• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, September 9, 2011

In an industry known for magically serving relevant messages, tying television content to Internet ads seems like the next logical step in ad targeting. TV Accelerator -- launched jointly by Collective, which provides display and video advertising, and Rentrak, a multiscreen media measurement platform provider -- allows advertisers to target consumers with online ads related to content they viewed on TV.

Advertisers that spend millions on hundreds of campaigns running 30-second commercials across 15 programs during a 30-day time slot can also target the TV viewing audience online with what Joe Apprendi, Collective CEO, calls "data-driven accuracy."

Rentrak's database knows households' historic viewing habits. Data models are built based on 3,240 segmentations and matched with the audience cloud to identify users online before targeting them through video or display ads. Privacy guidelines prohibit one-to-one targeting, Apprendi said, so the company built a model that comes as close as it can without violating guidelines.

Five companies have begun testing the combined platforms, but Collective and Rentrak aren't the only companies with this idea. MStar and Channel Island have collaborated to advance TV advertising and applications in set-top boxes. The software supports profiling and geographic targeting for video ads. Network operators receive audience measurement and response metrics that include behavioral information.

Consumers have a tendency to remember ads and messages from TV ads when they view similar ads online. While 36% of viewers recalled a brand's ad after seeing it both on TV and online, only 27% recalled it after seeing it only on the TV, according to Nielsen. Interestingly, 29% versus 20%, respectively, recalled the message.

Apprendi pointed to Nielsen data that suggests "for every one impression advertisers buy on TV they should buy two online" to get the most "bang for their buck."

Collective had most of the pieces to build the offering. Data on 190 million unique users in the United States, distribution through video and display ad inventory, and ad formats and technology through two companies -- Tumri and Oggifinogi -- acquired earlier this year. Rentrak adds the source data, with 7.5 million households and 19 million televisions across the U.S.

What will it take to pull in mobile, such as smartphones and tablets? Apprendi said having the ability to use cookies, since targeting anonymous cookies through video and display or social content online is not available in mobile devices. Web surfing to TV targeting will also take a bit of work through cookies, along with real-time targeting, he said.