Glossary

Banner The classic web advertising medium: a fixed space featuring static or animated content.
Expandable banner Like a classic banner, except that it grows in size as the user clicks on it.
Superbanner As the name suggests, this is a supersize banner, grabbing more eyeballs and creating more room for advertising content.
Expandable superbanner Simply a superbanner that expands when you click on it.
MPU This is short for Multi-Purpose Unit and refers to a more-or-less square online advert usually found embedded in a fixed position on a web page. It’s ‘multi-purpose’ because it’s effectively a blank canvas that you can use for flat or interactive content as required.
Expandable MPU The same as a standard MPU, except that it expands in size when you click on it.
Skyscraper As you would expect, this is a particularly tall banner format that runs up the left or right hand side of the page.
Expandable skyscraper A skyscraper that expands outwards as you click on it.
Pre-roll One of the most popular online video advertising formats, consisting of a short video ad that plays just before some requested video content.
Overlay A floating flash layer that sits on top of page or video content. This is an increasingly popular online video advertising format. Rather than a ‘pre-roll’ video appearing before requested content, this is effectively an advertising strip that sits over a video as it plays.
Homepage Advertorial The advantage of an advertorial is that it is perceived more as content, rather than advertising. By appearing on the Virginmedia.com homepage, you also enjoy exposure to one of the largest residential broadband audiences in the UK.
Channel Advertorial A channel advertorial allows you to target audiences with a specific interest (everything from sport to comedy to technology), in a way that is perceived more as content than advertising.
Text Links These are static, text-only ads that provide a quick link to relevant content – a direct and no-nonsense way to attract specific audiences.
Surveys Online surveys can be a great way to attract and engage specific audiences and measure campaign performance. A text or image link takes the user to a bespoke survey.
Search keywords This is a great way to pinpoint specific audiences by associating yourself with relevant search terms, such as ‘sports’ ‘music videos’ or ‘beauty tips’. When people use the Virginmedia.com search engine, your advert will then appear as sponsored content.
Microsites Microsites are effectively mini-websites dedicated exclusively to your content. They can be used for everything from games and competitions to in-depth product information.
Advertiser funded content Video-on-demand and mobile video technology have opened up huge opportunities for advertisers. Rather than associating yourself with existing content, one option is to create original content that carries a sympathetic brand message.
Homepage hijack This is where advertisers get 100% share of voice on a site homepage for a fixed period of time. Advertisers have exclusivity of all of the advertising placements and can also re-skin the entire page with their branding.
Channel hijack Similar to the homepage hijack, this allows you to ‘take over’ the homepage of a specific channel site, such as Sports or Travel.
Sponsorship As well as advertising around existing content, or producing your own, there is also the option to sponsor specific video-on-demand content on relevant subjects such as sports or music.
Competition Competitions can be a great way to engage with users and establish ongoing relationships. We are happy to advise on competition formats that have worked successfully in the past.

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