Watch Now: Turnstil is a unique ad format that offers non-subscribers a choice at the paywall: subscribe or exchange their attention with the advertiser for limited free access to normally gated content.
This model provides an entirely new revenue stream to content providers, from those visitors who would otherwise leave when confronted with a pay or leave choice.
Our model doesn’t cannibalize your existing subscribers, because your cookies will ID them, keeping them from ever seeing our paywall option screen.
Advertisers will get a guaranteed interactive engagement from all users who choose to “pay” with their attention for free access. All the actions taken within our ad format are collected and provided to the advertiser in aggregate form.
Publishers can use our ad unit to give non-subs a compelling subscription special and provide the signup right then and there.
Our model is truly the Bridge Between Free and Fee.
This model provides an entirely new revenue stream to content providers, from those visitors who would otherwise leave when confronted with a pay or leave choice.
Our model doesn’t cannibalize your existing subscribers, because your cookies will ID them, keeping them from ever seeing our paywall option screen.
Advertisers will get a guaranteed interactive engagement from all users who choose to “pay” with their attention for free access. All the actions taken within our ad format are collected and provided to the advertiser in aggregate form.
Publishers can use our ad unit to give non-subs a compelling subscription special and provide the signup right then and there.
Our model is truly the Bridge Between Free and Fee.
How Our Ad Format Works: Viewers opt-in and steer their own ad experience. Optimally, the ad provides viewers with steps that keep pushing the experience forward. I.e. Select a favorite color, take a survey, play a game. Within 2 screens viewers reach the option to drill down deeper or click to the Call to Action plus the link to the Premium content.
SURVEY SAYS: MOST PEOPLE WON'T SUBSCRIBE,
BUT ARE WILLING TO HAVE AN ADVERTISER PAY THEIR WAY IN
A recent Turnstil Survey reveals strong consumer desire to avoid current subscription offerings and for a new way to access paywalls. When given 3 choices of going through a paywall, 93% expressed willingness to watch an ad in exchange for limited access. Turnstil's view is that consumers prefer this to publishers requiring payment card information for free or discounted offers that often turn into commitments when the viewer doesn’t remember to cancel.
THIS LEADS TO. . .
THE UNTAPPED POWER OF NON-SUBSCRIBERS
Because non-subscribers who arrive at a digital content or service site and encounter a paywall account for around 95% of unique visitors, giving them free articles or blocking those that will never become subscribers is not an optimal business model. Satisfying the reason they came by letting an advertiser pay their way in monetizes their arrival at the content location. What other profitable business would send people away when they arrive? We did a math exercise for a mid-size publisher scenario, and see that revenues can increase by 80% through monetizing non-subscribers through the Turnstil platform. Will this cannibalize subscription revenues? Past experience with an early on-line paywall publisher showed the subscriptions and ad revenue increased together due to the new “trial” traffic inside the site for limited times along with offers and promotions once inside the paywall.
ADVERTISERS
ADVERTISERS GET A GUARANTEED ENGAGEMENT,
RESPONSES FROM VIEWERS, AND A "HEROES HALO"
Prior in-market experience shows that when "driving" the interactive ad experience, the consumer spends more than twice the minimum amount of time required before accessing content. The Turnstil approach also solves these major problems facing advertisers and content providers:
- Ad Blocking
- Ad Avoidance
- Ad Fraud / Non Human Traffic
- Viewability shortfalls
IMAGINE AN AD THAT VIEWERS
ASK TO WATCH
Given the CHOICE to subscribe OR engage with an interactive ad makes all the difference. Consumers have conflicted feelings about advertisements when they interfere and interrupt their media experience. Turnstil offers a fair exchange of consumer attention and time for whatever content they have come to enjoy or use. This changes the “cat and mouse game” of consumers trying to avoid ads they are being forced to watch, by moving from forced viewing to active engagement.
A SAMPLE OF CONTENT SITES AND ADVERTISERS WHO
WORKED WITH OUR PREVIOUS PLATFORM
Turnstil's beginnings are with Ultramercial, which ran over 700 campaigns from over 170 advertisers before Turnstil was launched
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can you skip the ad?
No. Turnstil ads provide an exchange of attention for access to normally paid content. This requires users to step through the ad to completion. You can Exit Early, which takes you back to the previous page without premium access.
Is there a countdown clock on the video?
No. Turnstil ads are all about the user’s attention in exchange for premium access. The timer distracts from the video’s content. Besides the video is never longer than 15 seconds, worth the view for premium access.
What if the ad doesn’t work? Will users be stuck?
No. If for any technical reason the ad stalls, there is a “having difficulties” link on every page of the ad that takes you to a simple version of the ad that will run on any device. We even have a contact link for anyone who is truly stuck.
How long are Turnstil Ads?
