is 16, I wasn’t offended that your sponsor was a beer company.
VidKid
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 am
Cali, Neal: 15 seconds was perfect. Prefer a quick “This is Geekbrief” prior to commercial so we know it’s you guys first.
So long as the product being advertised isn’t offensive (and you wouldn’t advertise it then in the first place anyway) I think any product is fine for advertising on the brief. Corn, beer, water, sand, sattelites – whatever.
Also, teens aren’t dumb (y’all were teens once) and teens don’t need to be protected from beer ads that their parents or friends parents are probably drinking anyway. Teens know what’s directed at them or not, and you guys are smart enough to know when an ads not right.
Advertise, make money, be blessed, bless others!
P.S. I agree that if the product is not being discussed on the brief, maybe it should stay in the commercial, and not be physically on the set. You keep briefing. I’ll keep watching.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:30 am
Hey Cali!
I think the pre roll add is fine. I think next time I am out and looking for something different I might try a Becks. I also agree with most listeners, its fine if it helps pay the bills. We all know you put a lot of time and effort into your shows and we see them for FREE. You should make a few bucks on it, you will have more funds for research and have a better show.
Thanks
Thomas in NYC!
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:30 am
I watch the small version from iTunes. The preroll was kind of hard to see, and the text on it was tiny. The only reason that I know what it was about is because I have seen the commercial on TV.
I agree with others that say that they should be unique, and more in tune with what you talk about. You have a wide cross section of viewers, and is beer something that you want to promote to those under the legal age? Maybe Ford or Saturn or Toyota selling Hybrids…maybe.
Any way, that’s my 2 cents.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 am
Cali,
A comment on the pre-rolls. The pre-roll on episode 356 for Becks is far less effective than the product placement of the Becks bottle in episode 355. In the shot in 355, there are two companies who are receiving adds…Becks and Asus. Regardless of the intended adds, products that you use will possibly be products we use, it’s human nature. Pre-rolls and commercials are almost a thing of the past as humans are use to shutting off our brain when they are on. Just my thoughts.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am
Cali,
I love the work that you and Neil do but your choice for pre-roll needs to be in the same genre. I am head of the K=12 Computer Technology department for a public school system where we show daily GeekBriefs to inspire our students to embrace this medium. PLEASE pick advertisers where I don’t have to say no more GeekBrief TV due to the alcohol promotion. I don’t know if you thought of this before and I would love to talk to you more about it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 am
I have to admit that as much as I love your show… I have to say that I hate the pre-rolls. For two reasons. First, the instant there is a pre-roll my brain automatically get annoyed and files the pre-roll information as something unwanted and to be ignored. Secondly, the ad industry should be advised that host endorsed ads or messages or at most mid-roll ads are far more effective in getting the message across. If you announce or personally endorse a product we will at least listen. If we feel at all “forced” to view an ad, we will dismiss it or associate it with unfavorable criticism.
Hope this helps.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:05 am
the preroll was not bad at all
the music was soothing and slightly entertaining but i will not buy a beer because of it
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 am
I would prefer a pre-roll that you were passionate about. It would also make sense if your pre-roll was gadget or geek type item.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:28 am
A beer commercial? That’s’ the preroll? I don’t think there’s a preroll I’d welcome, but it was like turning on the TV. I stopped watching TV precisely to stop seeing ads in general Cali and company, I’m sorry but I can’t keep watching.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 am
I have no problem with the pre-roll. Although, I think both the sponsor and the show would benefit if it was of the same subject matter as the show (Tech, gadgets, etc.)
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:42 am
15 second promo is just right for time allotment. Since I watch the show for your outlook on tech, I would rather see see the beginning of the show first and put the ad in the middle of the show. That way new viewers will know shows about tech and news not beverages. I drink beck beer on occasion. The promo did not give me inscentive to go out and buy a case, needs more umph….catchy but not a tv ad. Tv ads I ignore and channel surf
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:52 am
firstly why is leaving a comment is so hard, how about putting a link into the feed so i can click through from google reader or juice to this webpage instead of the video file.
I don’t like pre-rolls, they’re annoying, i want to know that i clicked the right show when the video starts playing. I’d prefer properly differentiated mid-roll ads.
“host endorsed ads or messages” are evil they are rarely differentiate as paid ads and I don’t believe you when you endorse things, product placement is even worst.
but you’d think podshow/btpodshow would have researched this, maybe not.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 am
15 seconds is fine. I like the high production value – keep that as a condition of pre-roll and I’ll will watch. Maybe if it was a little more techie it’d be better but I honestly couldn’t care.
So long as it gets the two of you on your big trip, I’ll watch it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Cali,
I get the “small” format. The writing on the screen was too small to read. Since many people will be watching this on iPods, and other devices with small screens, they have to be aware of the font size, or it will be unreadable.
The length was okay, but I thought that this commercial was boring when I saw it on TV, and it certainly didn’t get any more interesting or memorable on your podcast.
I think that the advertiser should have put a lot more thought in to the pre-roll. You have a lot more room to be creative and different on a podcast. You probably shouldn’t run the same ads that you run on tv.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:14 am
I don’t mind the pre-roll at all. It is just a very short clip and if people don’t like it they could just skip ahead.
Plus Becks is my favourite beer :) Same as one other commenter before me, I am from Bremen as well, so I am a bit biased ;)
Keep the show as great as it is
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:19 am
Hi Cali,
Just watched the first GB with preroll – it seems it’s 15 seconds and that is ok with me if it helps you and Neil get the bills paid. I really enjoy your podcasts. Keep up the good work. I’m off to buy some Beck’s beer now. ;-)
Randy
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
Gonna make this really simple.
Cali, love Geekbrief and enjoy the show. For me, 15 seconds is not too much to ask to help you guys keep paying the bills and keep the show coming.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 am
On the pre-roll, I’ve got good and bad. The good is that it was pretty unobtrusive, I think due to the fact that it had no dialogue. If the words that were appearing on-screen were being spoken, it would have had a more negative effect on me. It was also fairly quick. As advertising, I’d call it painless, but probably not terribly effective. That brings us to the bad, at least for the sponsor. It made very little impression on me. I think most of us have acquired some level of skill in tuning out ads that are disassociated from the content we’re actually here to enjoy. This ad, though positioned to be seen by everyone who watches the Brief, didn’t really engage us. We’re here for technology and we’re here for Cali. The ad had neither. I have purchased A LOT of stuff because of GeekBrief, ranging from inexpensive surge protectors to a top-of-the-line MacBook Pro. It’s always been because Cali convinced me, either through a one time mention (surge protectors), or many repeated mentions (the Mac), that these were good things someone like me would benefit from owning. Almost none of these were paying sponsors. An example of a paying non-tech sponsor that really stuck with me and got some benefit from the Brief was Splenda. Those ads were integrated and made fun in a uniquely GeekBrief way. Now, when I see Splenda anywhere, I think “Cali” and “GeekBrief” and that immediately makes me feel favorably toward the product.
A couple words about the actually Brief: I love that the piano captures the hammer strikes through optical rather than mechanical means. Much better chance at recording fine nuance that way. And I thought it was interesting that you’re on the same side of the digital product age divide as I am: That is, a preference for a physical product (movies on DVD) that can be kept, shelved, etcetera. (That way you can always wow visitors with your display of Mary Kate and Ashley movies!) The only down-side, of course, is storage. It will be a lot easier to take your full video collection on the Big Trip in digital form, than if they were only on disc. I really go back and forth on this. I love the Kindle and the iPod, but I love the older, more analog, storage mediums as well.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
I don’t think pre-rolls are a bad idea and don’t generally mind them. That being said, I do think that the pre-rolls should pertain to the subject matter of the show. I also thought it was a little tacky having the beer bottle sitting on the desk for the whole brief … again it doesn’t fit the “tech” nature of the show. Those things aside, I love the show and am excited for the Big Trip!
