The game for digital publishers is really just beginning and Microsoft Advertising is well-positioned to help advertisers across all ad venues as the industry evolves in the coming years. Online ad revenues are climbing, setting a record in Q1 this year at $8.4 billion, a 15% increase from last year, according to the latest report from IAB and PwC.

The power that display advertising has to influence and persuade has never been more important, but consumer standards are also higher than ever before. With every ad experience we create, we ask ourselves - would consumers find this ad useful? Is it cool? Would they find this relevant? Does it engage and inspire them? Would they share the ad with others?

Check out our video to get an idea of what I am talking about:

Video: Stop Your Audience in Their Tracks Through the Rich Creative Canvas of MSN

New Ad Experiences across MSN

MSN continues to be a home on the web for more than 100 million people. More than half (56%) of internet users visit MSN’s pages every month1, and 76 million of our visitors can’t be found on AOL or Yahoo! And, the stats show consumers engage our sites longer.2 Besides delivering unique audiences, creativity was a top reason many big brands, including Disney, GM and T-Mobile chose MSN for their ad campaigns this year over our competitors. MSN provides the canvas for some of the most innovative and unique ad experiences available and we’re proud of being the first publisher to embrace and deliver all six Display IAB Rising Stars ads, including the Filmstrip below.

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We’ve recently launched several new ad experiences that we believe surprise, entertain and invite consumers to engage on their terms, including:

Polymorphic – In Pilot

Check out what we did for Chrysler’s FIAT campaign, our Polymorphic Ad pilot advertiser.

Advertisers can quickly and easily scale a set of creative assets across multiple devices and ad sizes, freeing up production time and budget. Eventually these ads will run across MSN, Windows 8 apps, Xbox, and mobile. The benefits of Polymorphic Ads increase with the complexity of an advertiser’s campaign. Translation: more screens = more time and advertiser effort saved.

VPAID (Video Play Ad-Interface) Ads – available now

Check out this demo featuring the Ford Mustang:

VPAID are user-initiated ads that can dramatically enhance video storytelling. Unlike other pre-roll video ads, people can interact directly with videos instead of just watching them.

Mindmap – Exclusive to MSN Homepage

Consumers want information that is organized, simple to read and is visually appealing. Our new digital circular offers just that. It takes the concept of “customers who like this item also like that item” to a whole new level. Just hover over the ad for a 3-D experience that lets advertisers promote up to 30 related products.

Magnetic Canvas – Exclusive to MSN Homepage

This ad has it all, beauty and impact. It offers that ‘cool’ effect by creating 3-D effect when you hover over the ad.

Swell – Exclusive to MSN Homepage

This ad expands in size but it doesn’t interrupt the experience or content the user is reading.

What’s on the horizon?

Technology is breathing new life into digital experiences, which allow consumers to engage with brands across more flexible and dynamic devices. With the upcoming launch of Windows 8, Microsoft will start a new era of computing and create a platform for advertising experiences we’ve never seen before. A ton of break-through ad innovation is underway. Our advertising and product teams are working around the clock with Stephen Kim’s Global Creative Solutions group to establish new ad concepts with creative agencies that will run across the PC and tablet, Xbox, Skype and mobile.

This is the opportunity and era in advertising that I came to Microsoft to experience.

Cheers!

Keith Lorizio - Microsoft Advertising

Resource 1: comScore Media Metrix MSN Media June 2012

Resource 2: comScore Q1 2012 Average MSN Media