The New York Times is upping its digital video investments with the launch of a new editorial section that complements several new cross-screen advertising opportunities for marketers.

The new video section is called Times Video and is designed with responsive design to render across smartphones, tablets and desktops, and Acura is the launch sponsor of the new site. The New York Times has also partnered with Vimeo to create customized content for advertisers.

?There is a high demand for high-quality, original source video, from both viewers on NYTimes.com and from our advertisers,? said Linda Zebian, spokeswoman at the New York Times, New York.

"The Times has been producing video for many years so this is not a new venture for us, however this was our first time presentating at NewFronts,? she said. ?We wanted to create a fresh and engaging presentation for Times Video, allowing users to find the content they are looking for easier, as well as experience new content they may not have expected.?

Dialing up mobile video
Times Video categorizes video into 14 categories, which runs the gamut from lifestyle, sports, science and news content, on http://www.nytimes.com/video. 

Examples of video content include a section called ?Times Minute,? where a reporter recaps a story in a short video clip.

Another video looks at the implications to the fashion industry from last year?s collapse of Bangladesh?s Rana Plaza. The video complements an article on the New York Times? Web site.

The New York Times debuted Times Video yesterday during a presentation in New York, marking the publication?s first NewFront appearance.

As the appetite for mobile and tablet video grows, the New York Times is betting that advertisers will be interested in running cross-device campaigns.

A recent study from the Mobile Marketing Association indicates that this is true.

Per the report, non-skippable linear video ads generate the highest click-through rates. The ad formats in the study averaged a 2.3 percent CTR, followed by 1.5 percent for skippable linear ads and 2.21 percent for non-skippable interstitial ads (see story). 

Branded video content
In addition to the new editorial section, the New York Times will also begin churning out more branded content as part of a partnership with Vimeo. The content is available via Times Video and on Vimeo?s platforms.

The first effort out of the partnership is a series that examines the evolution of food and culture within the United States? immigrant society.  

Advertising content is also being incorporated into branded playlists that will appear next to editorial content.

The first branded playlist campaign launched yesterday from Sotheby?s International Realty. The content is marked and shaded in a light blue color to indicate that it is sponsored.

Sotheby?s campaign includes a video that is more than seven minutes long and looks at the Seven Springs ranch property in Cupertino, CA.

The video playlists are the newest addition to the New York Times? sponsored content monetization efforts that began rolling out earlier this year with the publication?s biggest digital revamp since 2006 (see story). 

With mobile now accounting for roughly half of the New York Times? traffic, optimizing the video content across multiple screens is a smart move for the publisher. 

?We know that nearly half of our digital audience accesses our content from a mobile device so it is important that we reach our users on the devices they use,? Ms. Zebian said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York