DVR and Viewership

DVR penetration is still on the rise and while more and more viewers are recording programs, they're actually not delaying viewing for very long, according to a recent analysis conducted by Palisades MediaGroup. The study discovered that, on average, more than half of all DVR primetime program playback is done within the same day it was recorded. And by the end of the following day, DVR owners have completed approximately three-quarters of all program playback. "Nielsen estimates DVR penetration to be at 20%, up from 12% in January of this year. While this is a good-sized increase, the impact on viewership remains minor."



According to the study, ratings increase just over 15% due to DVR playback from live to live-plus-seven. The average rating against adults aged 18-49 was 2.5 for live viewing and 2.9 for live-plus-seven viewing; an increase of only 16.7%. While fast-forwarding through the ads is still an issue, not all people who use a DVR fast-forward. The data show that less than half of people who watch a recorded program fast-forward through the ads during playback. Equally significant, the top 10 most-DVR'd primetime shows among adults 18-49 experience as much as 58% of playback on the same day (CBS's Survivor: China) and as little as 27%.

Tivo and NBCU Strike Deal

NBC Universal inked a multiyear deal with TiVo that will allow the entertainment conglomerate to sell interactive ads for TiVo’s digital video recorders. Terms of the new agreement allow NBCU’s 14 television networks and 10 owned-and-operated stations will be able to sell TiVo Interactive Tags in conjunction with existing commercial spots. It makes NBC the first top broadcaster to use TiVo's audience data and interactive ad tags. Link(s): The Wall Street Journal, Nov, 27, 2007 – NBC to use TiVo’s Viewership data, Multichannel News – Nov, 27, 2007 - NBCU Buys Into TiVo Ratings, Interactive Ads

Texting Ads to Shopping Carts

We all have probably seen prototypes of LCD screens an other simular technology placed on shopping carts, I've yet to have one catch my eye that truly seems feasible. While I will admit that video screens on carts could serve up engaging ads, they are expensive to purchase and difficult to maintain. Here's is finally a version that appears durable and likely to succeed while enabling advertisers to position their messages right between shoppers' hands.



Modstream has developed a shopping cart handles where messages are wirelessly streamed to a small screen in a hard plastic case that replaces the standard shopping cart handle. Advertisers and retailers log on to modstream.com to enter their messages, selecting stores where they want their message to appear. Messages can be run across a complete chain or targeted to specific regions, stores or times of day. Since the messages can be changed on the fly, it's easy to adapt the ads for short-run sales or clearance items.

Since a a high percentage of purchase decisions are made by consumers while they're shopping, it makes sense to target them while they're in the aisles. Modstream states that their message handles will stand up to rain and snow, and have a 5-year battery life. The system is currently being tested at Home Depot stores in eight states.

Yesterday Banking, Today Pizza

Applications abound in the Mobile sector and obviously that bodes well for the continued growth in mobile advertising. Yesterday AT&T announced the launch of a comprehensive, easy-to-use mobile banking platform that will enable consumers to view account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their AT&T mobile handsets. Through an innovative relationship, AT&T, Wachovia Corp., SunTrust Banks Inc. and mobile banking and payment enabler CheckFree Corp. are providing a mobile banking solution that is accessible to millions of Wachovia and SunTrust customers. Appearently they agree with the forecasts from TowerGroup which estimates the number of US customers using mobile banking services will rise from 1.1 million in 2007 to more than 40 million by 2012.

Not to be left behind in the dining category is Papa John’s Pizza, which is offering its mobile savvy customers a new alternative: ordering via text message. It’s an innovative step that might help boost the company’s sales, and also will allow for more direct-to-consumer mobile marketing, including coupons and menu updates sent to users’ phones. Links: WSJ.com Nov , click Papa John's Pizza gets Finger Friendler, IntoMobile.com - AT&T launches nationwide mobile banking

AOL.com WAP Relaunch

Aiming to keep pace with recent new wireless inroads made by Yahoo and Google, AOL Tuesday unveiled new mobile versions of its online services within a revamped WAP portal. This major relaunch, accessible on your web enabled phone at AOL.com, includes upgrades that are mobile-friendly versions of AOL Search, Mail, MapQuest, and AOL Instant Messenger, among other features. The new mobile search, for instance, will offer results that are more tailored to users on the go, such as driving directions and click-to-call options linked to services like MapQuest and Moviefone. A cool new mobile widget for GPS-enabled phones will also allow AIM users to locate each other, marking a step by AOL into the mobile social networking area.