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:41 am
i like the preroll and dont mind it at all if it will help bring us happy shiny tech news
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:47 am
With Geek Brief being formatted the way it is, with the tone and style you have, I do not like the current pre-roll advertising or the Becks Beer product placement.
I feel that pre-roll is best reserved for a different type of content, such as a YouTube video or a television episode, where commercials are more or less expected. I feel that because this is such a short podcast, having pre-roll is just irritating and motivates me to skip ahead by 15 seconds to get to what I came here to see: Cali talking geek news for five minutes!
If this were a longer show, with more of an introduction, such as Tekzilla or TWiT, it would not be so bad, and if the content were relevant to the show, then I could see it working better. As it is, it just takes up too much time before the content.
Pre-roll /might/ work… if it was a different product. Like a cell phone, or Audible, or GoDaddy. Something similar to the content covered on the show. As for the current sponsor, advertising Becks on this show which focuses on a cute, geeky girl-next-door more or less hints that she is going to get on a table and dance for the audience. Let Becks sponsor Tiki Bar, or Diggnation.
You might also try reformatting the current pre-show advertising, so rather than “I’m Cali Lewis, this is Geek Brief TV episode #355, brought to you by (whomever),” you might consider plugging the sponsor a little sooner. For example, WebbAlert does this the following way: Sponsor’s logo or five second video with Morgan’s voiceover “This episode of WebbAlert is brought to you by (Whomever). (Cut to show logo motion graphic)”
The important things here are speed (not more than five seconds, more like three or four) and relevance to the audience from the sponsor. That said, I hope you can find a good balance that works for everyone!
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Cali,
I have no problem with a 15 second pre-roll. I still think it is not as effective for the advertiser as you do the 15 second spot. Your promotion of Drobo, for example, it is by far more effective. I am far more likely to go to their web site and/or buy their product. In thinking about why that is .. that’s easy, because you are telling us about it. You are hard to ignore and during a typical pre-roll I can easily check out for 15 seconds.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Cali,
I can not say that I care for the pre-roll credits. It seemed just like you slapped a commercial in front of a brief. There was no transition or flow to it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
A 15 second Pre-Roll is fine. There’s no reason why you can’t support your show with a sponsor. I wouldn’t sit through anything longer though.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I would assume that this pre-roll is not being negotiated by GBTV, but by Mevio/Podshow. I also assume that these ads will be network wide. Therefore, I don’t think that Cali will have a choice on what does or does not get dropped in as a pre-roll.
Also, the reason pre-rolls are so popular with advertisers is that it is tacked on to the show usually for a limited time and for a limited number of shows. So that they are, for example, paying for 15 GBTV episodes and 6 weeks worth of downloads per episode. Then they are dealing with hard numbers allowing the advertiser to pay just for the shows that get the pre-roll tacked on.
As I said before, I don’t necessarily mind pre-roll. I do mind that these ads will probably not be targeted to me. I don’t want to watch advertisement that is totally irrelevant. And I will stop watching GBTV if it continues to be beer advertisement and will make a lot of noise in the process.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Argh, was I just tuning in to diggnation? Not just a pre-roll but a pre-roll for something that is totally unrelated to the show subject matter and honestly very disappointing especially to anyone who has had to suffer the very real issues of alcoholism in society and family.
A very very big thumbs down from this viewer :( Guys, no offense but really you couldn’t have made the whole thing smell worse if you tried.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
If you keep the pre-roll, keep the counter clock at the bottom.
Besides the pre-roll: Maybe it’s just me and having a short attention span, but I could not stop staring at the prompter reflection on the monitor behind you. Watching it speed up and slow down for most of the brief was mildly entertaining but more so a distraction I could do without.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Hey Cali! I personally LOVED the ad.
…well not the ad, /per se/, but I thought it was somewhat clever, and certainly harmless. I think that was a good length for a pre-roll ad, while post-roll (is that the right term?) can be more like 30 seconds.
When I sit down to watch gbtv, I always sit down to a decent sized version on my monitor. I used to try and watch on my iPod on the go, but you just pack so much into your show with such great graphics I don’t want to miss a thing!
I do have *ONE* complaint though. I found the beer bottle in the corner of the screen on the desk to be kind of annoying/distracting. It threw off the whole balance of the set, and I found my eye drawn to it instead of you or the graphic in the top.
The ad is fine, but (if possible) let it go during the show, except for maybe a “this show brought to you by beck” at the end.
Of course, */PLEASE/* ignore that last statement if it nets you some extra cash! :D
Oh, and one more thing (in case Beck is reading these comments): MMM…BEEEEER! I THINK I AM GOING TO GO BUY SOME OF BECK’S BEER NOW.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Hey Cali,
my thoughts about the pre-roll.
- length is about right
- very very weird seeing a beer ad on your show. It just seems totally out of place. I feel that I’d be comfortable if the ad was a gadget of some kind. At least something actually relevant to your show.
And was it just me? I had probs watching the video on my Touch – in fact the Touch actually froze at one point.
Oh that reminds me, there was this ‘uncomfortable’ break in sound at the end of the pre-roll just before moving into your intro, not sure if that was the commercial or if there’s a ‘blend’ problem in transitioning between the pre-roll and your show.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Anything longer then 15 seconds in my opinion would be to long.
But the commercial was of decent quality. I know ask a ninja just says the episode is sponsored by and then has a logo on the screen for a couple seconds. You might want to give that a try.
I also felt a beer commercial had very little to do with the brief and I also wonder if your a fan of Becks beer yourself?
I didn’t mind the bottle of beer on set actually but anything bigger (for example the becks logo on a screen) would be very distracting.
But I must commend both of your for walking the tightrope of advertising versus non advertising very well.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I have to say, I was surprised that I was more interested in seeing the product placement of the Becks beer bottle in ep355 than the preroll ad in ep356.
I’m not a huge fan of the preroll idea, but the 15 second spot seems short enough.
If you can replace the preroll with product placement throughout the episode though, consider it. You could put stickers from different companies on the lid of that Asus laptop you had in front of you this week, you could put a banner up above the 2 monitors and the all-in-one pc or just have a product off to the side like you did with the Becks bottle.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
as far as an effective commercial, which i assume you and neal had nothing to do with the making of, i thought it stunk. as others have said having it integrate into the Brief would be nice, but I don’t think that really would be possible, or that it necessarily needs to happen. it doesn’t always on tv, though to some degree it does. I also don’t expect them to spend any extra money on making a commercial that is different or more creative than the one they will be airing on tv, its just no economical. all in all, i didn’t really are, and it certainly won’t hinder my watching of the Brief. the count down timer was a nice touch too, helping me remember, its only 15 seconds of my life here.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
srry, forgot to add, imo, the Becks standing next to you was cheesy. i don’t want the pre-roll ads to effect the Brief at all.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Funny, I hadn’t even thought about Beck’s sponsorship…concerns of parents and teachers, I was just going to give you the feedback of:
1) Beck’s is terrible beer, why not Shiner Bock? (though as a Dallas-raised, but living in the north now person, I have to admit that Huber Bock is much b
ocketter)2) My taste in beer aside, I thought it was BRILLIANT that you had a non-technical advert, meaning nobody could ever question your review were the sponsor, say, Nokia.
