The Google and TiVo Partnership

The news about Google and TiVo merging in a project is really not surprising. Many are wondering why this did not happen earlier, but finally Google and TiVo announced the partnership. Google is now given access with TiVo’s second by second television viewing data making television advertisements more accomplished compared to the past.

According to the deal TiVo’s participation will be anonymous and its purpose is to gather and accumulate data about viewers’ manners.

However, the purpose of allowing an advertiser to decide if the commercial is accomplishing its intention is quite remarkable.

Conventionally, television companies impose payments to advertisers based upon the Nielsen Ratings on the amount of viewers the show draws in. It is also the one who verify the data and form it into demographics.

Some time ago, Google Television Advertisements negotiated with Nielsen to arrange the data of PRIZM lifestyle on a demographic tool which will include lifestage, home ownership, income, employment, social group and education.

The application of TiVo on Google Advertisements provides the company with details about the behavior and manner of viewers in second by second viewing. All the details are gathered by TiVo whether a viewer flips channels or fast-forward a commercial. These are just some of the instances that TiVo can provide Google.

Even if the partnership of Google and TiVo is a notable development, the data will still not be a hundred percent exact because a viewer can leave his television running as long as he wants even if he is not personally watching.

Although the data of TiVo can not be assumed a hundred percent correct, advertisers still believe that having TiVo will be of greater use because they can be informed about the quality of the ad depending on viewers’ reaction like for example if a viewer switched into a different channel during the exposure of ad, it just meant that the commercial is not appealing.

The merging of Google and TiVo also urges the two years old advertising team of Google into having a more desirable status. Last March, Business Week wrote an article about Google Ads standing in the business world and questions its ability to stay in the field due to Google’s abandonment of its ventures on newspaper and radio ads.

During those times, Google only attracts a few major advertisers like Jenny Craig, Lenovo, Buy.com and Priceline.

And only a few of small time television programs avail Google services. Such television programs are Bloomberg TV, Dish Network, Hallmark Channel and NBCU cable shows including Sleuth, Chiller and CNBC.

However, the partnership of TiVo and Google makes way for a potential catch. Television advertisers will definitely notice the worthiness of the merge. It will not be surprising if one of these days we will see more video commercials in the Internet where it is easier to avail Google Television Advertisement platform.

It is also possible that television manufacturers will take into account Google’s potential. Quite recently, Roku opened its arms and surpassed traditional television presentation to make way for contents from Netflix and Amazon On Demand.