• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, March 28, 2012

Personalization works.

At least, that’s what cable network CMT  learned during the January online tune-in campaign for its recently launched series “Bayou Billionaires” and “My Big Redneck Vacation.”

The network paired up with online video ad technology firm Eyeview  to use its personalization tools for online video spots. The video ads contained local tune-in information for the two shows, tailored to the user’s geographic area.

Eyeview said click-through rates were up 40% compared to tune-in ads for non-personalized spots. Also, brand awareness rose by about 21% for “definite tune-in intent” when the spots included local details, according to a study Vizu ran on the campaign.

Eyeview teamed up with Adobe for access to premium inventory on online entertainment channels for the campaign. As the campaign ran, the network continued to update the ads with daily show times to keep the messages relevant on a real-time basis.

These are promising figures that underscore the big picture possibilities of online video marketing — that with tweaking, tailoring and measurement, marketers can achieve powerful results.

In related news, real-time buying for online video is rising quickly. Research firm Forrester worked on a study in partnership with video ad network and marketplace SpotXChange  and found that real-time bidding in online video ads will comprise nearly 22% of all online video ad spending by 2013. In 2011, real-time bidding in online video accounted for $190 million, and that number will grow to $387 million this year, and then to $661 million next year, more than triple the 2011 haul. Online display advertisers are leading the charge in adopting real-time bidding for online video.