3) If you can get the sponsors/pre-rolls, you should. They won’t stop me, at least, from continued viewing. I’d be unlikely to subscribe to a paid version of GeekBrief, but have no problem watching an advert-funded version.
lycka till!
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I had no problem with the 15 second pre-roll, its a pretty good length and it was for beer which i enjoy drinking very much. 15 seconds went by really fast
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I love your show and am a very loyal viewer.
Beer??? What’s next Smokes??? Even TV rarely broadcasts commercials for beer and cigarettes. Why? … because many viewers find these products objectionable.
Personally, I think a commercial dealing with Tech would be more appropriate, suitable and supportive of the GeekBrief goals.
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Pre-roll Comments:
1. Length was acceptable.
2. Content was iffy – I’m not sure I make ANY connection with the beer and GeekBrief. I love *GOOD* beer, and Beck’s is in that category, so it’s not an “objectionable” stance, more of a… what is this doing here? Is Beck’s trying to become the beer of choice for Geeks? It almost seems like an experiment for Beck’s as much as it is for GB.TV, and that wasn’t quite a good combo.
3. You should have sent the Pre-roll back for better production. The music cut-out at the end is VERY awkward. The creativity was a little weak for 15 seconds worth, they could have gotten much more out of 15 seconds than they did.
Overall, I don’t have a problem with pre-rolls. The desired content (GB.TV) is good enough to watch a pre-roll, but GB.TV has to set high standards on the pre-roll. Poor production is going to drag down YOUR content, not only the pre-roll content.
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
When are you gonna start drinking Becks DURING the show? I dare ya. I double dare ya! Old is not wanting a DVD to hold on to. Old is remembering growing up with the original Star Wars movies ;o)
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Alcohol? I would have hoped that you would have thought about how damaging this drug is before you started promoting it. Please do some research into the number of alcohol related deaths per year and the alcoholism rate. At least put a “not suitable for minors” warning at the beginning of the cast. What next, cigarettes?
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Hi Cali,
I’ve been watching the brief for a while now and I’ve got to say that the pre-roll didn’t bother me at all. As long as the ads are non-tech and not painfully annoying then who cares? Its good that the ad was non-tech as that would represent a conflict of interest. I think that if you have already been advertising a product (like DROBO) you may as well get paid but otherwise it brings the integrity of the brief into question. Also the fact that it was alcohol didn’t bother me at all as I think it unlikely that the ad would start someone drinking just change brand of beer. I personally found the bottle of becks on the set a little more annoying but only vaguely as it was not in keeping with the rest of the set. Overall its fine and we all have to pay the bills.
Hope this helps
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
I am a big fan of the podcast, but I have to say the pre-roll, turned me off. I understand the need to pay the bills, generate revenue, etc, but this just isn’t ringing my bell so to speak. Perhaps if were a better beer ;) But seriously product placement is fine, but the pre-roll…just not feelin’ it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
This has continued to be discussed at http://icali.tv/pre-rolls-beer-and-the-conversation
Thanks Cali for updating us on the movement of the conversation.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
The idea of a “pre-roll” (aka. tv ad) seems ok with me.
That it was a beer ad just didn’t seem to fit the content of your show.
What bothered me even more was the product placement on your desk during the brief. Was that part of your contract or did you just add that on your own? I didn’t care for…we already saw the ad at the start of the show…why keep it on camera?
I’m also ok with the ad at the start of the show…the end would be ok too. But I just won’t like to see an ad halfway through a brief. That would suck.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Hello There,
Just wanted to comment on the pre-roll.
I look at it from two views, Technical & Content.
From the technical side:
1. I see the need to pay the bills.
2. 15 seconds is an ok time frame. (10 would be ideal! if the content was good get to that later).
3. You have to come up with a better way to ‘frame’ the pre-roll to the start of the show. It sticks out like it does not belong there. Now I know its new and to viewers they probably need time to get use to it but it needs a ‘bookend’ or something. Just running it breaks the flow of the show. You need to add a PRE to the ‘pre-roll’ (very short 2-3 seconds) and cut the ads down to 10 seconds. Something like, but cooler of course, ‘Geekbrief sponsored by WHOEVER’….Run the pre-roll and then start the show. But you need something, maybe something as simple as a transition.
Take a look at abc.com ( I hate to do this because I love the creativity to flow with out tampering with it but they do kind of what I am talking about.) If you go to where they have their shows and pick a show to watch, see how it begins. They have a short PRE to the pre-roll with some simple music behind it. Its adds that simple element that some thought was given to this and not just thrown in at the begin.
From the Content Side:
1. That commercial was horrible. (Do you have a say as to what it can be?) Not the item itself, beer, but the spot was bad. The spot should reflect you a little bit (I know thats hard when you need to pay bills.) You get what you can get.
2. Speaking of the product now, I’m not sure what your demo is but the alcohol thing may be a turn off to some viewers. Not me but if kids are watching or if someone is using this as a teaching aid, could be a problem.
3. If the spot has a bit of energy it carries more attentive viewers into the content of the brief!!
I hope this helps.
Terry
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
My thoughts on the pre-roll… Cali, you and Neal produce a very high quality and enjoyable show and you deserve to be paid for your work, plain and simple. As long as you keep up your end of the deal (good content) then I am happy to sit through 15 seconds of commercials.
The trade-off is charging for a subscription to your show. Bandwidth, equipment and effort don’t grow on trees. I think that if you went to your viewers and asked each viewer to pay $10 for the year for access, people would simply stop watching.
Kudos to you for handling this like a human being.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Hi Cali! This is the first time I’m posting, but I’ve been watching GBTV for maybe a year now. The reason I’m writing, you guessed it, is:
I hate the preroll! It’s annoying because it gets in the way (“I didn’t click that button to see an ad, it’s GBTV I want”). Even though I can fast forward through the ad, it’s still annoying. If the preroll became permanent I’d probably either stop watching or look for someone posting copies of the brief without the ads.
I was wondering why I hate the preroll so much, and I was thinking that maybe it’s because having that thing first implies, at some level, that the ad is more important than the rest of the show. That the purpose of GBTV is to feed ads to people, and that the rest of the content is just there to make sure we come back. That is somewhat true for every media, but it’s not something I want to be reminded of.
My computer downloads the brief in the background (I use Miro). I feel for the people who stream the brief: the preroll must be even more unbearable for them!
As for now, I’m putting GBTV “on hold” in my feed client. I’ll probably come back to it in a while; after all you said that this was a temporary experiment.
I appreciate what you’re doing and that you want to get paid; I’m letting you know how I feel because you asked for feedback.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
If I drank alcohol, I’d buy some Becks. Thanks to you and Neal for steady diet of tech news.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 pm
JP, what suggestion do you have as an alternative to the preroll?
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Putting feed on hold until beer ads go away.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
dear Cali&Neal,
Like i said previously when you ask about what we think about a preroll ads, is to me a bad idea. Hope that you’ll consider this:
1. Fans of geekbrief like your show because your a really good podcaster and you talk about nice gadgets all the time (since GB beta1).
2. You seems really enjoying doing the shows with Neal and it really show! Your a nice young team!
3. Your always smiling and happy (even when you got this thing on your hands and feets)… that’s making you guys pros!
4. try placing the sponsor in a way that is intelligent. starting with an ad is too easy.
