October 2008
ITV has made a bold move in developing a new form of unavoidable advertisement, nicknamed “Graffiti Advertising,” that can be embedded in television programmes, says Richard Baker, VP of Sales and Marketing at ANT Software Limited.
ITV isn’t the only broadcasting industry player to be concerned about declining advertising revenues. In the US, cable networks and DVR makers have also been testing "speed bumps" that show an advertisement during fast-forwarding and billboards that appear on paused screens. ANT believes that many more service providers and broadcasters must address the challenge of generating advertising revenue in the rapidly changing world of TV. ANT’s remarks come as ITV identified ongoing challenges in attracting traditional advertising revenues, citing the rise of personal video recording and the fast-forward button as a significant contributing factor.
The broadcaster is now trialing new technology, known as “automatically placed overlay advertising”, which uses complex computer algorithms to find clear space, such as blue sky or blank walls, in video footage in which to display advertising logos or messages.” “A number of UK broadcasters have identified that advertising revenues have remained flat in 2008,” says Richard Baker.
“The industry has come to the stage where it can’t bury its head in the sand. Service providers and broadcasters need to consider viable alternatives to attract advertisers.” ANT, a leading provider of software and services to the digital TV industry, has been talking to broadcasters about alternative advertising methods. It is spearheading a drive towards a more targeted approach – delivering advertisings that consumers are actually happy to watch.
Richard Baker adds: “Getting people to want to watch a new dish washer tablet commercial isn’t easy although making the adverts relevant to the consumer is key. Current advertising in the UK focuses on the content and time of the programme. For example, if there’s a football match you’ll be more likely to see a beer advert than one about coffee. A more sophisticated approach would build up a profile of what content a particular viewer has been watching and to tailor advertising specifically to that person. This is the kind of advertising that can be enabled by IPTV.”
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