AOL has quietly assembled a number of good mobile assets over the past couple of years, and they may become a force in the market. Obviously, its purchase of Third Screen Media puts the company into the mobile ad market in a big way. But its new partnership with off-deck content provider ThumbPlay gives it a range of content. If AOL actually can distribute these services and gain traction, then it may have a way to use mobile to get the brand back into users' hearts and minds. Between Yahoo's mobile search play and AOL's mobile portal play, it seems as if also-ran brands are using mobile as a kind of comeback platform. Link(s): Media Post, Oct 24, 2007 - AOL Follows The Mobile Trail and AOL press release

Portable Video Usage

Last Sunday evening on a cross county flight from the east coast to San Francisco I noticed something I had not seen before. Passengers using portable video devices were at a level I had never witness before. Between those watching via their laptops, video Ipods and a host of others, it pushed 20% of the passengers on a full flight. I was taken back by the usually high percentage, most appearing to be watching recent broadcast shows. As I tried to make sense of why I may be seeing this spike, I put it off on the launch of a new season and a young highly mobile group of passengers of whom many sported the corporate logos of the silicon valleys dot com companies. Maybe I was witnessing a peak into the future because a new study from Parks Associates predicts that the number of portable media players with video capability will grow at an annual rate of 30% over the next five years. Obviously a key driver of this growth will be the expansion of broadband video services around the world and this is good news for mobile video advertisers, provided they can figure out an appropriate ad model.

ABC Moves Advertisiers on to the Golf Course

ABC has inked an agreement with ProLink Solutions to sell space on ProLink's GPS screens in golf carts at some 400 golf courses. ABC will sell on a national level, and will earn commissions based in part on the prominence of the advertisers it brings in. ProLink will continue to sell space, as well. It is a growing trend to see big media moving into the growing out-of-home (OOH) sector. The O&Os of the television networks have begun seeking ways to bring in additional revenue by offering OOH options to advertisers, according to MediaPost. These options have included ads in grocery stores, taxis, screens on pumps at gas stations and on screens in Times Square. See recent SMM Post: 09/07/07 - CBS Purchases Sign Story. Link: MediaPost - 10/03/07 - Fore Real: ABC Pitches Ads On Golf Cart Screens

Google Upping the Volume on Mobile Ads

Recently Google released its AdWords on mobile. Today it followed up by announcing the availability of AdSense for Mobile devices. Obviously their moves are to capitalize on the geometrically increasing numbers of consumers surfing the web away from their laptops or PCs. Unlike in the PC web space, in the mobile market Google is in the position of having to catch up to the other companies out there like AdMob who've built up a huge publisher network with tons of mobile-specific advertising. These recent moves into the mobile arena help Google quickly bolster its mobile ad inventory however the change has the industry buzzing. Here is what some are saying: Blogs - The Life and Times of ADMOB - "unexpected and unfortunate", Russell Beattie's Weblog - "Google's Mobile End Run"

More Marketers Mulling Mobile Messages

A growing number of advertisers are looking at ways to make cell phone advertising more acceptable to consumers. At stake, according to a study by Gartner, is a virtually untapped ad-revenue bonanza that could swell to $14.6 billion by 2011. Link: SFGate.com September 10, 2007 - Advertisers, service providers take aim at mobile phone users

