Break Google's Round "D" investment in INVIDI Technologies

Google Ups Its TV Bet, Invests in Invidi

by Peter Kafka
Posted on May 5, 2010 at 4:00 AM PT

Google, which is still trying to figure out how to crack the TV business, has invested in a tech firm trying to do the same thing.

The search giant is leading a $23 million series D round in Invidi Technologies, a New York City company that works on “addressable” TV ads. Addressable ads are supposed to target specific viewers, using data from set-top boxes, in the same way that Internet ads sniff out specific Web surfers.

You can see why Google (GOOG) would be interested in this stuff, particularly as it tries to integrate its Android platform with TVs. Shishir Mehrotra, who runs product management for all of Google’s video businesses, will join Invidi’s board.

Addressable ads are a holy grail for the TV business, but they may still be several years away. Invidi, founded in 2000, has completed two market trials to date.

People familiar with the transaction tell me Google has invested between $10 million and $15 million in company in this round, which brings Invidi’s total capital raised above the $85 million mark. Other investors include WPP’s GroupM, Motorola (MOT), Menlo Ventures, InterWest Partners and EnerTech Capital.

Business Insider, which first reported the investment, says the transaction is connected to Google’s ad pact with the Dish satellite network. But I’m told Dish doesn’t factor into the deal.

++++

Google Invests In Invidi, Addressable TV Play

Posted May 5th, 2010 at 8:14 am by Joe Mandese

GroupM backed addressable TV developer Invidi Technologies Corporation says it just secured over $23 million in a financing led by Google, with GroupM (a unit of holding company WPP), Motorola Ventures, and leading venture capital firms Menlo Ventures, InterWest, and EnerTech as participants.

Google leads the round, which includes a second investment made by GroupM, the world’s largest media investment company, and Motorola, a leading set top box manufacturer. Other participants include repeat investors from INVIDI’s prior rounds of financing: Menlo Ventures, InterWest Partners, EnerTech Capital, Westbury Equity Partners, BDC Capital, and others.

As part of Google’s commitment to this new relationship, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined INVIDI’s board of directors. In addition to its investment in INVIDI, the two companies have agreed to work together on projects of mutual interest that will bring value to INVIDI’s customers.

++++

Google Leads $23 Million Round In TV Ad Startup Invidi

by Leena Rao on May 5, 2010

TV ad startup Invidi has secured over $23 million in series D funding led by Google, with GroupM, Motorola Ventures, Menlo Ventures, InterWest, and EnerTech Capital, Westbury Equity Partners, BDC Capital participating in the round. The Business Insider broke the news yesterday evening.

Invidi provides software applications that track targeted advertising and offers a digital set-top box application that delivers targeted advertising and marketing messages to individual viewers. The technology also facilitates the sales of digital products, digital tiers, and digital services, such as VOD, PVR, and pay-per-view events; Internet, voice, and wireless services; and triple play offers.

In conjunction withe the funding, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi’s board of directors. In addition to its investment in Invidi, Google has committed to working with the startup on a number of products relating to TV advertising. Of course, it is expected that Invidi’s technology could be integrated with Google’s development of an Android-based software for TVs.

Founded in 2000, Invidi currently has distribution agreements with Dish Network and DirecTV. Invidi’s technology was recently tested in Comcast’s Baltimore, MD, system with Starcom MediaVest, and the trial showed addressable ads to be 65% more efficient and 32% more effective.

Google just shared updates on its venture arm, Google Ventures, and announced additional investments in mobile payments startup Corduro.

++++

Invidi Technologies Gets $23 Million Fourth Round From Google, GroupM

TV ad targeter Invidi Technologies has netted a huge

$23 million fourth round led by Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and WPP media unit GroupM. When WPP first invested in Invidi almost three years ago, its backing of the Princeton, NJ-based ad delivery system was considered a way to blunt Google’s moves into TV ad targeting. Now, the partnership can be seen as a way for Google to speed up its efforts in that area, which have been fairly slow-going.

As part of Google’s involvement, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi’s board. In addition to its investment in Invidi, the two companies have “agreed to work together on projects of mutual interest that will bring value to Invidi’s customers,” though no specifics were provided.

In addition to WPP, Motorola (NYSE: MOT), which participated in the last funding, also returned. Other backers in this latest round included Menlo Ventures, InterWest, EnerTech, Westbury Equity Partners, BDC Capital, and others.

++++

Google Invests in Invidi

The firm develops addressable TV technology

May 5, 2010

- Steve McClellan

Google is the lead investor in a new $23 million round of financing for addressable technology firm Invidi, the companies confirmed today.

