VDO.AI, a video advertising platform that brings together video hosting, video streaming, and video content in an end-to-end offering, makes all of these profitable for the publisher by incorporating advertising as the business model.
The Indian market is just catching up with video consumption as more and more advertisers and publishers are becoming better acquainted with the new medium. Amitt Sharma, CEO & Founder VDO. AI tells us more about the company’s future plans in this context
Q] How does VDO.AI stand out in the video content and advertising space in India?
Video is a high-end product when it comes to the Indian market and we are still at the early stages when it comes to video advertising in India. Our USP is that we bring an end-to-end offering for the publishers, which also includes advertising.
So we do all the heavy lifting, whereas the publishers just need to focus on what they do best, which is to create great content and keep the users happy. In India, there are not many players whom we will call competitors. Most of our competitors are larger companies in the West.
In terms of technology, support, and customer-success relationships, we are way ahead of everyone out there. We have partnered with companies like Google and Amazon. In this way, we have access to the latest technology as soon as it reaches the market.
Q] What are the key challenges for you and VDO.AI at present?
Presently, we are in the growth phase and in this phase, it’s important to get the right talent but it is a challenge because the programmatic advertising market in India is not very mature when compared to the West.
Of course, we need to navigate the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic that has led to a loss in advertising budgets and lowered marketing spends. Right now, it’s a fight for every single dollar out there.
Q] What are some key innovations that you have noticed in the space? Where do you think the industry will move to in the next couple of quarters?
Ultimately most of the advertising will move from TV, Print, and other traditional forms to the Digital format. There is a strong imperative for innovation in Digital. When it comes to video ads, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are some of the key areas where we expect to see more innovation.
Eventually, we will not consume videos in the 2D format that we are accustomed to but we will be consuming videos in a 3D environment or an Augmented Reality environment. Due to the pandemic, we all are physically separated from each other and this technology gives us the feeling of proximity even when you are away from your loved ones.
I’m optimistic about the features of video advertising because that will follow on with the increasing trend of video consumption, which is on a bullish growth curve right now.
