TiVo Woos Advertisers with 'Program Placement'

TiVo has launched a new salvo in its efforts to woo advertisers whose broadcast messages its customers regularly screen out. The offering, called Program Placement, displays special links to advertiser content after a viewer has finished watching a pre-recorded show.

It’s not simply another commercial to be ignored, said Davina Kent, VP of national advertising sales for TiVo, but a new option for viewers to click on an advertiser’s link when they are asked if they want to delete or save the just-viewed program.

“When you exit the program, up pops the program that says do you want to delete, yes or no, and that’s the screen where we placed an entry point to attract viewers into a branded experience,” said Kent. “There is going to be a third option on that screen that says click here to buy the sound track to the show you just saw, or see this advertisement about what you just saw.”

TiVo’s Program Placement has already signed on Burger King, General Motors, MasterCard Worldwide, The Weather Channel and Court TV to try out the system by providing long form content to viewers.

TiVo has been aggressively courting advertisers for some time, and earlier this year signed special advertising deals with Omnicrom and Interpublic. Kent insists the opt-in nature of the advertising will appeal to TiVo end users as much as advertisers.

“Our advertising is successful because we’re thinking about it from the consumer [point of view] first,” Kent said. “For TiVo customers it means they are going to get relevant messaging and information tied to their program viewing, and for the advertiser it’s another way to reach the consumer that is fast forwarding through your commercials.”