New York — Internet search behemoth Google Inc. amid slowing revenue growth; plans to squeeze more ad dollars through new projects, has enthused further interest in its television advertising platform, entered into partnership with Hallmark Channel that will enable advertisers access to high-quality family-friendly programming through the Google TV Ads program, the companies said Wednesday.
Hallmark Channel is owned by Studio City-based Crown Media Holdings Inc.
The deal enables advertisers to reach even more viewers by using Google TV Ads platform, all of the ads will be placed on both the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.
The deal symbolizes the search giant’s latest penetration into the TV ad space. In September, Google negotiated a similar deal with a number of NBC Universal’s cable networks, including Sci Fi Channel, Oxygen, MSNBC, CNBC, Sleuth and Chiller.
Advertisers beginning early next year, will be able to purchase inventory on Hallmark and its spin-off, Hallmark Movie Channel, via Google TV’s auction-based model. In a nod to offering advertisers greater accountability, the Google platform offers a pricing structure whereby clients only for pay for the impressions delivered by their ads.
Transparency is also a selling point. Google TV Ads offers greater accountability and relevancy in advertising. With Google’s innovative targeting tools and auction-based pricing system, advertisers who purchase time via Google’s ad platform would get comprehensive digital reports detailing the number of impressions their spots served up within 24 hours of the original airtime.
In November, Hallmark Channel was viewed in 86 million homes across the U.S. and during the past year has constantly ranked in the top ten prime time ratings. The network will air in 2009 more than 30 original movies — its largest-ever slate. Hallmark Movie Channel broadcasts a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, Hallmark Channel original movies and special events.
“Partnering with Google is a milestone for Hallmark Channel’s constant advertising success,” said Bill Abbott, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, Hallmark Channel. “The Google TV Ads platform will allow more advertisers to access the network’s acclaimed roster of family-friendly programming – entertainment that audiences cherish during the holidays.”
According to Hallmark, scores of advertisers it is now attempting to attract through Google’s TV Ads platform are new to the television platform, so it will provide more in-depth viewer-ship data to help advertising partners make “real-time adjustments” to campaigns.
Google TV Ads are unique in the television advertising business. Rather than adopting conventional techniques for television advertising, Google takes its online model and applies that to the medium. The company aims to provide greater relevancy by using proprietary targeting tools and an auction-based pricing system, which only costs advertisers when impressions are delivered to their ads.
Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel join Google TV Ads’ growing list of inventory partners, which also includes six networks from the NBC Universal family — Sci Fi, Oxygen, MSNBC, CNBC, Sleuth, and Chiller — along with Bloomberg Television and 96 networks through DISH Network.
“Hallmark Channel’s strong family-friendly brand and programming attracts an important viewer demographic that Google TV Ads’ advertisers can now access,” said John Saroff, Manager of Strategic Partner Development for Google TV Ads. “Combined with our platform’s measurement technology, this collaboration signifies an important step towards making television advertising more accountable for advertisers and more relevant for viewers.”
Financial terms of the agreement with Mountain View-based Google were not disclosed.