5. And one last thing… please! have content to make GB a good show! you bearly talk about 2 things on this one! I remember you talking about 3-4-5 good things in one GB not too long time ago !!!
Having a preroll and talk about barely 2 things in one GB make the show waaaay less interesting that i was not too long time ago.
PS: Don’t take it personal Cali/Neil… I really love you guys and i’m following you since the beginning. but seeing GB take this step (less content + forced Ads) it’s to me a drawback.
love you guys! :)
David
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
beer is not a tech topic or a tech device or a tech issue (even though it is dear to many techie hearts!)
If you are going to do drobo or some tech device at least it has some relevance to the show. (of course, you did promo drobo more effectively in the body of the show than you could in a pre roll)
Loose the beer commercials!!! Don’t promo Wendy’s or MacDonalds!!
(actually, I think that if you don’t loose the beer commercials you WILL loose a big chunk of your tech audience)
good luck in traversing the maze between commercial success and integrity
K.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Cali (and sponsors),
Although I didn’t mind this ad, to me it seems very useless for the sponsor.Below are a few reasons:
1. How the heck would a commercial convice someone to buy a certain beer?
2. What does beer have to to with the people that watch GBTV?
3. Beer isn’t something that Cali could give a “review” of.
I think that if/when this becomes permanent, you need to keep in mind, it would be a lot more interesting if you change it out, it should have something to do with tech/gadgets, it should be something Cali likes and is “reviewable.”
However, as I said in my las comment, if your viewers truely like you show and are loyal to you (me), they will keep watching the show no matter what (unless, of course… You totally changed the show to a complete different subject).
May 4th, 2008 at 12:50 am
I’ve been tuning in to GBTV for a long time but never commented before, sorry. I love the show, a bit of headline technology news and great anecdotal news and personal observations and all with a unique endearing and genuine feel (in a recent tweet, Gary Vaynerchuk was recently contemplating the differences between authenticity and “being real” and Cali has both in GBTV). Also, I look forward to the Big Trip but begin thinking about what it would have been like if Steinbeck had this kind of technology when he began his trip almost 50 years ago (and if he would have cared to do any journalism).
Anyhow, I think the pre-roll is a fine thing to do. I am sure business and cost models are quite dynamic in the podcast industry, especially as things mature and need to transition form initial VC’s/etc., and I really hope GBTV can survive it all. Personally, I like Beck’s so it’s not fair — it’s hard to get Beck’s everywhere esp. since I like Beck’s Dark — it’s hard to get any German dark these days. After reading other’s comments, I have no problem with the non-sequitur aspect of the ad or placement in a tech show, and I don’t think it has to be imaginative. In fact, I like something a little subtle.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I think the whole mix can be summed up in two words: Epic fail.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Hi Cali,
Let me start by saying, I really love watching GeekBrief, and will continue to watch in the future, regardless of advertisement.
I thought the pre-roll wasn’t all that bad, but as many others have commented, I’d prefer to see something tech related. As far as the bottle of beer on the desk… I’d avoid this type of product placement in the future. In my honest opinion, it cheapens your wonderful show. Hope this is helpful!!
May 4th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Hey Cali,
The pre roll didn’t seem to bad because it was short. I do agree that it would be better if the advertisement had something to do with tech, such as if beck had a short on tech they use or cool bottle openers that opened beck beer. Anyways thanks for the great show.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Hi Cali,
The pre-roll wasn’t bad. Like everybody said, it would have been better if it were more tech related. The length of the ad was acceptable. I’m not sure about the product placement of in the brief mostly because of the product.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Becks beer, it my beer of choice. I’m just not sure if I want me teenager seeing the ad.
Love your show…. I’ll keep watching no matter what you decide to do.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Hellow Cali,
I just wanted to let you know that i didn’t mind the “pre-roll”. If it gets you people money to make this show, i would watch a minute full of “pre-rolls”. But very nice of you to consider the users.
Greetz, Sven
May 4th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Cali,
Your move towards more stable funding through pre-roll usage is certainly sound. I personally do not mind pre-, mid-, or post-rolls. Since we receive your podcasts for free, there should be no complaint.
I was surprised that your pre-roll featured an alcohol advertisement. This seems a bit out of place for the content and style of your show. Leave the beer for the folks at Digg.com and give us advertising that pertains to your show.
A faithful viewer,
Ed Lavieri
May 4th, 2008 at 9:20 am
While I don’t have any problem with the idea of advertising in a vidcast, I think that the vidcast should actually introduce itself before the advertisement–in some form at least. Even if it’s just a picture or still of the item you are watching. I have no idea if I’m watching GBTV or a 3 minute Beck’s advertisement.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Huh? Tech and beer don’t go hand-in-hand? Who knew?
I agree with the majority of positive sentiment I’ve read on this board. I can see where beer ads might not be appropriate for all audiences but I personally wasn’t offended in any way. Luria and Neal do great work and like everyone else, they deserve to prosper from it.
I think the short duration of the pre-roll is important and 15 seconds is plenty of time to make a point. There are other podcasts I love almost as much as The Brief which run full length commercials at the end and I have a very hard time sitting through them.
Keep up the great work. Long live GeekBrief!
May 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Initially I wasn’t really that worried about the pre-roll advertising. I felt I could ignore it and get on with what I wanted – the show.
However, I was shocked by the product chosen. I feel that alcohol is neither relevant to the brief nor entirely responsible. I am a sensible beer drinker but I feel seriously concerned about the effect alcohol has on people’s lives. I don’t object to beer advertising in priciple but seeing it on the brief actually felt wrong – I can’t quite put into words why.
Secondly, I feel the product placement was wholly wrong. Principally because that made me question the very integrity of the show. The very best thing about Geekbrief is that it is a fun podcast put together by people with a similar interest to myself. I like to believe that the stories carried are ones that are genuinely of interest and completely without influence from corporate sponsorship. Honestly, seeing that Becks there, makes me question whether the stories featured in GB are for our interest or potentially to pay the bills. In the case of the latter – I would look for something else to help me find the more interest things in the gadget world.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Pre-roll ads are I think a necessary evil, and so long as they’re kept short I have no problem with them. 15 seconds seems okay, but I’m not sure I’d want to sit through 30.
As for the content…go wild! Geeks drink beer, ergo beer ads are a good mating between you and the advertiser. Conversely, no respectable geek would ever by choice use AOL, so please never have any AOL ads. ;)
May 4th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Re: Pre-Roll Ad
I’m not opposed to pre-roll ads. I know that they’re a valuable way to get money that you need in order to be able to do what you do. That being said, I disagree (and disapprove) with that pre-roll ad being a beer company. One of the things that I have always loved about GeekBrief is the fact that it is almost completely age-less. I, as a 25 year old, can watch the show and get the same knowledge and entertainment out of it that a my father could at 47 years old or my nephew at 12 years old. Having an alcohol sponsor the show makes me think twice who I would recommend watch the show.
Also, on a related note. I don’t know if the beer bottle sitting on the table was part of the sponsorship or something that you chose to do to tie the ad in with the show, but I think that it was extremely out of place. If it was part of the sponsorship, then it is setting a really bad precedent that future sponsors will likely expect. And what happens if/when you are sponsored by some product that doesn’t fit on the desk, like a car, or something intangible, like another movie? Do you then have a pic of it in the lower right corner like a web ad? And if it was your choice to put it there, don’t, it just adds a distraction to the show. If I can’t focus on what your saying I’ll probably just treat the show like an audio podcast and only look at my iPhone when you are playing a video.
