Microsoft Targets Ads Cross-Platform, Adds TV Offline Data

James-ColbornMicrosoft is working to target ads across computers, mobile and television, bringing in offline data from multiple sources. The company already has consumer product goods data -- and now it will look to add more, such as television. James Colborn, director of the targeting and exchange team, U.S. Sales at Microsoft, told MediaPost that is the company focus for 2012. He spoke at the Consumer Electronics Show.

"This year, the goal becomes not only growing the concept of audience targeting, but doing it with multiple variables by looking at the target audience and location."

A Windows Live ID login allows Microsoft to pull data from multiple sources to target ads across three screens. The data is linked through the ID when consumers sign up for Microsoft's mail, messenger or other services. The data is culled from Xbox 360, Bing search queries, activities based on experience data, and now offline data from companies such as comScore, Acxiom and Experian.

The evolution of how advertisers engage with consumers on these devices will continue to evolve and differ, Colborn said. But brands looking for a specific audience typically want to target the same audience on desktop, mobile, TV and Xbox.

On Xbox, the ads appear in an environment that does not allow consumers to easily click through to a landing page -- unlike the PC, where the ability to click through ads to make purchases is easier. On mobile devices, brands may want to think about the potential of immediacy and location.

Multiple media will make it more important for advertisers to focus on messages and sequences -- the order in which the ads will appear. Even if consumers first viewed the ad on a mobile phone, serving the ad on the desktop might give the consumer more time to make the decision to purchase the product.

The sequence in which the ads appear will become more important because of media's diversity and the need to connect the three screens, Colborn said.

1 comment about "Microsoft Targets Ads Cross-Platform, Adds TV Offline Data".
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  1. Herb Lair from CUO,Inc., January 12, 2012 at 8:55 a.m.

    Directions where Microsoft must go -
    Behavioral Based Social Media System for the Cable TV Market

    Cable has long history of failing to develop 1-1 target marketing,the Holy Grail of advertising which could offset content cost increases.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/jason-kilar-here-are-my-thoughts-on-hulu-and-the-future-of-tv-2011-2

    Excerpt from above link on February, 2011 Business Insider
    Identifies advertising market being missed by Cable TV operators
    “Advertisers have weighed in heavily on the future of TV, with both their thoughts and their considerable wallets. Advertisers are increasingly expecting to present their advertising messages to just their desired audience…. In the near future, advertisers will demand the ability to target their messages to people rather than targeting their messages to TV shows as proxies for people.”

    The obvious alternative, with the least cost to implement is an independent Cloud CRM solution designed to cross index cable subscriber households with their corresponding social network interests. The current regulatory and privacy issues experienced by cable TV operators gathering unauthorized data from set-top boxes could be minimized, by validating subscriber and even eliminated by essentially having an opt-in plan (provided conveniently by the social media). Access along with profile and interests of households would be controlled by the subscriber’s social media platform of choice. Facebook has high consumer acceptance and could be used for household profiles, product interests, social interests, and viewing entertainment interests. There would be incentives to the subscribers to opt-in including notification and reminder of viewing favorites, Groupon type ads, and specific ads matching interests with infomercial type group discounts and urgency to buy.

    The current design of target marketing advertising ventures is fundamentally flawed. They focus on demographics, and fail to identify the individual behavioral current and future household interests.

    I would propose using a data cross indexing similar to a data warehouse project I was involved with at iN Demand. http://www.indemand.com/ .

    Project would involve developing a bidirectional Cloud interface program using a CRM application between the social media and MSO subscriber records and communicating behavioral marketing - business advertising, discounts, specific videos/groups, family albums – providing subscriber awareness of TV programming -- movies, products, etc. similar to Amazon and Groupon. This would make subscriber stickier and substantially reduce turnover.

    To paraphrase a comment I made in the CED 1999 publication about the Internet, cable TV operators need to become the new best friends with the billion members of social media.

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