CBS purchases Sign Storey

In a major vote of confidence for the rapidly growing OOH industry, CBS Corp. this on late Thursday that it will acquire SignStorey, Inc., a distributor of video programming and ad content to retail stores. The purchase price is 71.5 million in cash. SignStorey will be renamed "CBS Outernet" upon closing of the deal which is expected in Q4. With digital video displays in more than 1,400 grocery stores in major markets across the United States, SignStorey offers advertisers the opportunity to reach consumers with targeted content that can be customized by region and by daypart. The company's satellite-delivery system enables immediate, customized programming and messaging to each individual system. SignStorey has long-term exclusive contracts with SuperValu (Acme, Albertsons, Jewel and Shaw's), Pathmark, ShopRite and Price Chopper, among others, and is currently installed in six of the top 10 markets in the U.S., with traffic of more than 72 million consumers every month. CBS has significant experience in programming for out-of-home audiences. In addition to SignStorey, current partners in this regard include American Airlines/CBS Eye on American, Royal Caribbean/CBS Eye on Royal Caribbean; AutoNet TV/Rev It Up; Salon Network Channel; Starwood Hotels/SPG TV; Indoor Direct; Mall of America; On Spot Digital/Simon Malls and Ripple TV/CBS Outdoor, among others. Link: Wall Street Journal Sept 07, 2007 - Checking Out CBS in the Checkout Line (subscription)

Boom or Bust - TVB's Predictions for '08-'09

Prepare for a big year in 2008. With heavy election spending and the Olympics on the horizon, advertising on both national cable networks and local cable ad sales are expected to jump 5% to 7% in 2008, and 1% to 3% in 2009, the Television Bureau of Advertising said today. TVB predicted that local broadcast spot advertising will increase 5% to 6% through 2008, while national spot advertising will jump 14% to 16%. Bittersweet but when it comes to estimates, TV spot revenue won't be higher than two years ago and in 2009, national spot advertising is expected to fall by 8% to 10%, while local spot advertising will increase 1% to 3%, TVB said. Good luck with getting that through your company’s annual budgeting process!

20% of Homes now have a DVR

According to a new survey from Leichtman Research Group, more than 20% of homes now have a DVR, up from just 1 in 13 homes two years ago. Leichtman's survey also revealed that 53% of DVR owners reported owning an HDTV set. Link: MultiChannel News, Aug 22, 2007 - DVRs Nested In One-in-Five Homes, Survey Say

Time Warner Cable Plan Multimedia Marketing Tool

Time Warner Cable Media Sales has asked Live Oak Interactive to develop a multimedia marketing tool that would allow the cable company to move seamlessly between traditional television advertising platforms and Internet-based marketing. The system is scheduled to be rolled out in two markets in September, followed potentially by a national launch. Link: Media Daily News, Aug 21, 2007 - TV Advertisers Adopt Systems To Play Cross-Platform Ads

Online ads to overtake newspapers in 2011?

Online advertising in the US is expected to grow bigger than newspaper advertising by 2011, as shown in the annual media research report by Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS).
In the study, VSS predicts that online advertising will increase by over 21% per year, totalling to over $62 billion by 2011, a few billion dollars bigger than newspaper advertising which is expected at $60 billion. Broadcast, cable, and satellite TV advertising still takes the biggest slice of the cake, foreseen to reach $86 billion.
“The path of online advertising and newspaper advertising is a continuation of what we’ve been observing for many years, but it is finally getting to the point where the lines will cross,” said James Rutherfurd, managing director at VSS.
As Americans spend more and more time online, one can’t help to ask if this gradual shift to digital media be the gradual death of newspaper production. Link: MediaDailyNews.com Aug. 07, 2007 - Time Spent With Media Falters, Digital Spawns Shorter Attention Spans

The Screening of America - The Battle Begins in Offices

Yesterday I read a brief article about The Wall Street Journal's OOH office signage network expanding from thier current lobby locations, into office building elevators. This is the first big push that I have noticed between competing OOH Digital signage companies for real estate. This has been Gannett's Captivate Networks turf up until now and the battle should be be interesting. Well the second salvo has apparently been fired with MediaDaily Post reporting this morning that... "In a sign that the office media marketplace is expanding and growing more competitive, Gannett Co.'s Captivate Network this morning unveiled plans to expand its digital video screens beyond its core base of elevators in high-rise office buildings in major markets to also include low-rise buildings and office parks in important suburban areas. Unlike the high-rise buildings, provide a significant amount of programming and advertising "dwell time" to workers riding elevators, the new Captivate Suburban Network will feature digital video screens in lobby areas, or in the blank wall spaces situated between elevator banks."... Link: July 24, 2007 Captivate Expands beyond the Elevators, Will Blurb the Burbs

