Procter & Gamble Co. will place advertisements on INNX Inc. television news broadcasts in early April directing viewers to online ads about its health and medical products.
INNX, a 2-year-old news group, produces 90-second health feature stories with related advertisements that air on NBC affiliates in the United States and Canada. Ten- to 15-second advertisements for Procter & Gamble products featuring an animated version of the product logo will appear at the end of relevant news segments. These ads will direct viewers to the local station's Web site for more information on the featured story and the advertised product.
A button link at the site will take visitors to a co-branded page featuring more information on the story and a column on the left side of the page containing links placed by the advertiser.
“For example, last fall we did a news segment on the shortage of flu vaccines. We could have placed a bonded ad for Nyquil at the end of the segment notifying consumers to find out more about the flu vaccine story by clicking on the Nyquil button at the local TV station's Web site,” said Teri Hirschfeld, chief marketing officer at INNX, San Diego.
Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, is the company's first advertising client, she said, adding that until now INNX has functioned solely as a news service. The company is in discussion with other advertisers in the health, home and family arenas, Hirschfeld said, adding that it is too early to disclose details.
After INNX produces a news segment, the company will run a keyword scan that selects appropriate advertisers to bond to the story, Hirschfeld said. “To retain journalistic integrity, we will produce stories independent of the advertisers' input,” she said. “Our production staff will not even know who the advertisers are.”
While INNX initially will air health-related ads with Procter & Gamble, the company eventually plans to advertise family, parenting, child care and home care products on an undisclosed date.
INNX will charge Procter & Gamble on an unspecified cost-per-insertion basis, Hirschfeld said. Officials at Procter & Gamble did not return calls.
