Packet Vision arranged an audience-targeted advertising campaign for Channel 4 viewers in the United Kingdom, according to a recent news report. The IPTV advertising services provider created an advertising slot for a specific audience so that certain viewers were able to watch adverts targeted to their particular interests, whilst other viewers watched a different set of commercials.

 

The targeted advertising service was enabled during a Mediacom campaign feature presented by a financial client. Channel 4 broadcasted the feature in October last year, and during the commercial breaks, different advertisements were launched for different viewers. The feature presenter had been speaking directly to the student population, so TV sets stationed in student premises were made to run student-focused ads, whilst other areas were running ads for general viewers.

 

Students’ premises were targeted using an IPTV (News - Alert) solution from Packet TV, which was integrated within an Inuk Freewire service. Inuk delivers triple play packages to higher education institutions across the United Kingdom. Conventional TV sets and laptops were able to receive targeted IPTV advertising through a broadband network.

 

Chief Executive Officer of Packet Vision, Charlie Horrell, said about the targeted advertising launch, “This is the first time IPTV has enabled targeted advertising. In this instance, we’ve inserted an ad into a closed IPTV network for students, but that’s just the beginning. As the service develops, TV advertisers will be able to select IPTV audiences on a range of demographic or geographic profiles.”

 

Inuk Networks’ CEO, Marcus Liassides added to Horrell’s comments by stating: “Together with Packet Vision, we have shown how advertisers can bring the targeting power of online marketing to the world of television. Advertising over the Freewire platform offers the best of both worlds to advertisers: direct access, without any wastage, to a specific social category and total measurability of what works and what doesn’t.”

 

Packet Vision has been operating since 2004. It has been running advertising trials in the United Kingdom, France and the United States. By focusing on the lifestyle needs of different viewers, Packet Vision is able to offer customer-centric advertising to its clients. Packet Vision’s services are cost-effective and involve minimal risk since advertisers can choose their viewers based on demographic data, geography, particular interests and viewing tendencies. With Packet Vision, advertisers can also choose local ad insertion, which is targeted to a specific audience in a particular area. The company uses IP technology to deliver advertising services. Packet Vision hopes to expand its targeted advertising capabilities over IP connections so that it can broadcast over other platforms, including internet and mobile television.