Internet TV Provides Powerful Targeting Opportunities for Advertisers

Today, blinkx and MIVA announced a strategic partnership that enables marketers to contextually target advertising to users of the fast-growing video search platform. The blinkx search technology provides users with access to an enormous volume of niche media content, ranging from video blogs to cable network programs. The MIVA partnership monetizes video search behavior across niche media by enabling marketers to target content-related paid-listings within the context of search results, viewing experiences, and recommendations. According to a blinkx press release:

"Traditional keyword advertising requires a search in order to generate a relevant ad. The Smart Ads Platform is unique because it understands the context of a user's current desktop activity, and leverages that understanding to automatically link users to a relevant ad."

The recent introduction of "my blinkx tv" adds an interesting dimension to blikx's offerings. This new service provides a conduit for consumer generated media to enter the stream of online video content inherently anchored in the recommendations of like-minded individuals, affinity groups, and brand evangelists. Savvy marketers will use the new Smart Ads Platform to identify and activate influentials within targeted communities for word-of-mouth marketing campaigns. Others will view blinkx search as simply another opportunity to push advertising at consumers, instead of what could be truly innovative and powerful way to leverage trusted sources and activate social networks.

Other players in the Internet TV space (e.g., Brightcove, Veoh, DAVE.TV) would be well advised to develop applications that enable marketers to target influentials within online communities with contextually relevant media, which is perceived as value-added content instead of interruptive advertising. As the largest marketers pull advertising budgets out of traditional broadcast and print media (due to declining trust, media fragmentation, and time-shifted viewing), they will increasingly look towards Internet TV, consumer generated media, and word-of-mouth marketing.

Tags: marketing tv advertising