TV advertising and measurement technologies have begun to better link television and video data, as online marketers begin to understand the importance and benefits of multichannel marketing. Evidence from multiple sources released this week point to a blurring of the lines. A Forrester Research study looks at the benefits of bridging audience data management for online and offline channels. Deep in a report -- "It's Time To Bridge The Audience Data Management Divide" -- Forrester Research analyst Srividya Sridharan points to steps taken by Kantar Media and Rentrak to advance TV measurement, how Simulmedia uses set-top box data to buy and sell traditional TV ads to deliver greater targeting efficiency, and how Invidi Technologies and Visible World provide the backbone to serve addressable TV ads. The report analyzes embracing TV audience data as a viable "audience intelligence source." TV and video audience data has been ignored by direct marketing programs, because it lacked measurability and effectiveness, but behavioral-based TV data is now becoming available through set-top box technology, according to the report. Technology advancements connecting TV with video creates real-time insights to help marketers target ads. Through a partnership with eXelate, the cloud services data company Turn has access to Nielsen TV data that it integrates with online video data. More than 96% of Turn customers plan to increase online video advertising budgets in the next three to six months, and 62% plan to increase brand awareness as an objective, according to a May 2012 client survey released Wednesday. The company runs more than 3,000 campaigns monthly for more than 200 agencies. Paul Alfieri, vice president of global marketing at Turn, said large brand and agency marketers continue to orient their thinking more toward online video assets that can run on TV and how will the two interact. "Conversations have been around customers sitting on the couch in front of the TV with an iPad -- so do we run the online video an hour prior to the TV show, and how does that influence interaction and brand messaging?" he said. "Technology has evolved, so we don't need to take two separate paths to production for online and offline video. You can shoot the 30-minute slot and slice off a piece for online." Progressive networks that have Internet proprieties have begun to offer package deals for online and offline ads, Alfieri said. Marketers must understand how consumers use and navigate multiple channels and how one channel influences another before effectively integrating campaigns to achieve the best results from branding and direct-response campaigns. Social networks lead viewers to new TV shows. A January 2012 poll of households by marketing research company Horowitz Associates found that 19% of respondents had begun watching a TV show after reading about it on a social network or blog. Pointing to the findings in a research note, eMarketer tells us 23% of those polled said they visited a Web site or used an app that provided more content about a show, while 39% had used the Internet to search for more information about television content.
The CW is adding more than 50 hours of programming to its lineup of shows, including its first full summer slate of original series. For the first time, the network -- a joint venture of CBS and Warner Bros. -- is debuting its fall schedule in October to avoid the September crush, when most shows debut and make it more difficult for any individual program to be noticed. The CW also unveiled a new digital content effort called CDW, a digital in-house studio that will create short-form programs for digital streams including online, mobile and tablets. Many of those efforts will also lead into CW programs that air on cwtv.com. In what CW president Mark Pedowitz characterized as a bid to “stabilize” the schedule, changes are being made every night of the week. The CW lost more than 140,000 viewers in prime time this season among its core 18-34 audience (based on live-plus-same-day Nielsen ratings), according to Brad Adgate, senior vice president, research at Horizon Media. Five new one-hour dramas have been picked up for next season, including three that will start in the fall and two that will be added midseason. On Monday night, “90210” will move to 8 p.m., followed by the final half-season of “Gossip Girl.” “The Carrie Diaries” will replace “Gossip” in January 2013. It’s a prequel to “Sex And The City,” portraying the coming-of-age years of Carrie Bradshaw, the latter show’s main character. On Tuesday “Hart of Dixie” in a new time period kicks off the night at 8 p.m. That will be followed by the new medical drama “Emily Owens MD.” On Wednesday, the new “Arrow” premieres at 8 p.m. and will be followed by the returning “Supernatural.” “Arrow” is about a man feared dead, who returns to civilization after years on a mysterious island to become a superhero crime fighter. “The Vampire Diaries” returns to its 8 p.m. slot on Thursday nights, followed by “Beauty And The Beast,” an update on the classic tale. “America’s Top Model” shifts to Fridays at 8 p.m., followed by “Nikita” at 9 p.m. -- a new time for the returning drama. The new drama “Cult,” about a TV show that has strange effects on people, bows in midseason. The summer slate was unveiled several weeks ago and includes three reality