As I said in the beginning, I think that pre-roll ads are a useful tool to help you get the job done. I’m not against pre-roll ads, just this choice of one.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
RE: Pre-Roll Ad
I didn’t mind the pre-roll ad. I didn’t mind the product placement either. I don’t mind that its an ad for alcohol. Being a 29 year old male, it hits the target audience.
I watch on my Nokia N800. The only thing I didn’t like about the ad was that it was windowboxed. I don’t know if it was like that for the other formats, but windowboxing makes me a sad panda.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
The ad didn’t really bother me at all, and the countdown timer below the ad is a nice touch. However, I agree with a previous commentor who said that the ads should be for tech and tech-related products, in keeping with the theme of the show.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
They could have given you something other than what is already on televisions. Something new refreshing kinda like a superbowl ad or something just make it different. Other than that the pre-roll was ok
May 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
The pre-roll didn’t bother me at all. Small price to pay for such great content. Anyway, Beck… rhymes with Tech. Works for me.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Beer!?!
Cali, the decision is irresponsible! This is the first Geekbrief I stopped watching ever 30 seconds into it. It is not because of the 15 seconds ad. It is because of the product you chose to allow in it. What a disappointment!
I endorse responsible capitalism. This is selling out your integrity for revenue. Let the ads be contextually appropriate. A tech show with tech products perhaps?
I supported TWIT with the 2 dollar per month model since Leo first asked. I will be glad to do the same for your show if it will stop the “race to the bottom” for revenue.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Not my favorite commercial, but it wasn’t bad. There was a glitch in the matrix at the beginning of it, but it didn’t bother me. I would suggest something other than a beer commercial.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Cali & Neil (& other crew?),
If the preroll is what keeps you guys in business then I don’t see why this is so controversial. I love your show, and the work you guys put into it. Plus, being originally from Tyler, TX (… I know) I am just elated to see some Texans shoot the tech talk.
Hope yall are doing well!
Have a good one.
May 4th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Hey Cali
I love Beck’s beer… I think that these pre-roll things are excellent
Honestly, I don’t watch what people consider “normal TV” any more
Shows like this have kinda spoiled me. After Having my Xbox modded and XBMC being put on it, a SMB server in my room and Miro to Download podcasts and netcasts, w.e you want to call them, I could never go back to the old way I used to watch TV.
that being said, I miss clever advertisements
to me, that was half of the TV experience.
so it may sound strange but this makes me feel comfortable watching shows. Makes me feel like this is the new form of televised entertainment.
My dream is that some day we’ll have content streams that are all advertisement enriched and will be free because the advertisers want us to see it bad enough that they sponsor the shows we like and they become more accessible to more eyes because we no longer have to pay for a broadcaster…
Right on for leading us into the right direction!
Rock on
~Ryan
May 4th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Hey Cali, Neal and everyone…
Long time watcher, first time commenter…
I’m fine with the pre-roll. We all have to pay the bills, right? If Becks is willing to help keep the show on the air, then they – or anyone else – have my vote of approval…if not my money.
I do think that tech-based businesses will get more bang for their buck, but I will sit through 15 seconds of even a pitch from the ‘Door-to-door encyclopedia sellers union of Alabama’ if it means i get to see your smiling face at the end of it…
Cheers
M@
May 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I’m a relatively new viewer, (I’ve managed to get archives back to #314), but I really enjoy the brief. While I’m certainly not a fan of pre-rolls in general, I understand the necessity of advertising, and it’s far better than having the commercial interrupt the podcast.
That being said, a couple of things about the ad:
1) I don’t really think a beer advertisement suits the Brief, other products (even non-tech related) would be a better fit.
2) The bottle on your desk was almost offensive to me. It just doesn’t ‘feel’ right to try and force something into the entire podcast because it’s the product mentioned in the pre-roll.
3) It would be really beneficial to have either a show id before the pre-roll or to have your Geek Brief logo in a corner during the ad.
4) the quality of the video during the ad was sorely lacking – I’ve been watching the Brief on my computer, and the text in the ad was very badly pixelated and rough
All in all, a 15 second pre-roll is not a bad thing at all, but this initial test was a bit rough (I’m sure things would smooth out as time went on, though).
May 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Cali & Neil,
I watch your show alot and you were one of the main influences in actually doing a podcast of my own. I understand that you have to pay the bills and that is why you are entertaining the idea of the pre-roll in advertising. I also understand that much of this is brought on by Podshow (now Mevio…about the dumbest name I can think of…for a company built on Podcasting) providing sponsors to the show it signs on. What I don’t get is what Beck’s Beer has to do with the show. I also don’t like the mainstream commercialism that the pre-roll add brings to the show. I rather prefer the word of mouth advertising that you guys (and many others) have done with previous sponsors like Go Daddy ( I think it is more honest and since the advertisement is presented by you, it lends more credibility to the brand in relation to the show). If you need to take it to the next level, I think Tekzilla does a great job with their sponsors (and some pretty impressive ones at that) without detracting from the show.
At the end of the day…I don’t want to see a commercial on my iPhone before a video podcast…that would make me lose interest very fast in that my time is money and 15 seconds are more than I am willing to spend on a mis-targetted marketing campaign.
-Coeur
May 4th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Short and sweet… OK with me. I stop watching video on the web when the ads are as long or longer then the content I’m wanting to watch….. It’s all scales with me… a 15 second ad and 3 minutes of content seems acceptable to me… if you tried to add another ad in the middle or at the end, that would be too much. Commercials are whats chasing me away from tv. There are just too many ads on tv. Please don’t chase me away from Podcasts too….
May 4th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
15 seconds is not bad and I like the seperation of your sponser from the show. Sometimes it was hard to tell how much you really approved of a sponsered product. Beer seems to be an odd choice but I guess your audience almost fits the target market for the add.
That being said, sometimes I watch the show on my Tivo and MEVIO usually throws their own preroll before the show and if you add your own ad I might just hit that 30 second skip button.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Watched you add and was a little disconcerted by its length. Although people are thinking its 15 seconds it really was about 75 seconds given it being displayed on your set. The idea that ads are only during the “commercial time” is misleading. Since the essence of your show is a tech news piece, giving almost half of your time to promoting a product is a little extreme – even for Fox sports.
This level is of ads is not selling me.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Hi,
About pre-roll:
1- Can you please keep it limited to tech related products?
2- Is it possible to show the geekbrief logo for about 1 sec before the start of the add? I felt like I started the wrong podcast when the add started.
About the brief:
Please concentrate more on actual products and less on design concepts.
Love the show!
Sam
May 4th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Cali
Big fan of the show – happy for you to pay the bills, it wasnt too much of a distraction. Suggestion to your marketing/media folks though – you (and they) would be best served by advertising which is aligned to the target audience. I could see Dell, Radio Shack or even Coca-cola as being better suited.
Keep up the good work.
Karl
May 4th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
That pre roll was Annoying!!!! I don’t wanna sit through a 15 second clip whenever I watch! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! go back to the great format you’ve always had
May 4th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Cali & Neil, I am fine with the preroll so long as it is a product you believe in like Drobo. Your enthusiasm for the product is what will sell it. Thanks.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:06 am
just to comment on the pre-rolls:
t’was fine, not too long, however, IMO things would just ‘flow’ better if Cali came on to start, then roll the ad, then the theme animation, and then the brief. Maybe this is against your present contract, but in the future you’d wanna consider it, as the one thing really annoying with pre-rolls is that they make it take longer to get to what we want, and that is, CALI! …. that way, this is fixed.
anyhoo, me two cents those were. keep up the good work, and you should try the brew if you haven’t already, it’s quite a tastiful one ;p
May 5th, 2008 at 3:46 am
I realize there already have been 120+ comments and I haven’t read them all. I am a long time geekbrief viewer, as such there is a certain amount of loyalty to the show (and seeing Cali of course) I have 3 quick points (things I want out of any ad):
1. Give me the ultimate control or illusion thereof. The counter was wonderful and the ability to skip it is imperative. MSN, Yahoo, CNN, Reuters all suck because they fail at this.
