The lightning-quick pace of innovation in digital video ad platforms and tools has resulted in divergent technologies and systems that impact the successful deployment of advertising campaigns. To resolve this friction point and continue its leadership role in standardizing digital video the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), today released “VAST 2.0”, an update to the Digital Video Ad Serving Template that it created in July 2008 to standardize the communication protocol between video players and servers. The announcement was made at the IAB’s annual Ad Ops Summit in New York City.

VAST 2.0 includes critical updates that:

Permit optional tracking of companion ads and other ad elements

Provide support for multi-part creative

Allow for a broader range of digital video ad products

Clarify many technical requirements to ease implementation


“As more and more marketers embrace digital video for its ability to engage consumers and showcase brands, standardization is critical,” said Jeremy Fain, VP Industry Services, IAB.

“VAST 2.0 will allow publishers who use it to be able to plug into multiple third-party digital video ad servers and networks without additional development, making it easier for marketers to reach large audiences through digital video.”

“By standardizing ad serving on VAST we can open the floodgates of agency media spend and allow publishers to maximize their yield per video view,” said Ari Paparo, Group Product Manager, Advertiser Products of Google.

“Vast 2.0” is the latest addition to the IAB’s work over the past year dedicated to creating a common infrastructure across the digital video ecosystem. The IAB’s efforts have addressed specific concerns around technology, metrics and consistent terminology. This ongoing initiative has included the release of the following documents:

Video Player-Ad Interface Definitions Guidelines (VPAID)

Digital Video Overview Document

Digital Video In-Stream Ad Format Guidelines and Best Practices

Digital Video In-Stream Ad Metrics Definitions


All of these documents can be reviewed here.

To review “Vast 2.0,” please click here.

Quark has launched QuarkPromote.com, a new online service that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses in the United States easily create their own high-quality, professional marketing materials that can be picked up at a nearby neighborhood printer or received by mail in just a few days. The easy-to-use service allows people with no previous design or printing experience to customize professionally designed templates for business cards, postcards, flyers, brochures, appointment cards, coupons, letterhead and envelopes.

QuarkPromote.com is:

Easy-to-Use: Anyone familiar with common office software can create marketing materials in three easy steps. Customers first browse through a selection of free, professionally designed templates, complete with suggested marketing text and stock photos. Then they customize the template with information about their company and, when finished, place their printing order to be picked up at a nearby printer or received by mail.

Professional: Customers can choose from among hundreds of templates to create one marketing piece or an entire matching set of items. Templates are created by professional designers using Quark's leading design software, QuarkXPress 8, and can be sorted by product or industry.

Affordable: QuarkPromote.com offers four-color, 2-sided materials printed on high-quality paper and standard 5-7 day delivery by mail at a competitive price. There are no hidden fees, and shipping is free.

Convenient: Only QuarkPromote.com provides customers the speed and convenience of ordering materials for quick, easy pickup at a nearby printer, often in three days or less, at no extra charge. Major print franchises and independent printers across the U.S. have partnered with QuarkPromote.com, including Allegra Network, AlphaGraphics, PIP, Signal Graphics, and Sir Speedy.


"QuarkPromote.com is a natural extension of our company's mission to be the leading provider of design and publishing technology for customers of all sizes—whether they're professional designers, large corporate customers, or small businesses," said Ray Schiavone, president and CEO of Quark.

"We are entering a booming Web-to-Print market with an exciting offering that combines our 25 years of experience in design and publishing technology with our unparalleled knowledge of print production to offer small businesses an easy, professional, and affordable way to produce their printed marketing materials."