We have been looking forward to the advent of addressable television for many years. In 2010, after all of the hypothesizing and all of the prognosticating, targeted ads on television based on data will finally become part of advertisers’ core marketing strategy. The breakthroughs in addressability that were achieved in 2009 provide ample scale and proof of concept to drive significant adoption and continued innovation in the upcoming year.
Blue-chip advertisers from consumer electronics to entertainment and leisure industries experimented with addressable TV in 2009, and campaign results improved on average by high double digits relative to untargeted efforts. This commanded attention amidst a tough economy.
Even as advertising budgets begin to stir, the recession-driven need for increased efficiency and effectiveness will remain. One mass message will no longer be acceptable — nor should it be. Addressability and its supporting technologies are here now and offer television the same targeting, personalization, interactivity and measurement that allowed the Internet to grow, even as other areas slowed.
Momentum will continue to build as the results pour in. Technology companies are evolving next generation tools to access data, optimize creative allocation, and improve the planning and execution process. Data companies are working on new metrics that will be more representative of performance than the traditional predictive data. Marketers are exploring interactive tools to track performance, and determine which targeted messages best drive response and results. Media companies are collaborating to expand the opportunity – the potential merger of distributor Comcast and programmer NBC Universal is only the beginning. All of these efforts are already improving the efficacy of marketing dollars in the biggest advertising medium – especially important in today’s market conditions and in the year to come.
This should be a very happy New Year for our industry as addressability finally delivers on its tantalizing promise.
