Invidi Technologies Corporation, which bills itself as “the leader in advanced addressable advertising solutions for television,” announced that NBC Universal has made an investment in the company. That’s a milestone for the company because NBCU is the first owner of cable and broadcast networks to make such an investment in Invidi, which to now has been funded by private equity investors.
“We commend NBC Universal for recognizing that Invidi’s technology will soon fundamentally change the nature of national television advertising by combining mass reach with individual addressability,” said Invidi CEO David Downey. “Addressability has the power to revolutionize television by reaching and monetizing every viewer, making the medium much stronger for advertisers and making television a much better experience for viewers,” he added.
“Invidi represents the cutting edge of new advertising technology,” said Mike Pilot, NBCU’s President, Sales and Marketing. “As advertisers face a more complex ad environment we believe addressability has a high potential to enhance the return on their television expenditures and advance TV advertising as an even more compelling marketing vehicle. This investment is one more step in NBCU’s ongoing commitment to provide new advertising solutions for clients, and demonstrates our support for Invidi’s impressive technology and promise,” Pilot said.
Neither company disclosed the amount of NBCU’s investment. A Wall Street Journal article described it as “small.”
What does Invidi do? The company says TV networks and advertisers will benefit from its tools by sending multiple commercials targeted to specific audience segments watching a single program. “This innovative technology reduces waste by sending the right spot to the right viewer, thus enhancing the viewing experience and increasing the revenue potential for the network and its distribution partners: telcos, satellite companies and cable systems,” Invidi said.
Invidi currently has distribution agreement with Dish, DirecTV and Verizon’s FiOs. The company said its technology was recently tested on Comcast’s Baltimore systems, “where the addressable ads proved to be 65% more efficient and 32% more effective.”
