Analysis of the second Starcom MediaVest and Comcast Spotlight addressable
advertising trial in Baltimore shows
that addressability by household improves ad relevance and tune-in, according
to the companies.
Information from anonymous set-top box data from the 60,000 households found
that, overall, homes receiving addressable advertising tuned away 32% less of the
time than homes receiving non-addressable advertising. Based on per-spot costs
of both addressable and non-addressable ads, the trial showed a 65% greater
efficiency from sending ads only to relevant groupings the advertiser wanted to
reach. The trial delivered ads through INVIDI's Advatar addressable technology.
"Our partnership with Comcast Spotlight over the past three years has
proven to be invaluable as we seek to shape and advance the future of TV
advertising to be more accountable and measurable," said Tracey Scheppach,
senior VP and innovations director at SMGX, a unit of Starcom MediaVest.
"The more experience we gain with addressable advertising, the more
excited we are regarding its potential to transform TV."
In addition to the Baltimore
trial, completed in 2009, Comcast Spotlight and Starcom held a technical trial
of 8,000 households in Huntsville, Ala.,
from 2006-2008. The two trials delivered thousands of ads across participating
cable networks. Comcast worked with Experian Marketing Service and Kantar Media
(formerly TNS Media Research) in connection with the trial. Major marketers
participating included Walgreen's and Walmart.