2. Keep it short; 15 seconds or LESS is fine.
3. Keep it relevant. This may prove impossible for the current firm you are dealing with. However, in the future, you can sell the product much better than a dull, canned ad. (ie DROBO, Nokia N810) If the firm you are working with insists on using their own stuff and it’s old, boring, and dull, it’s their loss, I’m skipping it. (see above)
That said, let em roll and keep up the good work!
May 5th, 2008 at 4:54 am
15 seconds is the max a pre roll could run in my opinion, before it makes me cranky. Plus, if it were much longer, my 30 second skip foward would come into play! :-)
I have to agree with many commenters, that advertising beer is the wrong move for the brief. I am sure you would have a young audience, and you should be more careful what advertising you take on.
Other comments suggest that the “sponsored by” model you have run with previously with Drobo and Nokia is a better model, and I tend to agree. If I had the money I’d have both of those products by now :-)
Finally, make sure the pre roll is entertaining. That Becks ad was pretty lame. :-)
May 5th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Hi,
I have no problem with the Preroll, but it seems like it is just stucck onto the file at the beginning. I suggest you consider putting the geekbrief intro before the preroll. For one thing this enables me to use the first seconds to actually identify what show I am wathcing (I watch to many to keep track off). Plus I always miss the first secods of a show while making it full screen. And last ut not least I think it would put the preroll more into context.
So much for my 2c.
P.S: Oh and don’t ever think of a “postroll” instead of the bloopers. Those are the most fun :)
P.P.S.: Great show !!!
May 5th, 2008 at 5:33 am
I’ve got to say, I actively STOP buying things from companies who ruin my viewing. As Beck’s has nothing to do with tech, I find it intrusive and off putting, making me think ‘I’ll buy another brand of beer next time thanks’.
If it was about a brand new up and coming Tech item then maybe, just maybe it would be useful. But at the moment it’s putting me off the brief.
Go Daddy: Useful
Drobbo: Very useful
Nokia: Useful to someone I suppose…
Beck’s?
I repeat: ?
May 5th, 2008 at 5:57 am
First I want to thank you and Neal for a great show!! I am hooked. I am from Georgetown, Texas just North of Austin (really want to move there!) and it is great to have fellow gadget people so close! Plus now I am hooked on twitter!
Next – The ad. Where I can see that you are more of wine drinkers than beer drinkers, I do not see the harm in the ad at all. I am all for business, and that is what this site and show is all about. You two have the luxury of chasing your passion through this and I think a 15 second ad is not a big deal at all. Go for it!
So go for the ad, pay the bills and lets keep this site and you guys doing what you love to do!!
Have a good one!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:01 am
I paid more attention to the countdown timer than the ad.
Was that an ad?
It would have been better if you chugged a beer or something during your show. We would have paid more attention to the advertisement.
We wouldn’t have known the ad was for Beck’s if we didn’t see the beer bottle on your desk for 2 episodes straight and wondered why you had beer on your desk because we already know you drink coffee during your shows.
I didn’t read all of the comments but I don’t see the harm in the Beer ad. There’s a lot worse everywhere else in places where you can’t just change the channel or fast forward.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Cali,
First off I don’t see anything wrong with a pre-roll and if it helps you and Neil out then all the better. However I thought it was a bit quick in jumping right into the video. Maybe a bit of a teaser shot of you or a GeekBrief logo -fade to black- pre-roll or maybe a cross fade.
Anyway the product doesn’t much matter I watch video pod cast from Slate.com and they have Infinity Cars and it’s not bad. But I would say if it is to say try to get more then one. It gets rather old if I get behind in my GeekBrief watching and I have to watch 5 or 6 of the same pre-roll in a row when catching up on my Shiny-Happy-Tech News.
Thanks for a show!! Keep up the good work.
-S
May 5th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Hi Cali,
I didn’t mind the pre-roll, I did like the count down clock, it told me how long I would have to wait. What I found to be a more effective ad was the bottle of Beck’s sitting on your desk. Call it product placement, but I’ll probably remember it being on your desk more than what happened in the 15 second commercial. I think you should have a one second flash of the Geekbrief logo before the commercial starts. Let people know that they have the right video and that the brief is coming.
In the end, I don’t care how many ads you put in the show, it enables me to watch a show I love for free.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Cali and Neal,
Don’t mind the pre-roll and stick with it. People complaining about advertising want something for nothing and that doesn’t work in the world. Sooner or later You-Tube and everyone else will start using it if they don’t have a good profit model, and potentially even if they do!
I tend to listen to the brief on a second monitor or in the background, so I didn’t even look over until I heard Cali’s voice. I then realized there was a pre-roll and went back to see it. I didn’t see the timer until I read the comments, so yo might want to lighten it a little.
Beer? I don’t care (40, married), it’s on every football/basketball/baseball game in the US. They have a right to sell a product. I can see people getting upset with the bottle on your desk, but have they complained about the bottles in the background before? I saw those before. Maybe the setting is a little strange to have it on your desk.
Don’t limit advertising to tech products. We get plenty of that and honestly it seems like a lot of what you test/report on could be sponsored. Not that you’re not providing good information, but it could be sponsored. Go after Coke, Pepsi, Starbucks, Snickers, etc. Get 3, 4, 5 and rotate them across the week. I’ve watched some NBC stuff and I don’t mind the commercials, even like them at time. However when I see the same one 4 times in an episode, it gets annoying.
I would move it after the intro and show number. Maybe even a 10s intro for the brief. 15s is ok, I wouldn’t go longer.
Also, push the sponsors to be creative and not reuse the stuff from TV too much. Be funny, try new things.
Keep up the great work and if this gets the Big Trip moving, put one at the end as well! We love the outtakes!
May 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I’m not going to address comparing the pre-roll to your previous ads, because as many have said it’s a completely different thing. However I will compare it to the Saturn ad on MobLogic currently. I never watch the Saturn ad. It’s 30 seconds and ad the end. I did watch the beer ad without reaching for the slider and skipping through it. So 15 seconds at the beginning is more effective than 30 seconds at the end, for what that’s worth. ;)
May 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am
The preroll seemed out of place at the front. I think it would be better placed after your initial remarks or later.
I didn’t like the beer bottle placed on the set.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:10 am
15 seconds was not bad, by the time I went for the slider I noticed the timer and that it was over and if I scrolled I’d probably go too far, so no scrolling. I think the pre-roll with the geekbrief # animation is bad though. I’d say do one or the other, and since preroll generates money, why do you need the animation, how many times do you want to introduce the show?
Also I disagree, with various above comments, about integrating sponsor products into the show whether you’re talking about it or just sitting there. Of course there is the issue of how, and that would probably limit you to tech sponsors unless you’re going to be drinking, and theres enough bloopers already, no?