It's the first time the search engine giant has invested in Invidi, which specializes in systems that enable TV ad sellers to distribute ads to select groups of viewers, down to the individual household level. Google began selling TV ads several years ago and has indicated in recent months that it remains committed to that business, both through Google TV Ads and subsidiary YouTube.

The companies already share a common connection: Dish Network. Google TV Ads has an ongoing arrangement to sell Dish inventory, while Dish is participating in a trial of Invidi's ad delivery system.

Other investors in the financing round include WPP's GroupM, set-top box maker Motorola and venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, InterWest and EnerTech. It's the second investment made by GroupM in Invidi.

"Google and GroupM share our vision that addressability will transform television advertising by increasing effectiveness and eliminating wasted reach," said Invidi CEO David Downey. "They want to play an active role in shaping this revolution."

As a result of the investment, Shishir Mehrotra, director of product management for Google TV Ads and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi's board of directors.

In addition, the two companies said they would work together on "unspecified projects of mutual interest." The companies declined to identify the projects at this time.

"Invidi Technologies is actively advancing the growth of addressable technologies, which brings more relevance to TV viewership and advertising," Mehrotra said. "We're happy to join Invidi's investors, and we're looking forward to seeing continued progress in this space."

GroupM CEO Irwin Gotlieb, who also sits on the Invidi board, said about the new funding: "GroupM strongly believes that addressable technology and advanced advertising functionality are critical to the future of television and other media." As an industry leader in the buying and planning of TV ad time, he said, "we have a responsibility to our clients to act as a catalyst on all developments in this arena, and our continued investment in Invidi reflects this objective."

++++

MULTICHANNEL NEWS: "Google Takes Stake in Targeted-Ad Firm Invidi"
CLICKZ: "Google Takes Another Step Into TV Ads With Startup Investment"
NEWTEEVEE: "Google Boosts TV Ads With Invidi Investment"
VATOR.TV: "Invidi Lands $23 Million From Google"
SOFTPEDIA: "Google Invests In TV Ad Startup Invidi"
ELECTRONISTA: "Google hints at TV set-tops, funds Invidi"
WEB PRO NEWS: "Google Leads Invidi Technologies Funding Round"

BrandIndex's weekly Brandweek Buzz Report: Denny's, Lane Bryant, TBS

Why Denny's Value Strategy Is a Grand Slam

April 30, 2010

When it comes to dining out, Denny's has a knack for driving positive attention in a tough market. With deals like the "Grand Slam Breakfast Giveaway" and a new value menu, consumers are quick to recommend dining at the chain to their friends, according to YouGov's BrandIndex report.

The Brandweek Buzz Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also examines whether consumers would recommend the featured brands to others.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report features:

- Denny's
- Lane Bryant
- TBS


Denny's Value Pitch Pays Off
For the second year in a row, Denny's free Super Bowl breakfast giveaway reaped positive brand loyalty, as evidenced by the spike in its recommend score, which lasted nearly three weeks.

The chain has built on that success by simplifying its menu, and pricing 16 popular items at $2, $4, $6 and $8. The value strategy, which launched on April 3, has paid off again for Denny’s, propelling its recommend score to the same 20.3 high as its breakfast giveaway in early February.




Lane Bryant Gets Women Buzzing
It’s an annual Super Bowl tradition for an advertiser—usually domain registrar GoDaddy—to make a publicity spectacle of its sexy TV spot being rejected by whatever network is broadcasting the game. Stealing a page from GoDaddy’s playbook, women’s retailer Lane Bryant made front page news when it complained that both ABC and FOX refused to air its lingerie ad for plus size women.

Women over 18 overwhelmingly supported Lane Bryant, sending the retailer’s buzz score skyrocketing from 47.5 on April 16 to 77.6 on April 23.




Conan O’Brien Puts TBS in the Spotlight
In the late night talk show world, rumors were flying about who would land Conan O’Brien when his competitive clause with NBC would be up in the fall. While most pundits were betting on FOX, TBS snuck in and signed O’Brien to a deal to relaunch his talk show in November. Conan’s core fan base of adults 18-34 responded immediately, driving TBS’ buzz score up 14 points since the announcement. TBS' current score of 27.8 puts it squarely in the top tier of cable networks with the highest buzz in the 18-34 age bracket.

BrandIndex tracks Toyota's slow rebound in the Detroit Free Press

Posted: April 21, 2010

Toyota image rebounds, worries linger

Some pollsters see gains, others cite incentives

BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Despite six months of recalls, congressional inquiries and serving as the butt of late-night jokes, Toyota is recovering so well that it is situated to overtake General Motors as the No. 1 automaker in the U.S. in April.