PRN and NBCU Partner to sell Ads

Premier Retail Network - creator of the world's largest OOH in-store media network has announced an agreement with NBC Universal. For some time, NBCU has provided programming to PRN and bought space on its networks, which include channels in Wal-Mart and Costco. The new deal will allow it to sell ads to select marketers on PRN's network that's available at supermarket checkout counters. The synergies between the two partners should be strong because NBCU O&O Stations fit nicely with PRN's "Supermarket Checkout TV" 1,000 plus store locations. Link: MediaDaily News - July 19 '07 - In-Store Reach: NBCU joins with PRN

Google's Ad FootPrint Grows

More than two years after first testing the sale of magazine ads, Google's print ad program has left beta and now allows AdWords advertisers to place ads in more than 225 newspapers across the United States. Google began testing the newspaper ad auction for a small group of advertisers last November with roughly 70 newspaper partners, including The Washington Post and The New York Times. Late Tuesday, the company said it will open the program to the "hundreds of thousands" of U.S. advertisers and agencies that use its online ad platform and increased the number of participating papers to cover most of the country’s most populous areas. Link: AdAge.com July 17, 2007 - Google Print Ads Now Used by 225 Newspapers.

Interactive OOH Ad Campaign Launches in Las Vegas

At Monster Media they state that their mission is to be the leading alternative media company. Those are big shoes to fill in today embryonic digital signage business however they are certainly leading the pack and helping the industry to stretch it’s creative and technological limits. To date they have released three applications that allow people to directly interact with large projected ads using only body movements. Yesterday Travelzoo announced a partnership with them and unveiled a campaign that will create interactive place-based displays in Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. The interactive "What's the Deal with Travelzoo?" campaign encourages travelers to participate in the advertisements. The 8’x20’ real time projected images will show travel deals and allow airport guest to directly interact with the brand. Link: View images and video of the advertisements

Mobile TV Is Like Sushi: Report

The Vienna-based Institut der WU has issued a report which claims that consumers will not be able to resist mobile TV, and compared it to sushi. “According to the study, mobile TV is a trend, which - like sushi - is first met with resistance and sceptism, but once accepted very addictive. “One must have experienced mobile TV in your own hands to realise you can’t live without it” reports Broadband TV News. The study spoke to 52 experts and 232 consumers in Austria, Germany and Italy, and more than 53 percent of the respondents said they could imagine watching TV on their mobile up to 30 minutes a day.

Nielsen Follows Viewers with Purchase of Telephia

The Nielsen Company announced the purchase of Telephia, for an undisclosed sum, this greatly expands the media measurement giant's wireless capabilities. The San Francisco-based Telephia Inc. provides syndicated consumer research to the telecom and mobile media markets. The acquisition provides Nielsen with a much needed entry into measurement services for the estimated 350 billion bucks mobile sector, where telecom and media are quickly converging. Nielsen said adding Telephia expands its ability to measure the rapidly expanding mobile content delivery industry, where today there are more than 232 million wireless subscribers in the US. "As media content increasingly moves from television to the personal computer to the 'third screen' of the mobile device, it is essential that we measure all platforms," said Susan Whiting Executive Vice President of The Nielsen Company.

National CineMedia Take big Position in IdeaCast

National CineMedia invests in IdeaCast, a provider of advertising to fitness centers and health clubs. NCM is investing up to 7.0 million in 6% preferred stock and will have an option to acquire additional common stock such that NCM's overall investment (including the convertible preferred stock) represents 50.1% of IdeaCast's fully diluted common stock. Through a series of multi-year agreements with CNN, CNBC and MSNBC, IdeaCast exclusively re-distributes network programming to and manages program ad sales for health clubs. The network currently includes nearly 600 locations and has secured agreements with an additional 500 to join its network over the next several months. At that time, the IdeaCast health club network will cover 116 markets including all top 25 markets and 45 of the top 50 markets, representing over 200 million club visits per year. The network includes Lifestyle Family Fitness, Club One, Fitness Formula, Spectrum and Town Sports International (NY Sports Clubs, Boston Sports Clubs, Washington Sports Clubs and Philadelphia Sports Clubs). National advertisers currently on the network include American Airlines, AT&T, Dunkin' Donuts and Quaker. Link: Yahoo! Finance June 26, 2007 - National CineMedia Invests in Health Club Digital Media Network Operator IdeaCast

