• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, May 7, 2012

As more marketers, businesses and brands convert their existing creative and TV spots to online video, they need to bear in mind several issues that relate to production, ad management and talent rights. Web video is still a relatively new medium so it’s a smart idea to map out potential pitfalls, and solutions for them, before starting. I asked Extreme Reach, an online video ad and distribution firm, for tips on how marketers can make sure they’ve buttoned up rights and quality issues before they go live with a Web video campaign.

1. Manage your TV and online video advertising together

“Almost every video ad that runs on the web is the original or a specially edited version of a TV commercial,” said Robert Haskitt, CMO of Extreme Reach. “They are typically created in the same production house, include the same talent and licensed music. By managing both the TV and online video advertising together, marketers can save time and money in areas ranging from production to execution. And the cross-screen campaign can be better synchronized.”

2. Be consistent: quality across screens matters

Ideally, agencies working on a campaign want to have access to the creative master copies, Haskitt said. “Often, television and online video campaigns are handled by separate agencies, with the interactive agency the last to gain access to video creative (because it was created by a different agency). This approach is inefficient and interactive groups are often working with a copy of an ad that's been transcoded multiple times, resulting in degradation of the quality of the video they run. This separated approach also limits the creative options available to the interactive firm,” he said.

3. Monitor talent and rights management across all platforms

Make sure you know whether a TV ad can run online. “Commercial talent and third-party rights are often restricted on specific ads. Some are not allowed to run on the Web. Some are for Web only. Most ads have rights expiration dates. When an ad runs where or when it is not allowed to, those terms are violated. As a result, agencies and brands can incur significant fines and additional unexpected costs,” he said.