shows, including competition show “Star Next Door,” and a program about the intense world of ballet called “Breaking Pointe.” Also on tap: “The Catalina,” about the employees and guests of a “rocking” hotel in Miami. The digital studio CWD will feature original content focusing on four areas, including animation, game shows, comedy and digital personalities. Upcoming projects include the comedy “Gallery Girl,” about a wise-cracking SoHo (New York) gallery owner. Also in the works is a game/competition show “Fandemonium,” where contestants vie for the title of top CW Facebook fan. Social media platforms Pinterest, GetGlue and Klout are also part of the mix. Another CWD effort, “Stupid Hype," is a live-action series created by and starring “Hart of Dixie” star Wilson Bethel. Pedowitz said that while broadcast remains the “core” CW channel, the network is “fully convergent,” noting that its Apple and Android apps, unveiled two months ago have been downloaded more than 1 million times. The network has an embedded digital player on Facebook. CW is less interested than other networks about moving from a ratings system that counts three days of DVR viewing (known as C3) to one that counts seven days of DVR viewing (C7). Given its audience’s heavy use of digital media to view CW content, the network is already using a hybrid Nielsen/DoubleClick ratings system to sell ads, based on viewership across all of its platforms. “We have a measurement system that works,” said Rob Tuck, executive vice president national sales at the network. Tuck added that the network is in talks with numerous clients about upfront deals, but declined to provide specifics.
Blurring the lines between old and new media, Youtoo just debuted a Facebook app that encourages users to upload videos for TV consumption. The move is plainly a bid by Youtoo to expand its reach. “For the first time, Youtoo technology is instantly available to the 800 million Facebook users,” said CEO Chris Wyatt. Formerly AmericanLife TV Network, Youtoo TV -- which can now be seen in 177 domestic cable markets -- and social-media platform Youtoo.com have been around since late 2011. Youtoo TV is available in more than 15 million cable households, but Wyatt sees the network and the Web site as a way to test new products and technologies. The idea is to then work with TV producers and networks to integrate those technologies into the shows. Users of the new app can record and upload videos based on certain questions. Once videos are recorded, they will automatically post to users’ Facebook timelines or walls. They can then be shared among “friends.” When a Facebook user’s video is approved and scheduled for air, they will receive a notification on Facebook of the time and date they will be on Youtoo TV. To date, YouToo claims to have nationally televised over 90,000 videos submissions from users who have uploaded their videos via Youtoo.com. For Facebook users who don't want to be on TV, the "Be on TV" app allows them to send personalized messages, including birthday greetings and congratulations to family and friends Mark Burnett -- who has overseen a string of reality hits, including “Survivor” -- recently took an ownership stake in Youtoo. The investment, which was not disclosed, came from Burnett’s company One Three Television. To date, Youtoo has attracted big cable networks, including Comcast, as well as content creators, directors and producers such as Christopher Coppola.
Following the Digital Content NewFronts that wrapped up a few weeks ago, ad industry executives, pundits and other industry watchers have been outspoken in their belief that the concerted effort made by the Web’s biggest content sellers to urge advertisers to divert their millions to Web video and other platforms was unlikely to move the spending needle by very much. And even though some big brands like General Motors and Samsung Mobile have said they plan to move significant money into digital since then, Barclays Equity Research analyst Anthony DiClemente doesn’t think their efforts will move the needle by very much, either -- and he has the numbers to back it up. Citing Nielsen data, DiClemente points out that most viewers still spend a lot more time watching TV than they do Web video. Each month, the average person spent 153:19 hours watching live TV in 2011, compared to just 4:34 hours watching Web video, and 4:20 hours watching video on their mobile devices. The monthly total for TV watching was actually down 46 minutes from the average in 2010, but this was made up for by the fact that consumers watched an additional 1:17 hours of TV through their DVRs, which means that TV viewing effectively gained 31 minutes per average consumer. Web video viewing, meanwhile, increased by only 11 minutes from 2010, and was flat for mobile devices. With that in mind, if digital video advertising is expected to grow by 36 percent this year, where will the additional revenue come from? According to DiClemente, video’s gain will come “more at the expense of print ad budgets.” Overall, DiClemente says, “we think it is still too early for online video to be meaningfully disruptive to TV.” He adds that Web video’s ad-supported business model is also far from convincing: since TV-quality premium content is expensive to produce, “we wonder about what the eventual return on that investment could be.”
