PointRoll puts Twitter in ad units

The tool allows consumers to tweet into the ad units, telling friends and followers about marketers' products and services. From a brand perspective, it is a useful tool as many studies have found that word of mouth marketing - product reviews, consumer product recommendations and recommendations by friends - are one of the best ways to convert new customers.

"Leveraging in-ad social networking capabilities allows brands and agencies to extend the reach of their other digital efforts across Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, and more importantly, connect with users to create an ongoing dialogue," said Catherine Spurway, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing at PointRoll. "We work with the best marketers in the world and understand the importance of thinking beyond the banner to help support and drive a halo effect for our client's online and offline investments."

One of the first promotions for the tool was for the movie 'Bruno'; Universal Studios and The Visionaire Group used the tool to push streaming tweets. Consumers could get updates on the film, watch videos, view photos and other social activities. During the campaign more than 1500 consumers engaged with the unit.

Tags: PointRoll, rich media, social marketing, social networks, streaming tweets, tweets, Twitter