LSN Inks Deal With Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless customers in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and nearly 50 markets across the country with V CAST-enabled phones now have access to local news, weather and sports video following a partnership with Local Solutions Network. The V CAST enabled handsets can receive live weather and sports video stories from local television station affiliates and have full access to video content on-demand, including news, weather and sports updates, clips from popular TV programs, music videos, movie trailers, 3D games and more. It is a great product however will consumers be willing to spend an additional $3 for one time use (24hrs) or part with an extra $15 per month for the subscription? This business model will have to change to an ad revenue supported/no cost to the viewer before we see any significant viewer base. Link: New Release and 50 market launch list

Clients Creative Changes with the Temperature on Digital Signage Network

It may not be changing water into wine but it a ingenious way to utilize common technology to deliver a very creative approach to timely copy changes. This summer when temperatures in southern Ontario exceed 20 degrees Celcius and people are primed to want a cool beverage, a digital video board ad campaign for California’s Leaping Horse wines is programmed to display an ad for their cool, white Chardonnay wine.

Outdoor Broadcasting Network ’s (OBN), is a Canadian media company that markets the largest network of LED video boards in Country. They have come up with this cleaver idea and have developed and deployed a new technology which programs weather triggers into a video board campaign so that creative will change from Leaping Horse’s Merlot red wine (when the temperature is under 20C) to Chardonnay when it gets above 20C. This provides Lifford Wine Agency (the wine agent for Leaping Horse in the province of Ontario) with a terrific way to target consumers when they may be more receptive to one wine choice over another.

The campaign starts in mid June and will run in Toronto, Hamilton and Cambridge. Production was handled in-house by OBN who took static OOH ads and created full motion video spots. Digital signage networks are turning up everywhere these days and leveraging technology to create unique advertising solutions that engage viewers will help the emerging industry win many future loyal clients.

"The Fair Elections Now Act" - Political Pickpockets

Congress is looking at forcing stations to cut their lowest unit political rates by an additional 20%. According to the NAB, candidates already get an average 30% discount through the current use of the existing lowest unit rates (LUR). The proposed government backed campaign-funding program that the Senate is considering, is a bill that would cut LUR to even lower levels. It's known as The Fair Elections Now Act (S. 1285) and I certainly don't think it's fair to everybody. The bill not only reduces rates, kill scheduling options, expands the pool of advertisers receiving discounts and directly taxes broadcasters. The new bill would force stations to offer a fixed rate 20% below LUR (it's monpreemptable as it is currently as well), and would apply during the 45-day period prior to a primary election and 60 days before a general election. In addition, it would extend these rights to the federal party committees. Finally, adding to the pain, it would impose a 2% tax on gross broadcast advertising revenues to give politicians and committees a "Political Advertising Voucher Account." They say that history repeats itself and it this case it appear to be true. In 1980 Congress tried to put a similar system in place with little success do to the powerful broadcast lobby. NAB Chief David Refr is running point for the industry on this and insiders say its prospects appear dim.

Mobile Advertising

Even though some can claim that mobile advertising has been around for years the industry is truly a new kid on the block. Only recently has it begun to deliver on some of its promises and the ROI desired by marketers. Don’t get me wrong, the emerging Mobile business is posed to be gargantuan and it has come on fast. Consider that just a few short years ago we were dealing with the new world of "all connected" which in short order became "always connected" morphing into today’s "Always with you" culture. Mobile devices are highly personal, increasingly sophisticated and obviously have growing importance for connecting with consumers.

The industry is still very much in the nail biting “Wild West” phase and currently network and content providers and advertisers alike all have more questions than answers. Advertisers are asking; “Where does mobile fit in our overall strategy”? Will it follow consumers who are fleeing other platforms? Will it address and engage them in ways other media cannot? Is it just another extension of online? Given its out of home mobility and ability to activate billboards and packaging, is it more a part of the outdoor strategy? These are some of the questions that need to be addressed. Part II - next week I will begin to shed some light on these and other concerns. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Politicians Scrutinize Pharmaceutical Advertising

Advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to the public is a peculiar U.S. phenomenon, which has allowed great expansion of the pharmaceutical business by pushing demand. Hedonistically I've always enjoyed the windfall that the Ad business has enjoyed as well over the past decade however I have wondered about downside of going to our own doctor and announcing our own prescription.