While GM remains the leader for the first three months of the year, Toyota's offer of no-interest loans and discounted leases is overshadowing consumers' worries about quality issues -- and it's forcing other automakers to discount heavily, too.

"Toyota is making life difficult for everyone, and if you don't respond, you're going to get run over," said John Wolkonowicz, an analyst with IHS Global Insight.

In March, when Toyota launched its aggressive incentives and saw its sales surge 41%, the Japanese automaker came within 1,148 vehicles of outselling GM.

But nearly three of every four of those sales was financed with the expensive no-interest loans that erode profits, according to the consumer automotive Web site Edmunds.com. As other automakers tried to keep pace, a record 22% of all U.S. vehicle sales last month were transacted with no-interest financing.

The deals have continued into April, and Toyota, armed with about $23 billion in cash, could offer them indefinitely.

While expensive, the big deals could be a winning strategy for Toyota. Studies show that Toyota's image is already beginning to bounce back.

Hit bottom

Toyota's good news: the automaker's score on the BrandIndex daily consumer perception survey rose 12.7 points from early March to the end of the month.

The bad news: Toyota's latest BrandIndex score is still -42, which means it is getting less love than either Goldman Sachs (-19.8) or Bank of America (-11.6) -- two primary architects of the nation's financial implosion.

"They have hit a bottom and they are starting to recover," said Ted Marzilli, global managing director of the daily tracking poll. "I still think they are six to 12 months away from regaining the trust they had before the recalls."

The BrandIndex survey is conducted by YouGov Polimetrix, based in Palo Alto, Calif.

BrandIndex's weekly Brandweek Buzz Report: KFC, Apple Nike

Is KFC's Double Down as Popular as Grilled Chicken?

April 16, 2010

Last year, the grilled chicken launch gave KFC a huge boost, more than doubling positive buzz with consumers 18 to 49. This year, KFC took a different approach by debuting the Double Down—a sandwich made of two pieces of fried or grilled chicken (without a bun) with bacon and two kinds of cheese in the center. But that product introduction hasn't been as buzzworthy as KFC had hoped, according to YouGov's BrandIndex report.

The Brandweek Buzz Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures brands based on reputation.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• KFC
• Apple
• Nike


Consumers Not Feeling KFC's Double Down
Looking to capitalize on another new product launch this year, KFC has gone 180 degrees from healthy fare and introduced the new Double Down sandwich. (The sandwich has been dubbed “heart stopping” and “artery clogging” by critics.)

Gains from the grilled chicken launch gave KFC an eight-month boost to buzz scores. However, the launch of the Double Down hasn't yet registered the same level of positive impact for KFC. Buzz levels have been steadily declining for the past month, leading up to the Double Down’s debut this week. Scores even sunk below the top QSR sector average at the end of last week. KFC’s buzz score was 21.1 in mid-March and is currently trending around 11.5. It remains to be seen how the Double Down launch will benchmark against last year’s grilled chicken intro over the next several weeks.




iPad Buzz Goes Up and Down
With accompanying press frenzy, the iPad debuted on Saturday, April 3. Some prominent web sites like NYTimes.com have live blogged from Apple stores, taking photos and reporting on the turnout. Meanwhile, a few high-profile gadget blogs, such as Gizmodo and Engadget, were mysteriously not permitted early review editions of the product.

Now that the dust has settled, all the hype drove Apple’s buzz score down heading to the iPad’s launch, and then bouncing back again once the product became available. On March 12, Apple had a 36.6 buzz score; it then dropped to 29.6 on April 2, and immediately shot up to its present pre-iPad launch score of 36.4. Apple’s highest score so far this year has been 41 on Feb. 22.




Tiger Ad Doesn't Boost Nike's Reputation
Since Nike aired its controversial Tiger Woods spot, narrated by the golfer's late father, news outlets and blogs have been discussing the ad's merits. Brand metrics indicate a 5% increase to Nike’s recent awareness score, and a slight decline in positive buzz (2-4 points) among males and females since the commercial launched. More concerning for the brand, however, BrandIndex data reveals Nike may be facing some greater perception challenges as a result of the Tiger ad fallout.

Reputation scores show that respondents would be increasingly "embarrassed" to work for the Nike brand. Nike's scores have dropped 11 points from 39 at the beginning of the month to 28 as of April 13. This reputation decline indicates there may be some cause for concern with Nike’s Tiger strategy.

