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The television is finally becoming what the pundits predicted back in the late 90s-a multi-function media device with content streaming in from multiple source.
With the advent of Apple TV and numerous competing DVR and on-demand technologies, the ubiquitous television is finally becoming what the pundits predicted back in the late 90s-a multi-function media device, with content streaming in from multiple sources, including the Internet.
How does this alter the contour of the visual or video ad? With the right approach, the industry could experience tremendous growth and reach. But just how far will the media consumer go to avoid the annoyance of intrusive marketing pushes? Once again, quality-and understanding the viewer-is key.
Jonathan Heller of Freewheel Media says "It's just TV." It's what's on right now in a linear broadcast that the viewers discovered and said they wanted to watch. That content can be consumed through a conventional TV, a PC, or a PDA or mobile phone. Consumers will usually take the path of least resistance; they want good selection, easy discovery, and an intuitive user interface.
The AOL walled-garden approach started out looking reasonable, but has played itself out several times-and not well. The "open" approach is more attractive to consumers because it lets them choose whatever is coolest or available immediately. The down side for advertiser is that it results in fragmentation, which is what the market is struggling with right now.
Regardless of the problems, the expansion of the television paradigm is good, and more than just content producers are jumping into the game. TV manufacturers are putting retail devices in stores with boxes associated to them that adapt video from the Internet and push it to the TV.
With several iterations hitting the shelves, advertisers and marketers will see a much bigger potential audience this year. Publishers of all types that can produce good content in an effective and efficient way will gain a lot of TV viewership-and gain the ad revenue that follows. Owners of an audience that was previously unmonetizable suddenly have an untapped asset that can be directed to very monetizable content.