Turnstil ads usually consist of a 15 second video followed by a page with more info, and ends with a Call to Action page that also has the link to the premium content. A user can click through in 30 seconds or less. However, if the advertiser follows our best practices guidelines, they will find that users will linger, drill down for more info, request information, take another KPI action or even purchase within the ad..
Do you collect personally identifiable user information?
No. Turnstil ads never require users to provide any personally identifiable information. Advertisers can optionally request users to provide contact info at the user's discretion.
What data do you collect?
Turnstil typically collects the following data and provides that data in aggregate form::
Total Starts
Total Completions
Total Number of Completed Videos Only
Total Clickthroughs
Total Number of Incompletes
All Steps Made by the User, ie, forks in the road, choices made, etc.
Average Time Spent
Is the advertiser charged for Turnstil ads that are not completed?
Advertisers are billed on completed ads. A reduced amount is billed if the 15 second video is completed before the user leaves the ad.
No. Turnstil ads provide an exchange of attention for access to normally paid content. This requires users to step through the ad to completion. You can Exit Early, which takes you back to the previous page without premium access.
Is there a countdown clock on the video?
No. Turnstil ads are all about the user’s attention in exchange for premium access. The timer distracts from the video’s content. Besides the video is never longer than 15 seconds, worth the view for premium access.
What if the ad doesn’t work? Will users be stuck?
No. If for any technical reason the ad stalls, there is a “having difficulties” link on every page of the ad that takes you to a simple version of the ad that will run on any device. We even have a contact link for anyone who is truly stuck.
How long are Turnstil Ads?
Turnstil ads usually consist of a 15 second video followed by a page with more info, and ends with a Call to Action page that also has the link to the premium content. A user can click through in 30 seconds or less. However, if the advertiser follows our best practices guidelines, they will find that users will linger, drill down for more info, request information, take another KPI action or even purchase within the ad..
Do you collect personally identifiable user information?
No. Turnstil ads never require users to provide any personally identifiable information. Advertisers can optionally request users to provide contact info at the user's discretion.
What data do you collect?
Turnstil typically collects the following data and provides that data in aggregate form::
Total Starts
Total Completions
Total Number of Completed Videos Only
Total Clickthroughs
Total Number of Incompletes
All Steps Made by the User, ie, forks in the road, choices made, etc.
Average Time Spent
Is the advertiser charged for Turnstil ads that are not completed?
Advertisers are billed on completed ads. A reduced amount is billed if the 15 second video is completed before the user leaves the ad.
ABOUT US:
TURNSTIL TEAM, TECH, CONTACT
John Osborn
Co-Founder
Chief Marketing Officer
john@turnstil.com
917-494-8043
John has been Senior Vice President at BBDO Media and OMD with blue chip clients from Visa and FedEx to DuPont and Eli Lilly. He was first North American Business Development Director for Teads, the ad tech start-up that invented outstream video advertising. John writes for several industry trade publications including AdMonsters and MediaPost.
Dana Jones
Co-Founder,
Turnstīl Inventor and Chief Creative Officer
Dana created what would become Turnstil's interactive ad format that had its first success with Ultramercial LLC. He is a former faculty member of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He developed ad campaigns utilizing our format for clients such as E-Trade, New York Times, Mercedes Benz, Rimmel London, Honda, and Levi's.
Matthew Tomsho
Co-Founder
Chief Technical Officer
Matt has extensive experience in developing database backed systems designed specifically for the web, as well as data extraction and analysis tools for use in web based systems. He has written multiple APIs (Application Programmer Interfaces), as well as experience using 3rd party APIs (such as various Google APIs) to extract and manage data.
Mathias Kruck
Vice President
Client Success and Partnerships
Mathias has served as VP for Customer Success and Strategic Partnerships at Cxense, working with large clients. His experience includes roles at legacy DMPs such as AudienceScience, where he was Global Account Director for their largest advertising client P&G, and Krux (now Salesforce), where he supported clients as Director of Advisory Services.
TURNSTIL TECH
Turnstil ads MUST run on all desktop and laptop browsers, and on all Android, iOS and Windows smart phones and tablets, and their supported mobile browsers. And our ads need to run on a wide range of data speeds, from glass pipes to slow 4G. We handle this by having at least two different versions of the ads, which are selected by our speed sniffers, determining each user's device capabilities. That's a lot of QC. Further, we collect all measurable anonymously gathered user data:
|
• Total Ad Starts
• Total Completions • Average Time Spend |
• Total Clickthroughs to Sponsor's Links
• All users' activity data, i.e., choices of forks in the road; expressed preferences, i.e. color selections, etc. |
• Where user's exited the ad
• Aggregated IP addresses culled to show geographic and zip code level of data |
Our delivery system is handled by the best-in-class edge serving tech from AWS. As we grow. AWS grows with us. World-wide capabilities.