A clear majority of TV viewers (63%) are consulting a connected device while watching TV, a new IAB/Ipsos MediaCT study shows. But among those “second screeners” the smartphone was the most popular multitasking device among 45% of respondents -- the tablet with 30% and the familiar computer with only 21%. The findings are part of the larger report “Multiscreen Marketer,” conducted with IAB and Econsultancy, and “Screens to nth,” with Ipsos MediaCT, launched at IAB Innovation Days @ Internet Week. While 63% of people said they had used a connected device the last time they watched a live TV, the metrics for second screening during time-shifted TV viewing was similar, with 66% saying they used a device. An ongoing question about second-screen activities is whether they serve as a distraction from the televised content or a complement. The IAB study finds that the majority of users are engaged in a range of activities that have little to do with the TV content: email, social networking, text messaging. On the other hand, 45% of smartphone and 30% of tablet multi-iscreeners are doing something on their devices related to the show itself. It is most interesting that the peer-to-peer conversational behaviors are occurring most often on the device that otherwise people traditionally use for (duh) peer-to-peer communication. Yes, it seems like a simple observation, but it bears remembering when distinguishing between smartphone and tablet functions, especially when it comes to second screening. For instance, 45% of all smartphone owners using their devices while the TV is on will be doing something related to the show, Ipsos finds. But only 30% of tablet owners will. Among the behaviors most noted on smartphones related to the TV content are text/email/IM with a friend about the show (23%) versus 12% on tablet. Even more interesting is the surprising prevalence of voice chat (20%) over smartphones during a show. In fact, voice chatting over smartphones during a show is as popular as engaging friends on the social network (20%). My daughter clued me in to something akin to this behavior, as she and her friends now regularly schedule Netflix viewings over their respective Xboxes using the game console’s voice chat channel to share comments. This survey found that 33% of people said they thought it was a good idea to be able to converse with others who are not in the room about a TV show. Almost three-quarters of the 18- to-24-year-old segment (73%), which includes my daughter, like the idea. She will be so proud to be demographically correct. About 37% of smartphone multiscreeners are using their devices to talk about on-air ads they have seen, compared to only 18% of computer users and 16% of tablet users. Again, text/email/IM (22%) was more popular with smartphone owners than social networks (16%). Tablets become a greater second-screen force when the viewer is compelled to deeper drills like researching a product seen on TV or getting more detailed show information. The Multiscreen Marketer study focused on users who were employing multiple devices during their TV time. In these cases, the IAB and Econsultancy discovered, people with three or more screens going at once (TV, PC, smartphone and/or tablet) were much more likely to use them while watching TV. For the younger 18- to-44-year-old demographic, 77% of them are likely to be multitasking. And while many fear that multitasking ultimately dilutes the effectiveness of TV advertising, these early numbers suggest the opposite effect. Among “four screeners” 53% were able to associate up to three advertisers with TV programs, compared to 46% of three-screeners and 42% of two-screeners. The research suggests some possbile new paths among second-screen developers. Because Facebook and Twitter are the hammers that everyone has at hand, then "social TV" tends to look like the same nail --inviting your vast crowd of faux friends or like-minded strangers into your second screen. This research suggests to me that many viewers want to be able to construct much more intimate social circles around their viewing, either through voice chat rooms that an app might facilitate or a circle of friends that could share a more manageable flow of text exchanges. At our OMMA Mobile panel on second-screen efforts, I asked Yahoo's Adam Cahan about the sometimes irritating torrent of social commentary that flows into some "social TV" apps, and he said that many people actually do like that torrent and enjoy dipping in and out of it. Most on the panel mentioned the need to curate the flow more effectively or editorially highlight the user-generated content that mattered. But I would like to see in the next generation of these apps social management features that allow the user to easily create a social viewing circle on the fly and choose their preferred communication mode to chat virtually about a show. After all, the best digital models are the ones that mimic and extend behavioral pattersn we bring to the technology -- not the ones the technology wants to impose on us.
