• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, October 6, 2011

Marketers are demanding more online ad verification, while warming to cost-per-action ad models. Responding to both trends, video ad network BrightRoll just debuted an audience guarantee to advertisers for ads that they run on the BrightRoll network.

Dubbed TAG, for Total Audience Guarantee, digital video advertisers only have to pay for impressions that actually reach target audiences.

Similarly, late last year, YouTube launched its TrueView ad format, which lets users skip ads they don't want to see, and only charges advertisers when the viewer has actually watched the ad.

With TAG, advertisers know how many impressions will reach target audiences before a campaign begins.

"We see this as a huge step toward making it not just easy, but a no-brainer for advertisers to move campaign dollars online with confidence," said BrightRoll CEO Tod Sacerdoti. "By providing an audience guarantee, we are bridging the gap between traditional television buying and online video."

Post-campaign, advertisers receive confirmation of impression delivery through comScore's AdEffx Campaign Essentials.

TAG is available for segments based on age, gender and geographic data. Delivery of each TAG campaign is optimized to the specified audience through a combination of targeting methods and data providers using BrightRoll's BRIQ technology platform.

The birth of mobile video inventory, increased adoption of industry standards and better targeting tools are all contributing to a healthy market for video advertising, according to a recent report from BrightRoll.

According to the report, 28% of media buyers revealed that they expect to see the greatest increase in ad spending in the online video category for 2011, followed by mobile video (27%) and social media (25%).

What's more, 86% of respondents said they are shifting at least part of their display dollars over to video, while 64% plan to shift TV dollars to video. Budgets are also migrating from search, social media and direct response, although in slightly more modest numbers at 28%, 27% and 26%, respectively.

According to BrightRoll's third annual Online Video Advertising Report, nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated that online video is equally as effective -- if not more effective -- than television advertising.