Will TiVo Grow Up to Be an Engine?
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Written By Reprise Media | May 9, 2006 | Share This
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That’s what Search Engine Journal is suggesting eventually might happen with TiVo Product Watch, a new service from the DVR maker that allows its customers to search by product category (e.g. automotive, financial) or brand, then have relevant 1-to-60 minute ads placed in the same viewing queue as episodes of House and Lost. And reading parts of this TiVo press release almost makes it seem like they want us to think they’re in business for paid search:
“For advertisers, TiVo Product Watch capitalizes on TiVo’s award-winning television search capabilities to deliver relevant, targeted product videos to TiVo’s millions of subscribers and in particular ‘In Market’ consumers who are more likely to make purchasing decisions.”
With so many DVR users bent on avoiding commercials at all costs (ClickZ cites an April JupiterResearch report that put the number of ad-skipping DVR households at 53 percent, a surprisingly low figure, if anything), it’s interesting to see TiVo looking at innovative ways to get its subscribers to want ads. Placating nervous advertisers probably doesn’t hurt TiVo, either.
First, though, it has to work. MarketingShift doesn’t like Product Watch’s chances, pronouncing it “DOA” and suggesting that “99 percent” of TiVo users probably won’t opt to watch ads, even placements designed to entertain; for instance, Kraft has prepared cooking demonstrations for Product Watch, and Ford has skits featuring Penn and Teller. But Jen Soch, a VP at Mediavest (one of TiVo’s partners on the project), says that “If you were in the mindset to look at a certain product or item,” you’d request ads from TiVo. Hey, if it works for search engines…
Topics: Advertising: Offline |