At the OMMA Video conference today, moderator Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, Founder/CEO of WatchMojo.com, asked his panelists to predict the future of television and online videos. When asked if online ad revenue will surpass TV ad revenue in 10 years, all but one panelist said they believed it would. Online videos still have a ways to go – TV is still the king of ad revenue. Mark Trefgarne, Co-Founder and CEO of LiveRail, said, “No one will watch TV in 15 years.” That’s a bold prediction, but his fellow panelists didn’t argue the point. Brett Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of TubeMogul, says that the definition of television will be so different 10-15 years from now, it’s impossible to know what it’s going to look like. When reading these predictions, remember that even though the popularity of online video is growing at a tremendous rate, it’s not as big as people predicted it would be just five years ago.
There's no question that social video, social media and social TV are hot. Nearly every network has some sort of social media tie-in for a show, be it USA Network’s recent work with Viggle for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” or Discovery integrating tweets into shows. Plus, consumers are really digging the opportunity to talk about what they’re watching. The amount of social activity surrounding prime-time TV has nearly tripled year over year, said Mark Ghuneim, CEO of social TV tracking service Trendrr.tv during an interview with Beet.TV. CBS interactive said it has seen a 15% increase in online video views for its shows coming from fans on Facebook and Twitter. Shari Anne Brill, president and CEO of media strategy consultancy Shari Anne Brill Media, said social media has garnered so much attention in the TV ranks not because it can create an audience, but because it can get viewers more engaged. Nearly all networks are paying closer attention to the type of buzz they are driving, she said. Many are rolling out new social video opportunities. As an example, leading up to and during this weekend's May 19th “Saturday Night Live” finale, SNL cast members will use the Color for Facebook app to capture and share live video from backstage via Facebook. Color users will receive an alert on their phone to tune in when a cast member starts to shoot. It will be interesting to see if this partnership drives downloads and usage for the app and additional viewership for the show. The question remains, however — are social tie-ins like this a gimmick or do they last? At the end of the day, would viewers rather just tweet about shows than download apps and answer trivia?
Dish's Network’s attempt to allow consumers to “Autohop” through commercials in the blink of an eye may seem ground-breaking to some. In fact, it's just a hand grenade into what NBC Universal chief Ted Harbert calls a threat on our "eco-system." Have new media planners mentioned the word "disruption" recently? This would be “disruption” big time. Mind you, this technology has always been around. Other cable, satellite and telco operators could have moved in the same direction. But we all know the wrath that can be levied by the big major broadcasters in this regard. Who would want to dance in this space? Maybe Dish is just appealing to a growing consumer point of view that perhaps, at this time in the evolution of digital media, we may not need to watch advertising and other messaging. Maybe Dish could somehow work out a new formula for the new digital consumer. No problem. The networks might want to renegotiate their carriage deals with Dish -- but not for 50 cents or $1 per subscriber. Maybe they will do deals at $10, $20 or $100 a sub. With no advertising in shows that consumers still regard as traditional TV, networks would just need to adjust accordingly. To the networks, if Dish wants to be a Netflix, Hulu or Apple Store, so be it. But there will be a price to pay. In the near term, the networks will sue or threaten to remove their channels from Dish's 15 million or so subscribers. Right now, Dish's efforts amount to 10% of all the homes receiving U.S broadcast networks. AutoHop is only focusing on the prime-time efforts of the four major networks, with cable networks spared for the moment. Dish may want to develop more into a renegade digital TV brand for its consumers. It is surely better positioned to be that than those newfangled internet-connected TV services like Aero (or, previously, FilmOn and ivi Tv). Dish is getting mentioned during the upfronts, but the intended target of those network presentations are advertisers and media agencies. And that is not a business Dish is in right now. New digital media companies are always rethinking their business formulas and revenues. Consumer fees, content license fees or advertising dollars? What is Dish up to? One thing for sure: Right now, as with other digital players, it means innovation --and some hard-core entropy.
That’s how Vetere Group Chief Tim Hanlon got things going on the “Online Vs. Offline” panel he’s moderating at OMMA Video.
A month after the fact, what do industry insiders think of AOL’s decision to offer TV-style guarantees on audience delivery for its video ads? It was “a step in the right direction,” said Chris Whitman, Integrated Investments Manager at Universal McCann/J3. It’s “a way to do a reach buy,” he acknowledged on an afternoon panel at OMMA Video. Sure, it’s “ultimately about connecting audiences,” said Steve Kerho, SVP of Analytics, Media & Marketing Optimization at Organic. “If it moves more money into the business, then we’re open to it,” added Kenneth Lagana, Senior Vice President of Entertainment and Lifestyle at CBS Interactive. Employing a fledgling Nielsen ratings stream, the AOL deals will be based on GRPs with audience demographics, not simply clicks or impressions.
