SPOTLIGHT ON (CONTINUED)

Ian Schafer, Founder of Deep Focus

What are people doing with rich media that you wish they wouldn’t?
A big pet peeve of mine is when I see rich media being used for the sake of using rich media. If a rich media ad unit still has 'crunchy' photography, then it's not being used properly. If a floating ad just hovers over a page, and is obviously not playing to a consumer's emotion, I believe it is superfluous. Since we are always branding our clients' products, getting the right frequency, interaction rates, and "share of voice" is every bit as important as the standard click-through rate. When I see money being wasted on a "superfluous" or improperly-used ad unit, I start calculating how many valuable impressions were lost as a result.

The growth of online video has expanded the possibilities of online creativity. What do you
see in store?
In case you haven't noticed, the potential of online video is of great interest to us. Over the next year and beyond, I look for quality to improve even more, with larger formats being made available. True interactivity with these video ads will allow audiences to spend more time with promotional content - further increasing the likelihood that they will take that next step of seeing the film, becoming loyal to a brand, or buying the DVD, album, or video game.

You work with some of the top entertainment companies in the country. Do you find that working in film or music allows you to be more creative? Or is it limiting?
When working with film or music, or any other entertainment property, we are of course almost always asked to work within certain brand parameters. However, the versatility of the online medium allows us to take liberties that other media just can't afford. For example, we can take key album or poster art (or develop our own approved variety), and combine it with video and other rich media technology to develop a fully interactive ad unit that is brought directly to a consumer - and because we purchase the media as well, we reach that consumer in the right place, at the right time. This leads to longer interaction time, and higher interest and awareness. The most fun aspect is when some of our further development of a brand gets adopted by the client as part of their traditional campaign. We always have our fingers on the pulse of the consumer - what attracts them, what dissuades them - and when that is recognized by our clients (eg. MGM's BE COOL), THAT is when the full potential of our partnership is realized.

What’s next for Deep Focus?
Deep Focus is growing! We work with the best entertainment brands out there, and better yet, the best people. Their trust and partnership has helped make us strong. In 2005, we will be rolling out many innovative campaigns for some very recognizable properties. Our deeply-forged relationships with publishers will allow us to get even more integrated with our campaigns. We're going to be doing some things this year that have never been done before...it's not often that you can say that.