Gracenote, Invidi Deal Ups Real-Time Ad For TV

by Wayne Friedman , January 16, 2013

Watching-TV-Shutterstock-A Is real-time advertising finally coming to traditional TV?

Sony Corp's Gracenote, the music and video recognition technology company, has struck a deal with Invidi, a major addressable advertising technology company, that "can identify what TV programs and commercials viewers are watching in real time and determine which commercials should play next."

The companies say Gracenote's recognition technology, combined with Invidi's advertising system, can allow advertisers to select certain households and individual audience demographics and dynamically insert commercials to reach a specific audience.

Bruce Anderson, chief technology officer of Invidi, stated: "We believe Gracenote's technology combined with Invidi is a big leap forward in inserting real linear content that is most relevant to the end view."

Invidi has been involved in a bunch of addressable advertising tests with cable and satellite TV operators over the last several years. In 2010, Starcom MediaVest Group and Comcast Corp. worked on 60,000 home tests in Baltimore using Invidi technology. Invidi has also started up addressable ad efforts with DirecTV for local ad insertion, as well as Dish Network.

Invidi has some major media agency backing, such as Group M.

Separately, Gracenote also announced that it struck a deal with DG, an ad management and distribution platform, to create advertising efforts for smart TVs and second-screen devices, including TV ads that can be synchronized with phones and tablets through audio and video fingerprinting.

"Watching TV photo from Shutterstock"

advertising, content, real-time, rtb, satellite tv, tv

3 comments about "Gracenote, Invidi Deal Ups Real-Time Ad For TV".

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Mike Einstein from the Brothers Einstein, January 17, 2013 at 10:06 a.m.
This is all so idiotic. In an on-demand world how can there possibly exist a preference for something- the ads - for which there is absolutely no consumer demand?
Reply

Dean Collins from Cognation Inc, January 17, 2013 at 6:43 p.m.

@Mike, well considering this is the 4th startup i've seen over the 12 months trying to do exactly this.....there must be some demand (at least from the advertising side).

The issue i do see is seeing density to make it worthwhile.

There are no second screen apps driving potential user numbers to the level to justify the content production side.....let alone a ROI for apps to implement.

Mike Einstein from the Brothers Einstein, January 18, 2013 at 9:05 a.m.

@Dean, the missing ingredient you're describing is audience scale, something you can never achieve with bait (ads) that has been clinically proven to repel fish (the audience). You're right, there is an internal industry demand for commercials, but it's called a consumer society for a reason, and consumers want no part of the ads. The irony is that the very same people developing these ridiculous technologies are watching TV with a DVR remote control in one hand and a second screen in the other.