Moaning about "Rock Center with Brian Williams" and its low ratings (under 2 million viewers)? Hey, these things take time and, more importantly, you may not be considering the overall picture: what the 10 p.m. slot is becoming and what the show means to the late news shows on NBC’s affiliates. Running "Rock Center" not only helps by providing a more seamless lead-in, but gives stations the higher-level patina of “NBC Nightly News” anchor Williams. Sure the set costs a lot of money, but overall production is cheaper than with $3 million per episode dramas. There are also continued much lower ratings for 10 p.m. network dramas, with research increasingly showing the time period as an ever-bigger playground for time-shifted viewing. You might remember that a key reason NBC put Jay Leno on at 10 p.m. was because viewers would want to watch him live. For the most part, the same is true with news programs. Viewers would rather watch them live. And the 10 p.m. ones keep viewers sticking around to watch their local station’s late newscasts. They’re good lead-ins. Yes, lead-ins. For years, people have talked about appointment television, saying that viewers skip around from network to network, and that lead-in and lead-out programming is not so important. Well, that is not entirely true. Programmers continue to put shows behind an "American Idol" finale, the Super Bowl or high-rated comedies like "Big Bang Theory" or "Modern Family" because they pull in more viewers. Some may complain that NBC running a bunch of comedies on Thursday, and switching to "Rock Center" at 10 p.m. will be a major disruption to audience flow next season. Comedies skew young. News programming? The other end of the spectrum -- older viewers, who remain a crucial audience target for stations’ late newscasts. The truth is that, at 10 p.m. NBC and other networks are now turning into different kinds of programmers. Might shows like "Dateline NBC," "Primetime," or "20/20" join the push on a more full-time basis?
CIMM is taking a proactive role in advancing new media nomenclature and processes with both its Lexicon(terms and definitions associated with return path data measurement) and Asset Identification Primer (glossary of asset terms). These documents form the basis of this column, which offers a common language for RPD nomenclature that can expedite the rollout of the data for its many industry applications. Middleware is ubiquitous to computing infrastructure, but also holds special importance in the world of return-path data and measurement. RPD middleware not only provides a range of data capabilities including interactivity and addressability, it also may contain strains of usage data that need to be captured and merged with other collections of data from the box and associated streams. Let’s look at the terms and definitions associated with middleware: Middleware CIMM DEFINITION: General term for software programming that serves to connect to or communicate between two or more software applications so they can exchange data. 2: Software that resides on a set-top box that enables viewer measurement and advanced advertising capabilities, including interactivity and addressability. Middleware software additionally enables return-path data to be sent back to the distributor platform or to third-party research companies. (Source: Nielsen) 3: In the digital cable context, it is a standard software platform on which MSO and 3rd party applications can execute identically, irrespective of STB or operating system software. The emerging standards are now EBIF for all STBs, and also Tru2Way on advanced STBs. (Source: FourthWall Media) NOTE - Middleware sits between the system software (OS or firmware) and the application. (Source: Invidi) Middleware LayerSee also: Middleware CIMM DEFINITION: Another name for middleware, since middleware is a layer on the system applications that form the set-top box. Please refer to the CIMM Lexicon online at http://www.cimm-us.org/lexicon.htm for additional information on these and other terms.
Ah, those caveats. They’ll get you every time, right? During the OMMA Video afternoon conversation between AOL On Network’s Ran Harnevo and MediaPost columnist Cathy Taylor, Harnevo characterized the current TV/video marketplace in a pretty honest way. Unlike a lot of digital chest-beaters, he acknowledged that “TV is not broken,” but then, after the appropriate dramatic pause, added, “yet!.” Probed by Taylor Harnevo said he didn’t know what would ultimately break TV’s successful, entrenched business model, but said it’s already starting to fray at the edges, due to the legions of connected TV platforms that are emerging in consumer households – and handhelds – training viewers that they can view without conventional TV access. “Something will happen,” Harnevo predicted, speculating, “Apple will buy HBO, I don’t know.”