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TiVo Goes 'Psychographic'

May 08, 2013 | Mari Silbey |
In an effort to help advertisers target TV viewers more effectively, TiVo Inc. is adding low-tech data collection to its set-top analytics service.

The company's Research and Analytics unit (TRA) is now integrating Power Watch with its advertising opimization service. Power Watch, introduced a few years ago, combines set-top data from 48,000 TiVo households with "psychographic" data -- personal identification information and the results of monthly surveys on viewer attitudes and purchasing intent.

All participants have opted in for the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) to advertisers.

Even as the traditional Nielsen ratings system evolves -- see Nielsen Tests Tool to Track TV Everywhere -- several companies are experimenting with the use of actual set-top viewing data for targeted ad sales. (See Fourthwall Uses Microsoft to Mine STB Data and AT&T to Target Ads Across Screens.)

Last month, Verizon Communications Inc. even proposed the radical notion of using set-top-based viewer measurement data to determine content licensing fees for programmers.

TiVo, however, is taking the idea a step further by throwing in viewer survey data as well. Pre-loaded survey questions in the new TRA Power Watch service are designed to elicit such key tidbits as whether a consumer plans to buy a car, if a user has watched a particular movie in the theater, which OTT video services are preferred, and more.

Advocates argue that this mix of psychographic data and TV viewing information should help advertisers target media buys more effectively. TiVo is offering the Power Watch service as part of the TRA software solution, Media TRAnalytics.

— Mari Silbey, Special to Light Reading Cable



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