MAM
Audience for interactive TVCs to hit 10 mn US households
NEW YORK : Within 18 months, the number of US homes able to view interactive television commercials will drive a huge increase in the number of advertisers using interactivity in their campaigns.
This finding is contained in a study conducted by newly formed BrightLine Partners, a company that is tracking the impact of digital media technologies on the television advertising market.
Interviews with top television advertisers and in-depth market research reveal that the 6.5 million US households with access to interactive television commercials needs to grow to just 10 million before the audience is a sufficient size to spur most television advertisers to incorporate interactivity into their commercials. BrightLine predicts that the threshold will be crossed by early 2004, with a number of factors driving the pace of deployment, including intensified competition among cable and satellite operators, the ongoing quest for new sources of ad revenue, and the potentially catalytic effects of Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of DirecTV.
The study states that effective positioning to prepare for a major departure from current trends in the use of digital media in TV advertising, coupled with an ability to rapidly execute new strategies, will distinguish savvy advertisers.
BrightLine co-CEOs Jacqueline Corbelli and J.R. McKechnie said, “Ironically, advertisers are having a hard time getting unbiased and fully informed guidance about current conditions in the TV ad market. Best positioned advertisers are expanding their capability to systematically track rapid developments in advanced TV services and quickly convert identified opportunities into fresh sources of ad strength and revenue potential.”
Brands
Thomas Cook India, SOTC and Booking.com team up for smarter corporate stays
Global hotel choices meet Indian corporate controls for seamless business travel
MUMBAI: Business travel just got a major upgrade. Thomas Cook (India) and its group company SOTC Travel have joined forces with Booking.com to offer Indian corporates world-class accommodation options with a side of convenience.
The collaboration brings Booking.com’s vast global inventory, more than 31 million listings across 220 countries, straight into Thomas Cook and SOTC’s corporate booking platforms. From luxury hotels and resorts to homes and apartments, business travellers now have an unprecedented range of choices, all while staying within company travel policies.
Thomas Cook and SOTC president & group head of global business travel Indiver Rastogi said, “Today’s business travellers want more choice, flexibility and transparency. By linking Booking.com’s extensive inventory with our managed corporate tools, we’re delivering exactly that: policy control, price clarity and service support that businesses can trust.”
The offering is designed with the Indian corporate traveller in mind. Key features include transparent pricing with GST-compliant invoices, curated hotel options for SMEs to large enterprises, coverage across 2,500 plus Indian cities, verified traveller reviews, essential business amenities, and integrated policy control for approvals, budgets and credit limits.
Booking.com VP partnerships Mark van der Linden added, “Corporate travellers in India want the same seamless experience they enjoy in personal trips, with the right corporate guardrails. This partnership makes our global accommodation inventory enterprise-ready, combining choice, flexibility and localised support.”
With real-time booking access on desktop and mobile, enterprise-specific rates, loyalty benefits, and future integrations into Thomas Cook’s TravelOne platform, the partnership promises to make corporate travel smoother, safer and smarter than ever.
