Microsoft, NBC Universal to Sell Addressable TV Ads

Microsoft today announced that NBC Universal will be the first media partner for its digital TV advertising marketplace, Admira. The technology, which Microsoft gained with its acquisition of Navic a year ago, uses real-time audience measurement data to optimize the delivery and placement of television advertising.

This “addressable advertising” platform brings many of the advantages of online advertising to offline media, including better targeting and tracking capabilities.

For larger advertisers, Admira will provide new planning tools for NBCU to offer advertisers, including data-driven targeting and segmenting of specific audiences across its broadcast and cable television networks. For small to midsize clients, Admira will enable an automated planning, buying, posting and billing process across many of NBCU’s national broadcast and select local TV properties.

“Admira can help clients efficiently plan, buy and engage specific audience segments across the breadth of our broadcast and cable properties, enhancing the close relationships we have with all of our agency and client partners,” Mike Pilot, president of sales and marketing at NBC Universal, said in a statement.

Admira aggregates viewer data from multiple satellite and cable TV systems, then overlays that with geographic and demographic data to determine which ads to serve. In addition, Admira continuously optimizes ad placements in response to near-real-time viewership data. As a result, advertisers and agencies can buy just the audiences they’re targeted, which may not have been reachable in the past without wading through piles of untargeted TV viewers.

NBC Local Media began testing the Admira system in March with inventory from L.A.’s Universal Sports Network digital channel and added inventory from KNBC, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Los Angeles.

VivaKi, the Publicis Groupe operation that encompasses Starcom MediaVest Group, Zenith Optimedia and Digitas, will be among the first agencies to use Admira to help its clients plan and buy media when Admira rolls out later this year.