Billboard publishes early beta phase data from Free All Music

A Look At The Early Numbers: Free All Music
April 13, 2010 - Digital and Mobile

By Glenn Peoples, Nashville

Free All Music, currently in private beta, shared some statistics with Billboard it says show the service has started off on a positive note. The private beta testing period lasted from mid-December to mid-February.

-- FAM says it achieved a 94% average completion rate for its pre-roll video ads, the major feature of the ad-supported site. Consumers get to pick the ad they want to watch. Once the ad is done the music download becomes available. The company compares that to an industry average of 64% (for 30-second videos) it cites from a December 2009 YuMe Networks Metrics Report. The video ad component is especially important. As a study by comScore and Starcom USA indicated, the number of U.S. Internet users who clicked on a display ad in a month dropped 32% from July 2007 to March 2009.

-- The site experienced click-through rates (CTR) of 0.54% for display ads. In 2008, according to Doubleclick’s 2008 Year-In-Review Benchmarks Report, the average U.S. CTR was 0.1%. FAM says it achieved a whopping 7.29% CTR on the channel landing pages. Those pages, seen after a person watches a video and downloads a track, contain banner ads of the track’s sponsors.

-- In its weekly emails, FAM achieved a 50% open rate and a 32% CTR. Those compare well to the 18.4% and 3.4% media and publishing averages cited by email marketing firm Mailchimp.

-- Facebook adds an important dynamic since 77% of FAM members use the service, versus 34% of all online adults, according to a February 2010 Pew Internet report. After a FAM user downloads a song, there is the option to share with Facebook contacts a FAM link to that song (along with a message). Because the songs are free, a user can easily go from a friend’s update to downloading the very same track. In this way, FAM enables social networks to recommend downloads. That’s a step beyond simply sharing the artist and title of favorite or currently playing songs.

BrandIndex's data about KFC's Double Down" used on QSRWeb and Reuters

Will negative buzz mean more sales for KFC Double Down?

Christa Hoyland

12 Apr 2010 [EXCERPT]

How often is it that a new product launch reaches an unprecented level of infamy well before its national debut? Not often, especially at KFC, which usually stays tight-lipped until its national advertising is in place.

But word got out last summer about the Double Down, a sandwich that features two boneless filets in place of a bun, and health advocates have been squawking about it ever since. But even though it's negative attention, the company is apparently lapping it up. In an e-mail club alert, the company boasted about how much attention the sandwich received in the weeks before its launch.

From late-night talk shows and national news networks to social media sites and blog postings, all of America is buzzing about the Double Down, which is becoming one of the most anticipated new products in KFC history.

The buzz has continued to trend downward as word of the product launch spread. YouGov's BrandIndex found that KFC's buzz score among adults 18 - 34 has fallen almost nine points since March 1. KFC's buzz score fell from 15.8 to 7 as of April 9, falling below the Top QSR Sector average on March 24 with a score of 12.1 as comments grew increasingly negative.

++++

Is KFC’s Double Down a double whammy?

Apr 20, 2010 18:03 EDT

fast-food | KFC | obesity | Yum! Brands Inc

KFC’s new, artery-choking Double Down sandwich is getting lots of media buzz — but is it helping the brand?

The breadless “sandwich” is just the latest in a long line of decadent dishes from fast-food chains. It features bacon, cheese and “the Colonel’s” special sauce sandwiched between two boneless grilled or fried chicken filets. It’s a low-carb dream but a healthy eater’s nightmare as it is loaded with calories, salt and fat.

The Double Down landed in stores on April 12, about a year after the company introduced healthier grilled chicken nationwide. Its debut has nutritionists calling foul and served as fodder for late night jokes, food blogs — including those run by CNN, the Los Angeles Times and Consumerist — and all those guys who make videos of people eating the latest headline-grabbing fast food.

But according YouGov BrandIndex, which does daily consumer perception research on brands, the Double Down has helped erase all of the perception gains KFC won with the launch of its healthier grilled chicken.

KFC’s “buzz score” levels had been steadily declining for the past month, leading up to the Double Down’s debut last week, YouGov said. Such scores can range from 100 to -100 and are compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback.

KFC’s buzz score, which fell as low as 11.5 on the day of the Double Down debut, was 24.4 on March 1 and is currently trending around 14.

YouGov BrandIndex interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative US population sample and margin of error is +/- 2 percent. YouGov asks participants this question: “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, was it positive or negative?”

(Reuters photo; graphic courtesy of YouGov BrandIndex)