Sky Media News
Sky Player to offer tailored advertising from 2010
28th Sept 2009
Sky has announced that it is planning to introduce a new form of tailored advertising to its online TV service, Sky Player. From early 2010, the new service, to be called Sky AdSmart, will allow customers to receive advertisements and promotions which are more relevant and tailored to their interests.
Whilst Sky AdSmart does not involve an increase in the total amount of featured advertisements, it aims to make existing advertising and promotions more relevant. This will be achieved by using customer information to help create a better understanding of viewers' potential preferences and interests, which can then be matched with advertisements for particular products or services.
To do this, Sky will combine information that customers have provided, for example their postcode or chosen Sky package, with supporting information from additional external sources. When pooled together, this information will allow Sky to use the advertising slots around a particular programme so that different advertisements are seen in different households.
For example, car manufacturers often book a huge number of advertising spots to run multiple marketing campaigns for different models simultaneously. Sky AdSmart could help them to use a single ad spot to direct different advertisements to different households, depending on whether they are more likely to be interested in, for example, a people carrier, sports car or SUV.
Initially, Sky AdSmart will be used to tailor advertising around Sky Player's line-up of on-demand programmes, with a view to being extended to live channels on Sky Player in the future. Following its introduction on Sky Player, Sky plans to extend Sky AdSmart to linear channels broadcast via Sky+HD boxes in 2011.
In its approach to developing tailored advertising, Sky is committed to safeguarding the interests of customers and communicating openly. All information will be managed in accordance with customers' stated preferences and customers will have the opportunity to choose not to participate in Sky AdSmart at any time.
Jeremy Tester, Communications Director, Sky Media comments: "Technology will allow us to tailor television advertising and promotions that are even more relevant to viewers' interests and therefore more effective for advertisers. Initially, we are exploring this opportunity on Sky Player, by matching advertising to the potential interests of our customers, based on the information they have chosen to share with us. We believe tailored advertising is a positive development for customers and advertisers alike."
Sky Player, which is available via PC, Mac and soon Xbox 360, currently offers pre- and post-roll advertisements and promotions around its on-demand content, spanning entertainment, documentaries, sports, movies and the arts. In common with other television output, the advertisements and promotions are currently scheduled according to the type of programming and time of viewing.
