Why TV Isn’t Dead: Addressability

For all the buzz about social media, mobile, and other forms of interactive marketing, TV remains at the center of most marketing plans.

It’s not because marketers “don’t get it”, but because they do.

TV remains the most powerful mass reach medium in history, with the ability to sell through sight, sound and motion. And it’s about to get even more powerful.

“The goal” says Michael Kubin, executive vice president of Invidi “is to be a national digital network.”

An article in Media Post (more about the deal here) says Invidi has made a major step toward that goal today. They’re being deployed nationally on Dish Network.

It’s the start of a national infrastructure for addressable TV advertising, with reach of upwards of 4-5 million Dish Network households households at launch and 14M over time. This will bring internet-like targeting (including behavioral) to TV ads, making each individual spot much more powerful and smart.

The deal also takes a step toward easing one of the headaches of creating interactive TV ad campaigns: making deals with multiple operators to create a sizeable audience. Theoretically, this creates a one-stop opportunity.

But having now worked on two interactive TV campaigns, I can say that while that’s important, it only deals with part of the complexity. 14M is a good-sized audience, but it still may not be enough for some purposes. And, even within any one operator, there are lots of differences in the capabilities of set-top boxes, etc.

If you’re thinking about experimenting with interactive TV, I’d strongly recommend Brightline. Why climb Everest without some experienced sherpas to help?

There’s a lot of investment in the targeted TV space, and a serious battle brewing among some tough competitors. You can bet your rabbit ears there’s a lot of gold at the end of this RGB rainbow.

TV isn’t dead. It’s only just getting started. Stay tuned.

Advertising Without Advertising

OK, so a novice meets his zen master in a cranberry bog.

The zen master says: today you must learn how to advertise without advertising.

It’s no joke.

Ocean Spray is running its first-ever holiday TV special, “Cranberry Christmas.” in December on ABC Family. The special will be entirely “commercial-free”.

Yet since Ocean Spray IS cranberries for most people, it will function as a half-hour commercial for Ocean Spray aimed at Moms and Grandmoms at home with young kids.

It’s the most brilliant piece of targeted zen meta-communication I’ve ever heard about. Well done, Ocean Spray.

P.S. On the downside, the special features two new songs by Barry Manilow. If the special had managed to eliminate two Barry Manilow songs from the world, it would have been perfect.