Virtual Prospector signals threat to banner dominance of 'Net advertising space

Hong Kong advertising agency FusionActive.com is challenging the banner ad with the proprietary technology of its US partner, MindArrow Systems Inc. Rubber stamping the rights to this technology little less than a month ago, the Virtual Prospector's hook - or the "eCommercial" as it is known in the US - is its simplicity. Creating the equivalent of a 30-second TVC spot, online, the Virtual Prospector emits in-synch visuals and sound compressed into a file size compatible with Windows 95 and a 56K modem. And not having to wait for the broadband revolution is an obvious merit, besides the viral convenience of its email format, according to FusionActive chairman and CEO, Sam Lee. "We send the client's commercial via email to affinity groups - this isn't spamming, it's targeting very specific audiences." Bypassing the need for online connectivity, once downloaded, the eCommercial can be replayed numerous times, with an automatic dial-up facility that also provides a hyperlink to the advertiser's own website. "We're a one-stop shop, we sit down with the client and put together a 30-second commercial, then we'll do the software driven-conversion and compression and if you want people to link up to your website for more information, we'll also establish the hyperlink," Mr Lee told CReATION. Maximising 'Net accountability, campaigns are highly dissectable - advertisers can see who their eCommercial was sent to, how many times they (users) looked at it, when they looked at it, and who they immediately forwarded it to. Citing a campaign conducted in the US with a leading pharmaceutical firm and aimed at doctors, one eCommercial, added Mr Lee, included a clickable "call me " button; where a link-up with the company's call centre allowed doctors to contact a sales representative online, have their questions answered and request product samples. Slicing 50 per cent off the cost of an average TVC for an entire Virtual Prospector campaign, accountability figures speak volumes for the click-on power of interactivity and entertainment value coupled with the novelty of early adoption. "As an advertiser, if you've sent your commercial out to 50,000 of your clients, out of that, 90 per cent will have a look at it and maybe 70 per cent will forward it to 3 people," said Mr Lee. Thus far in Asia, Toyota is the sole client to have spotted the Virtual Prospector's first-mover advantage - featuring the latest model of its Spider sports car in a recent Web campaign. FusionActive, however, is keen to bring the Virtual Prospector to the masses - the "value added resellers" or existing advertising agencies who are looking for a catchy, user-friendly vehicle to get a client's product or service onto the 'Net. "They have the existing clients so we'll let them do the creative and we'll take care of the technology," said Mr Lee. "As far as they're concerned it's difficult to describe this in words, but once they've seen it (the Virtual Prospector) they recognise its application potential".

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