The company Smartclip is currently testing system that shows TV commercials when the TV is turned on or when an user switches to another channel. The company is currently testing the technology at several TV stations in Germany.
Smartclip is an international company specialized in advertising technology and it works together with the German research institute Fraunhofer. Together they are demonstrating their system at the IFA exhibition currently held in Berlin.
The technology only works for digital TV and uses Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV). This standardized technology makes it possible to combine regular TV with internet content. Smartclip adds additional information which makes it possible to display an advertisement when the TV is turned on or when the channel is switched.
"With this technology, digital advertising content can be presented on the large TV screen, but now with all the advantages of online advertising. This functionality opens additional features to advertisers, such as frequency capping, targeting, and reporting of relevant KPIs (viewing, single contacts, etc.)", Smartclip states in their press release and goes on with, "in addition, ad server-based TV marketing enables pan-device, context sensitive distribution over all the user's video channels."
Smartclip has its own ad server to target TVs and display the advertisements. The system reportedly doesn't store information on users but TV providers might provide additional information (like a zipcode) to Smartclip for more relevant ads.
The company reports it started its first cooperations with German TV station, it has not revealed any plans for other countries.
