New Technology Matches Faces To Annotations On YouTube

ZEFR, the #5 ranked multi-channel network in the US (per the latest Comscore rankings). has closed a deal that will bring an innovative brand of interactivity to its partner channels. It is teaming up with Fuisz Media Group to bring the media company’s “patented pixel technology” to YouTube.

Fuisz Media’s technology identifies faces and objects within videos by matching pixels against a database and launching annotations in concert with rollovers and clicks. These annotations can range from IMDB profiles of identified actors to shoppable pages for must-have items in the video.

The shoppable function has to be a particularly exciting one for ZEFR, since it often aligns itself with brands and can now offer a monetizable technology still in its nascent stages. While other companies have experimented with interactive, shoppable videos, they are still a rarity on YouTube, where brands must instead sell products alongside active content

“Working with Fuisz Media provides another way ZEFR can support our partners to further increase consumption and engagement of their official video content on YouTube,” said ZEFR co-founder Zach James. “We’re always looking to implement innovative technologies that elevate the connection between fans and the brands they love.”

ZEFR can integrate Fuisz Media’s technology with its existing innovations, such as the ‘post-roll’ portals found on many of its partner videos. The intention is clear: YouTube is about to become a full-on marketplace. Instead of influencing viewers through the power of suggestion, its videos will soon tell consumers exactly which items they should buy.