Connected TV: Zeebox Launches TV Ad-based Click-to-buy Feature
- Launched in November 2011, Zeebox’s app includes a new feature enabling TV viewers to purchase goods advertised on TV.
- Initially, Zeebox was proposing an iPad connected TV programme service, with links to Facebook, to access additional information on current TV programmes.
- It now recognises ads too via a keyword-based system. A new “Zeetags” column lists the e-commerce websites on which the given products may be available.
- For now, the solution identifies about 20% of TV ads, most of them broadcasted on iTV. In January, Zeebox announced its service already counted 250,000 users.
- The growth of mobile terminals use (such as tablets and Smartphones) has contributed to the emergence of a new multitasking phenomenon with people switching from task to task, sometimes even using several mobile/connected devices at once.
- The Forget Mobile, Think Multiscreen study conducted by Razorfish and Yahoo! shows that 80% of those interrogated would use their mobile phone while watching TV (a context especially favourable to the development of “couch-commerce”).
- Zeebox fits in this trend and paves the way for the development new marketing solutions likely to help e merchants and the retail players interested in adopting online selling options to back their existing physical stores.
- This trend has been illustrated by several initiatives these past months: manufacturers, carriers, e-commerce specialists and card networks are increasingly interested in this sector and envisage future financial profit. To this respect, Verizon for example would plan 285 million dollars in revenue in the first year if all households using its FiOS platform made one purchase during that time (see previous Insights).