Apparently I’m not alone in this thought process and the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health is looking over a multi-pronged bill concerning health in the US. Some of the items being considered are an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act "to improve drug safety." Advertising Policy is one of the primary concerns. Here are some of the proposed changes: an ad may need government approval: "the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for a drug may require that the applicant submit...advertisement of the drug for pre-clearance." The appropriate authorities would have 45 days for review. Second, if there have been any "significant adverse events" or other risk associated with the drug, this must be part of an advertisement, and "advertisements lacking such disclosure would be false or misleading." Finally, the bill states that "the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for a drug may require that for a fixed period after initial approval, not to exceed three years, the applicant not issue or cause to be issued direct-to-consumer advertisements..."

I’m all for putting a few controls into place however this sounds like bureaucratic BS at it’s finest. One thing we know for sure is nothing will change fast. There are far to many companies involved with very large vested interests.

TV is on Top for News, but Change is in Sight

A new Harris Poll survey shows that television is the top source for news among US citizens, beating out #2 online 26%-18%, but the group participants also expect that this order will flip within five years, when online will be on top with 25% to television's 22%. Cable is expected to show a modest 14%-15% increase over the same period, with a slight 12%-11% drop-off for radio and 12%-10% drop-off for major daily newspapers.

There is nothing surprising here with the results. Technology is changing the future of news delivery as much as Media consumption habits are changing with the generations. In the 2002 movie Minority Report, a passenger on a subway train gets constantly updated news on a flexible, translucent, portable flat-panel device that he carries with him. This is not very far fetched and it is just 5 years later. Now would this be TV or Online, newspaper or some new variations of all of them? I Believe that no matter what the platform is, integrated media systems will revolutionize the methods for acquiring, packaging, organizing and delivering the news in the not-too-distant future and our current definitions of television, online, newspapers will be noted in history.

eBay, Bid4Spots launch Online Bid for Radio Advertising

eBay began taking bids for radio spots today as the online auction leader expands into offline ads. The company is auctioning advertising airtime on 2,300 participating U.S. radio stations, expanding on an existing plan to sell cable television ads. EBay is partnering with Bid4Spots (Encino,Ca.) to power the eBay Media Marketplace for Radio. The new U.S. auction market for radio advertising will go live today and include both conventional terrestrial radio and Internet radio advertising. Stations in all of the 300 top-ranked radio markets are covered. Available inventory is determined by participating radio stations and what they choose to sell for the next week. Available advertising inventory includes primetime spots. Some 90 percent are in morning “drive time,” midday or evening commute hours from Monday through Friday. EBay’s own radio auctions target last-minute ad buyers. This flexibility enables stations to be extremely aggressive in their pricing,

Charlotte Climbs the Chart

Ok, this is hedonistic but what the heck since I made Charlotte, NC my home base in 2001 I feel it only right to comment on good advertising news about my fair city. Shoot, I know my friends at the local radio stations are pleased. Charlotte has been a growth market since before my family arrived it has moved on up the Nielsen DMA list from #29 in '01 to bumping out San Diego CA this year for the number 26 position. Arbitron has measured the market very differently however that is all set to change this Fall when their new market rankings come out. According to the Charlotte Observer, the market is getting credit for the population in four fringe North Carolina counties and two more in South Carolina, an infusion of almost 400K fresh bodies which will take the market's 12+ count all the way to 1.8M. More importantly, it will allow the city to leap all the way from #33 to #25 on the market ranking chart (ADI). This change is very significant and could result in an additional $3M in national advertising revenue coming into the market (now will be included in buys for the top 25 mkts). Obviously this change on the radio side will make the Arbitron configuration more congruent with the Nielsen DMA definition. Based on current population grow estimates Nielsen is expected to move Charlotte up a notch to #25 by next year. On a side note, the radio market currently occupying #25 and expected to be elbowed aside is Riverside-San Bernardino CA LA is my past stomping grounds).

