FourthWall Grabs App Insertion Patent

In a move that could further hasten more targeted ad insertion across cable platforms, the US Patent Office has approved FourthWall Media’s request for a patent of its Dynamic Application Insertion Technology. The tech lets ops embed data and apps directly into the video stream, with the idea that advertisers gain more flexibility over how they present and insert ads—and who sees them.

 

“Unlike other targeted ad technologies where a separate ‘switching’ application and the corresponding set-top box targeting information need to be downloaded ahead of time, this technology embeds the switching app in the video stream which then selects the right version of the ad to display in the targeted home,”  said Dr. Louis Slothouber, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of FourthWall Media. The advantage is more dynamic targeting, he said, “enabling advertisers to change their targeting criteria without having to wait for a new application or targeting information to propagate across the system.” When combined with FourthWall’s Ad Widgets product, the tech includes targeted interactive overlays and reporting data, he said.

 

FourthWall is already pitching the tech to cable ops, hoping to convince them that the tech can improve the bottom line as well as customer data collection. .   “Targeting ads to the viewer’s home drives new revenue for TV and takes advantage of improvements in consumer data management, another area in which FourthWall Media is transforming the television advertising landscape,” said FourthWall CEO Tim Peters.