Hitviews in Forbes.com

Forbes.com: Internet Marketing
By Laurie Burkitt
Posted April 29, 2009  11:00 AM ET

So far it seems the only downside to using Internet pros is that companies have to give up some creative control. There can be product integration, but a Web show that centers around a product probably won't go viral. (Exception: the videos showing the explosive combination of Mentos and Diet Coke, but those were created by amateurs.) The Web video creators tend to stick with their style and content. "These stars know what their viewers want to watch," says Walter Sabo, founder and chief executive officer of Hitviews, a New York advertising and talent shop. "They know how to get view counts up, and marketers haven't figured that out yet."

Since Sabo launched Hitviews last November, the company has matched Tivo with "Nalts," a 39-year-old who runs a blog called Will Video For Food, and Readers Digest with "Mr. Safety," 27-year-old Cory Williams, who reportedly earns $17,000 to $20,000 a month from advertising on his personal channel (Hitviews just ads some extra monthly income). The video generated 641,000 hits in 48 hours. Hitviews has holding agreements with 30 online celebrities, which prevents them from cutting marketing deals directly with companies or other agencies.

Are these affiliations risk-free for marketers? So far. There is always a risk that these amateur Web video folks will do something embarrassing in real life that will reflect poorly on the marketer--but that's a danger with any endorser.

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