TV viewing on Mobile Devices will Skyrocket

In Europe in August 2005, Nokia sponsored a survey asking people who had experience a mobile TV trial what they thought of it. It turned out that those people were quite simple amazed. They had found a cure for boredom. Effectively, that is the biggest drive they have identified for mobile TV and its usage pattern which shows in the four or five trails that have surveyed their customers. None the less the number of people watching TV shows like “The Simpsons” on their bus ride to work is about to explode. A new report by independent market analyst for London based Datamonitor predicts that by 2012, the number of people worldwide using cell phones and other handheld devices to watch broadcast TV will have grown from 4.4 million to 155.6 million. The Asia Pacific region will account for nearly half of subscribers with 76.3 million; Europe is forecast to have 42.7 million and the U.S. 35.6 million. The report says 2007 is a critical year for the technology but warned that broadcast video content will have to adapt to both user consumption habits and handset functionality. It also says providers must ensure their systems are flexible so they can adapt to multiple formats and technical differences with others. Otherwise, these differences may contribute to slow uptake in the service. Link: TV Technology.com June 1, 2007 – 155 Million Mobile TV Users by 2012

Commercial Ratings – Power in the DVR Viewers Hands

This month, Nielsen Media Research began measuring how TV viewing habits have changed and they released their report on “commercial ratings” this morning. Finding: More than half of digital video recorder (DVR) users fast-forwarded through commercials while watching prime-time network fare. With 17 percent of the nation’s TV viewers armed with DVRs, 10 percent of broadcasting primetime programming is now time-shifted. On a positive note, when you combine time-shifted numbers (out to three days) with live numbers, Nielsen said viewership of the typical prime-time show increases by 73 percent. For example, The Office jumps from 3.11 to 3.36 among the 18-49 demographic. This is no surprise, as previous ratings didn’t include the time-shifted ratings, and not everyone who watches shows on DVRs are skipping the ads(just halp of them), so there’s a net increase on paper. But when all is said and done, the simple fact remains: people with DVRs skip most of the commercials, and DVR penetration is climbing fast. I think it’s pretty obvious where this is going. Link(s): TVweek.com May 31, 2007, AP May 31, 2007 - More than half of DVR viewers skipping commercials, Nielsen says in first ad study

9 points on how Google Innovates

Innovation is something that many people/companies try but fail to do. At Google it is part of the company culture. Yesterdays keynote speaker at the DSE (Digital Signage Expo) was Google’s Jim Lecinski (Midwest Regional Director) speaking about the company’s Nine Notions of Innovation.

• Innovation - NOT instant perfection. Launch early and often- get to the market.
• Share everything you can - Information is KEY and powerful.
• You’re brilliant - we are hiring. Hire generalists that can speak to all areas of your organization. Specialists create silos.
• A license to pursue your dreams - Give people a choice as to where they would like to invest their time and thinking.
• Ideas come from everywhere - The Power of many wins.
• Don’t politic - use data. Consensus of data wins not power or hierarchy.
• Creativity loves constraint - stay in the sandbox and focus on direction/output.
• Users and Usage are Key - Money will follow.
• Don’t kill projects - morph them. Adjust or tweak and move on.

I have found that the notions origionally were the handiwork of Marissa Mayer who is supposedly to be one of the brightest and the best at Google. If you want to read more about her I’ve attached some links below. BusinessWeek apparently liked Google’s Nine notions as well. Links: BusinessWeek May 17, 2007 - Nine Notions of Innovation, Articles on Marissa Mayer - Businessweek: June 19, 2006 - Marissa Mayer: The Talent Scout and Businessweek: Oct 03, 2005 - Managing Googles Idea Factory.

Partnership for Google's TV Advertising System

Google has an important partner for the new TV ads system. "EchoStar Communications Corporation and Google announced today that the companies have entered into a partnership agreement to introduce the first automated system for buying, selling, delivering and measuring television ads on EchoStar DISH Network's 125 national satellite programming networks. Google will have access to a portion of DISH Network's advertising inventory that spans across all channels and dayparts. The agreement is the first of its kind for a national pay-TV provider and Google."The ads are bought through the same interface as AdWords and their performance will be measured by aggregating anonymized metrics from the set-top-boxes. Google will target the ads to the shows and not to their viewers: advertisers will be able to choose the "demographic, daypart and channel and pay only for actual impressions delivered".

