YouTube: Placement Police

In recent months, YouTube has set off some jangled nerves among several of its more popular content producers, writes Mediaweek.

The company issued written notifications to several producers who have inked branded integration deals directly with advertisers, gently reminding them that according to its Terms of Service, users are not to post commercial videos on YouTube without permission.

The subtle implication is that YouTube could yank down these users’ videos if it so chose. But the bigger issue is that the Google-owned video giant needs to monetize as much of its content as possible. And as more brands engage in the practice of paying popular video bloggers to integrate their products into videos—rather than purchasing advertising on YouTube—Google needs to find a way to balance its revenue needs with keeping its most prolific talent happy. Officials said the company will soon announce a new formalized process for branded integration videos.

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emily | 5:28 PM | YouTube |
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