Indiantelevision.com Team

(6 March 2008 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: P9 Integrated has announced a tie-up with UK's MirriAd, an embedded advertising company that specialises in digitally implanting and integrating brands, products and services in films, television and online.

The deal will see MirriAd using its unique ZoneSense advertising technology to digitally integrate brands within existing content that is marketed by P9 Integrated across India.

Such content will include Bollywood film trailers produced for cinema, television and online.

"The deal will last for around a year and can be renewed once we come to the term-end. That depends upon the way the deal shapes up and how much this collaboration flourishes. Through this association, we desire to open new revenue streams for advertisers not only in India but throughout the world," said MirriAd CEO Mark Popkiewicz.

While huge amount of money goes into marketing brands through gaining sponsorships, buying air time slots in broadcast channels and partnering films during the production process, the traditional forms of advertising are increasingly skipped on all platforms. With so many channels launching day in and day out, not only the broadcasters are facing a tremendous revenue crunch but the advertisers are also in a dilemma as to where should they actually put their products to catch the eye balls of their target audience.

Through embedded advertising, the brands can become instant sponsors. They can pick and choose episodes on TV which they think will draw the eyeballs of their target audience. If the brands think that the TRP of a show is to go up for a particular period of time, the advertisers can buy the air time slot only for that period instead of purchasing it in bulk.

"While traditional advertising is shrinking, a company invests only 5 per cent of the total marketing budget in embedded advertising. With this deal we plan to enlarge the market share of the embedded advertising industry which currently stands at Rs 40 million," Shah added.

"We are also talking to Endemol, wherein we can use this form of advertising in their reality shows," added Shah.

"We will also be eyeing the market after the satellite release of films to enhance our penetration into the market.
With MirriAd, P9 plans to market Indian brands across the border; it will also be bringing advertisers outside India through Hollywood to India using embedded advertising," said Shah.