March Madness for CSTV

For the first time ever, CSTV will air two first-round out-of-market games from the 2007 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in their entirety, complementing sister company CBS Sports’ exclusive live network coverage of the tournament. CSTV will make its March Madness debut Thursday, March 15 and Friday, March 16. The broadcasts will be produced by CBS Sports with CBS announcers and graphics. Link: MultiChannel News 03/04/07 - CSTV Feels March Madness

TV Ads becoming Commonplace Outside the Home

Place-based advertising in settings including grocery stores, gas pumps and office buildings is becoming a viable medium for marketers to send their messages to consumers -- in a forum in which they can't change channels. New standards for buying and selling the ads, as well as rating their success, are emerging for the fledgling segment, which has a presence in at least 37,000 venues nationwide, according to Profitable Channels. Link: The New York Times 03/02/07 - Away From Home, TV Ads are Inescapable

What DVR Users Are Really Doing

Nielsen told its national TV clients Thursday that there are significant differences in the way viewers use digital-video recorders, depending upon how soon after the original telecast they play back the recording and what genre of programming they are watching. It said that DVR playback that occurs closest to the original telecast retains more of the audience during commercials than DVR playback that occurs further out; and that certain genres, such as sports and news, have higher levels of live viewing, with DVR playback occurring closer to the original telecast than average. About 20% of households have some form of personal video device, Nielsen said. Link: MultiChannel News Feb 15, 2007 - What Nielsen Discovered About DVR Playback

The Cable Advertising and Internet Advertising Bureaus both greatly influenced the direction and growth of their perspective industies during the past two decades. Today the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) formally launched, announcing the membership roster and officers overseeing the organization. Formed and funded by industry leaders at 10 companies, the organization will help provide standards and best practices for the out-of-home video advertising industry and foster collaboration between agencies and out-of-home video ad networks. OVAB was formed by a majority of the largest out-of-home video ad networks in order to eradicate adoption barriers for the medium. The current membership includes Adspace Network, Captivate Network, Channel M, ClubCom, Office Media Network, Premier Retail Network, Reactrix Systems, Simon Brand Ventures, The Hotel Networks and Transit Television Network. Mike DiFranza, Captivate Network President, will serve as the chairman and acting president, while the group actively recruits for a full time president. Gerry Jones of Hotel Network will serve as the group's treasurer, and Mike Quinn of Premier Retail Network will serve as secretary. Details in Tuesday's RBR and TVBR Daily Epapers. Link: www.OVAB.org

Yahoo Enters the Mobile Search Market

In a bid to restore investor faith and aggressively drive into the mobile search market, Yahoo will announce a new version of Go, its mobile phone search software, today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. About 500 million people use Yahoo services via their PCs, where it is second to Google in Web search. However, as mobile phones outsold PCs by about 4-to-1 in Q3 of last year, Yahoo has opted to plunge into the mobile search market. Go's oneSearch function classifies queries by type to provide the user with a more efficient search. Yahoo will use Web ads to encourage users to download the software themselves, rather than relying on mobile service providers or handset manufacturers. The company will announce partnerships with Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Research in Motion under which the software will be included with handsets. Competition should be fierce: Apple is working on a mobile phone and Google has introduced mobile versions of its services. Links: MarketWatch Jan 08, 2007 - With lead slipping, Yahoo focuses on wireless, Bloomberg.com Jan 08, 2007 - Yahoo Releases New Version of Mobile-Phone Software

ESPNU, MAAC Basketball Reach TV Deal

It sure has been high time for low-profile sports conferences recently. Cable networks are battling each other to secure the rights to as many live college games as possible and tis has put small conferences are suddenly in demand. Alumni of Iona College, Manhattan College and Fairfield University can now catch their team’s college-basketball games on ESPNU as part of a three-year agreement between the network and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The agreement allows the network to broadcast at least eight of the conference's regular-season men's basketball games a year. The deal comes several weeks after the America Channel said it had reached deals with eight low- to mid-tier conferences to cover games starting this fall. Links: Multichannel News 01/03/97 – ESPNU Reaches MAAC Deal, Past SMM Post: 12/21/06 – The America Channel Grabs Rights to College Sports