As a viewer I think (hope) that having a separate clip means thats as far as the sponsor gets to influence the show, the rest of the show is your independent creation and free from ‘oh crap how are we going to put this week’s sponsor’s product in the show?’ ..
so do the pre-roll (15 seconds or less), scrap the animation, get paid, don’t take money for anything you review, talk about, etc. The show will retain its integrity, viewers sit through an ad, you get paid, and can decide who you will let advertise on your show and who is denied!
May 5th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I don’t mind the length of the pre-roll at 15 seconds, I wouldn’t go any longer given the average length of an episode of GeekBrief. I’m not sure if I like the fact that the advertisement really had nothing in common with the show (unless you’re tweaking the show to be more like Diggnation). Overall, I give it a thumbs up!
May 5th, 2008 at 10:18 am
My take on the pre-roll is this…
A 15 second pre-roll, which we all sit through whenever we want to watch something streaming online, is nothing to worry about.
The ad should have something to do with Tech though, such as a new computer commercial, an apple commercial, or an ad for some software or a site your talking about in that brief.
I have no problem at all with the pre-roll, i just wish it would be more directed towards your audience. Keep up the amazing work Cali.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Cali,
Beck’s? Well, I do like beer, but it’s a tech show. But you’ve heard that.
I would suggest ‘This episode of GeekBrief presented by…”, followed by the ad. See WebbAlert for a good example. I almost forgot when I started it, and though I hit the wrong show in Miro.
Finally, tell ‘em to innovate. I want something to catch my eye, not bore me to tears. Been there, done that, went to the fridge for a Coors.
Best,
Jim
May 5th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
It’s weird, watching geekbrief today reminded me that Beck’s beer is refreshing and thirst quenching…curious
May 5th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Cali,
Conceptually I can accept a pre roll. The experiment lacked a few things as mention in the post already but I’ll throw in my 2 cents too. I found it hard to know I was watching GeekBrief. The preroll just started and there was nothing to identify what I was watching. I actually stopped and double checked to see what I was watching. I know that seems kinda dumb. I appreciate how Onion News does there adds with an early announcement about the sponsor and then the add after. Several of the adds they have done have been quite funny on there own and have kept me watching.
The other Issue is the content of the advert in relationship to the show. I just don’t know what Beer has to do with warm happy Tech news. While I guess I not opposed to beer I not sure if it fits with the show.
I don’t mind the length of the Pre Roll. And I DO understand that you need a steady income. So in the long run I certainly would tolerate it. I just would maybe identify the show briefly first.
Dale
May 5th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I’ve been a regular viewer since the beginning. I thought at first I wouldn’t mind the pre-roll, but after watching it I’ve changed my mind. It seems to make me put the whole show in a different category in my mind. Not “hey this is a open minded person talking about new stuff” to something that’s much more “sponsored” or “filtered.”
Never minded the Go-Daddy or Drobo ads. Also, I thought the product placement was much more effecting (used in the previous brief) than the pre-roll commercial itself.
thanks for soliciting feedback…it’s one of the many things we love about your show and this format.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I’m with the folks that thought that a beer ad was probably not the right product for your show. That being said, I don’t think you should have tech products as ads. It makes it harder to distinguish between your opinion and your ads. i want to know that when you recommend something, it’s because it’s good and not because you are being paid for it.
Overall the idea of the pre-roll isn’t bad. The length wasn’t too long. I would put some indication of your show at the start so folks know it’s your podcast.
May 5th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I don’t think commercials belong on a podcast. It’s bad enough when you see them on tv, Internet videos, and Internet radios.
Also as mentioned, beer is simply incongrous here. It’s just there, serving little to no purpose. Saying who sponsered you in the end of the podcast is a lot more effective imo. I’ll continue to watch geekbrief regardless though.
May 5th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I did not like it at all! In the GB ads, I want you to tell me what you like. This ad seemed like you put it there just to make money…that turned me off right away.
If you like something, then tell me so and give me the ad in the middle or end of an episode. I don’t mind ads, but not pre-rolls. (Truth is though, I watch you on TiVo and I forwarded on through the ad). Another way to go would be that you start with a 15 second intro and then do a verbal transition into the 15 second ad…then get into the show.
Also, I have previously allowed my kids to watch GBTV…but, beer ads are not acceptable in a what has been a family-friendly show…so, do it again and you (unfortunately) have lost five loyal viewers.
May 5th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Hi Cali
I don’t mind the pre-roll too much and I would accept pre-rolls (in general). I recognize this is a nascent business model and I am not pedantic about some of the ways that will be needed to make this an actual business.
That said I have a caveat.
The demographic of people who watch your show will have to be taken into account. Although I am over 21, I take to heart the comment from Brian S regarding beer ads and letting his children watch Geekbrief. Alcohol advertising COULD be acceptable, even justifiable based on your audience demographic. For my part I am unsure but I don’t have information about your target audience. This is not a condemnation of your sponsor by the way. I think a Diet Coke ad would offend some of your followers. Because of your diverse viewership it may take a little effort from the viewers, and you, to zero in on advertising which will pass muster. Hang in there.
For the viewers who don’t like any commercials please remind yourselves that the people of Geekbrief love their work but they actually have to feed themselves and pay some bills. Since Cali opened up this forum please give her the benefit of the doubt. If ads have to be shown then let them play a few times before passing judgement. I think she would refuse to air egregious commercials because her good name is at stake.
May 5th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Lousy, uncreative ad but at least it was short. It wouldn’t stop me from watching GBTV, but it won’t encourage me to have a Beck’s instead of my usual next time I’m buying beer.
May 5th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
An alternative to the pre-roll would be to solicit money directly from your viewers. The problem with the pre-roll is that the audience becomes a “product” that is sold to the advertiser. If you take one second to think about it, that’s what the dvertisers are paying you for–your audience. This is the problem with the conventional televesion model nd why people are turning away from their “stupid boxes”. I will watch a few more episodes, but I really doubt I will continue to watch. I’m more interested in the information you provide than seeing a beer ad. The absolute maximum that I might put up with is, “This episode is brought to you buy Nokia and Becks.”
May 5th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Cali & Neal,
Congrats on the sponsor. If it keeps y’all in Ramen and helps launch the Big Trip, w00t!
You’ve done ads right. I’ve bought GoDaddy.com domain names (GB1, BG2, GB3), a Drobo, and some of the Sony gadgets you advertised. However, if you want honest feedback, I’d have to say this preroll is probably the least-effective ad campaign you’ve run.
I’m still shiny-happy, just neutral on the pre-roll considering I won’t be watching it. If anyone cares, here’s why:
1. You don’t ID the show before the pre-roll, so my reflex is to skip ahead to see which show is playing. I let iTunes or Front Row play several from a smart playlist, then skip past some for later. After I’ve already skipped ahead to see which show is playing, there’s no skipping back to watch ads.
2. It takes 15 seconds to watch the ad, or 3 seconds to skip past it. Even if you were to ID the show and the sponsor were Drobo, 15s is on the outer limits of my tolerance: 5-10s would probably get me even if #3 were still true.
3. There’s no sympatico between the ad and your show. I don’t expect every ad to target me personally; that would be creepy. But, considering there’s a huge consumer electronics industry that should be fighting each other for access to your shiny-happy tech audience, it’s odd that cars and beer outbid them all.
It would make sense for Diggnation (a.k.a. Drunkcast) to sell beer (I unsubscribed because watching drunks cuss at each other was neither enlightening nor entertaining after three or four shows). When the CNET Crave podcast advertised Honda CR-V’s in the James Kim days, they did a nifty tie-in. If the beer or VW ads had made an effort to go shiny-happy tech, it might have worked better.
