How to Advertise in a TiVo Age

tivo-r_top_large.jpgThis EcommerceTimes article by Keith Regan (via Technewsworld) offers the following bold statement:

Fifty percent of U.S. homes will have DVRs by 2010, according to Forrester Research analyst Josh Bernoff. He added that the devices will soon enter a “hypergrowth” stage and begin to spread to second and third television sets in many homes, dramatically expanding the impact of the commercial-skipping technology.

The good news for advertisers and networks may be that TiVo and related products could become a tool for broader distribution of online media, such as podcasts and viral videos, Bernoff said. In addition, the devices offer a bridge from the PC to the television that doesn’t currently exist except in the most networked of homes.

Here are a few ideas the article identifies:

  • Mini-shows
  • Zany commercials that create their own audiences and their own buzz
  • Interactive commercials that invite users to offer feedback

As video advertising on the Web has proliferated, the best marketers have found what works and what doesn’t, said Bruce Kasanoff, president of interactive marketing firm Now Possible. Traditional 30-second spots that drive home a strong message fall short, while short film-like clips that entertain get strong traction and often draw their own audiences, he explained. “Good online ads interact with users and let users interact back with them,” Kasanoff noted.