I didn’t see the beer ad everybody’s talking about, just a second or two of the VW ad. Either way, I consume neither VWs nor beer, so your sponsors aren’t losing anything when I skip past the pre-roll.
Y’all produce one of the best podcasts on the interwebz; the preroll doesn’t dilute that, it just isn’t as spot-on as some of your previous ads have been. I’m guessing there are plenty of VW-driving beer drinkers in your audience to keep your sponsors happy, but beer can be a very controversial product; hope the controversy doesn’t get you down.
Luv the show, keep up the good work (or as we say in Buzztown, LTSKUTGW)
Feld
May 5th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Not much constructie to add, but wanted to echo the thought that no Show ID beforehand makes it almost more distracting. For whatever reason, I think it would flow better with a quick intro, your “splash screen” (not really sure what the correct terminology, but that probably gets it done), and then the commercial.
Thanks,
DP in Houston
May 5th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I don’t mind the pre-roll, but I think that it would be better if it was for a tech item. Since your show is all about tech, then you should get tech sponsors.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
The countdown timer under the ad was brilliant. The ad seems a touch long – 10 seconds really is better, but it is tolerable.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
As far as the pre-roll I had a couple of points. First, I thought the pre-roll was not an issue in enjoying the show. It seems that many of the podcasts are having to monetize in that fashion lately and I for one would rather watch a small intro clip than you struggle and have additional distractions in getting the show I enjoy out the door.
Second, I watch the show on an Ipod Nano. In this format the text in the adds are even smaller than the credits to your show such that the text message conveyed is not getting across and thus they are not getting the full benefit out of their sponsorship. I believe in a the concept that you should get what you paid for and everyone across the transaction will be happy with the results. I am not sure the percentage of users that take the small feed but if it is statistically significant this note could have some merit as a discussion point on the format and/or content of the subsequent advertisement.
Keep up the good work.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
The pre-roll was not too intrusive, although I was caught a little off guard because I forgot they were starting. Good length, did not really detract from the content in any way. Thanks for the show.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I don’t particularly like the pre-roll ads/ads in podcasts for that matter. I’ll continue to scrub through the pre-roll ads. We all live in a society flooded with ads in our faces day in and day out is nice to sit down and watch a podcast without any ads.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
This comment has nothing to do with the “pre-roll”:
You are now letter-boxed on my Tivo!!!! Yeah!! No more squishy-vision! Thanks!
PS: The ad was fine but probably better suited for Dawn and Drew. (We’re all lushes in DND land!) :)
May 6th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I don’t have a problem with the pre-roll.. Just think that it’s not the right product for your show.. It seems like a better product for Diggnation..
15 seconds, perfect.. But definitely the wrong product.. Add to that it’s an “old school” advert designed for TV and not for the web, and it just doesn’t do anything for me..
May 6th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Good show! The 15 seconds pre-roll is okay, don’t make it longer though, if demand increases, so should the price for the pre-roll, but not the length. I don’t think I tried Becks before, but I will give it a try since they sponsor you.
p.s. I don’t think beer ad is wrong for the show. Not sure about other viewers, I like beer.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Cali, Neal,
The Pre-roll was fine. I think however that you should work the product into the show, like they did on Seinfeld. Twix, Junior Mints, Drakes Coffee Cake. You almost didn’t realize this was a sponsor because it was part of the show. But I’ll bet you remember what show these products were a part of. I kept wondering when you were going to have some interaction with the bottle of beer on your desk. I found it distracting. I mean we already saw the Pre-roll why do we have to keep seeing the product, especially if its just sitting there for no reason related to the show? A funny “planned” blooper (I know they are not planned) might have been you knocking it over by “mistake”. ;) ) Does your sponsor have a good sense of humor? I find the best commercials are the funny ones. You and Neal are very creative I’m sure you can think of something great. Maybe its less work for you since you only have to add the Pre-roll at the beginning of the show and not actually make it, and then strategically place the product, if that’s the case be more strategic, like you are with the Drobo products.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Sorry, but if you can’t find tech products to advertise, lose the preroll. A beer commercial is NOT family friendly.
My preference would be to continue to have the “this podcast sponsered by “as you’ve been doing.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:27 am
The preroll is fine with me. However the ad didn’t feel like it was all that well done. If the ad actually works I wouldn’t mind it.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
BECKS is my FAVORITE BEER! so I had no problem watching the 15 second ad. Please send me BECKS please :)
May 6th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I find the preroll ok. I think beer might not be the best choice for geekbrief as you have a pretty overall clean image and that could tarnish your image. I didn’t care for the counter. And as long as you keep to the 2 to 1 ration I should be fine with the video. The 2 to 1 ratio is how much ad to content. If you have more then 1/2 as many ads to content you show will become unwatchable and wont be worth watching.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
The pre roll was not offensive to me. I happen to like the product so that might be part of it. Other than that I have no strong feelings. It did not “Wow” me nor did it turn me off. It did not stop me from watching the show, nor did I feel the need to jump past it.
I find that if the pre rolls are not the same I’m more inclined to watch. When it’s the exact same add … every time I am more apt to skip it because I feel like I’ve seen it. So a short series of these that are interspersed with other clips from other companies would be fine by me.
I guess my best advice to advertisers, is keep it short, interesting and/or to the point and then let the content go is good. Or if you can find a way to integrate the product into the content that is also good. On This Week in Media #89 (I think) Alex Lindsay, seemed to have some good ideas on how companies could do this.
Either way I find the content compelling enough that I’ll come back.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I didn’t mind the preroll, but for some reason I really didn’t like the beer on the desk. I like that there’s a disconnect between the preroll and the actual show, and even when you’ve previously had ads mid-show (like splenda, nokia, and drobo) you announced it’s a sponsor. When there’s direct product placement, it seems like you’re trying to trick us to believe this is a product you actually use and like and not just a revenue stream. Just my 2 cents.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I think the advertising is fine. If you helps you guys earn a living, then by all means go ahead with it IMHO.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I see that you have a lot of comments, so I’ll keep this… “brief.” I have been watching The Brief for a long time, and the lack or inclusion of advertising doesn’t bother me (you’ve got to pay the bills!). I just don’t think you should show ads for beer, it’s a little degrading to the “Shiny, Happy Tech News” theme you have. Yours is a show I wouldn’t mind showing my five-year-old, but I don’t want you selling beer to him.
Besides that, I really don’t have a problem with preroll ads. Sure, if you don’t vary them I get bored and annoyed seeing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, but like I said before, you have got to make money doing what you do. Go ahead, show me ads, but don’t sell something you wouldn’t want your future children to buy. You want to have a product that you can look back at in twenty years and still be proud of it and the influence you had in society.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Great Job as usual.
No issues with the pre-roll.
Great Timing (not to long)
As much as I love beer – and Becks – what is the relevance to a Geek Brief? I am not even sure that it matters though as long as you keep doing what you are doing.
Thanks,
May 6th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
P.S. remove the 15 second timer cause it is really distracting…
May 7th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I don’t find the pre roll to be a bother at all. And its a small price to pay if it helps keep the briefs coming.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Beer is good, nuff said.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I know you told us to watch out for a pre-roll. But when it started, I was wondering if it was a skit that you had come up with. Following the pre-roll I remembered that you had told us to look out for a pre-roll. I thought I don’t mind them. Anything to keep the show going. And if you guys can start to make some money, I think that is a bonus to the show. Why should you guys work for free?
June 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I think if the Pre-Roll keep the show on the air, then keep doing it.
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