I’ve been saying for years that TiVo should add a way to make purchases right from the system. For years they’ve had product Showcases, advertisements in the UI, Interactive Tags during ads, etc. They’ve dabbled in direct product purchasing through Amazon, and there have been trials such as ordering from Domino’s Pizza, but most of these have been limited in scope and duration. But this looks like a serious effort, with PayPal involved.
I’m not really a big fan of PayPal myself, I only use it when I have to, but there is no denying they’re the 800 pound gorilla in the online payments arena. PayPal is a name known and trusted by most consumers, a strong brand accepted by a multitude of merchants. Like them or not, there really isn’t a better payments processor for TiVo to partner with. Someone like Amazon Payments or Google Wallet just wouldn’t give them the scope of PayPal. And there certainly seems to be a lot of potential, given the data shared by PayPal:
According to a survey conducted by PayPal in October 2011, half of TV subscribers (49%) show an interest in purchasing goods and services linked to the content they’re watching on TV, either directly from their television through their remote control, or on a companion device (smartphone or tablet). In addition, nearly 30% of those same TV subscribers said they would use PayPal to make those purchases. In fact, 89% of respondents knew about PayPal as an online payment service with 61% of them having used it in the last 12 months. Furthermore, according to research done by Nielsen, consumers who watch traditional television are engaged approximately 5.1 hours a day, whereas consumers who surf the Internet are engaged less than an hour a day.
TiVo and their agency partners will be working to bring PayPal-enabled ads to consumers in time for the fall 2012 TV season. It sounds like purchasing capabilities will be available to advertisers across TiVo’s ad placement offerings – Interactive Tags, Showcases, etc. I think that’s a good first step, but I think the real potential is integration with shopping channels. As well as the possibility of enhanced TV. How about watching a cooking show and being able to call up an onscreen display to order the host’s cookbook or their branded products? Or watching a fashion-based program and being able to order the clothing seen on the show? It’ll also be interesting to see if the payment system is part of the new SDK TiVo is preparing, to allow purchases via third party apps.
PayPal is also looking to expand this beyond TiVo, as they stated in their blog they’re also working with Comcast:
We’re excited to announce that we’re collaborating with industry leader Comcast Cable to explore opportunities that include enabling consumers to make purchases or donations related to the content they’re watching on television either directly through their TV using the remote control, or on a companion device such as a smartphone or tablet. We are also exploring opportunities for enabling consumers to accept coupons directly into their PayPal online wallet during television advertisements.
Though it sounds like their plans with Comcast are much less concrete than what was announced with TiVo today.
There is one thing about this announcement I could really do without – the term ‘t-commerce’. Yes, a ‘clever’ play on e-commerce and TV. Oh well, marketing, what can you do?
The press release is below:
TIVO TO INTEGRATE PAYPAL ENABLING SIMPLE SHOPPING ON TV AND STRENGTHENING ITS INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING SOLUTION
Will allow users to easily purchase featured products through a few clicks of the remote control improving advertisers’ ability to reach consumers in today’s fragmented TV viewing world
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – June 12, 2012 — TiVo Inc.(NASDAQ: TIVO), a leader in advanced television services and advertising solutions, and PayPal announced they have teamed up to provide TiVo users with the ability to purchase products featured in interactive advertisements on the TiVo user interface through PayPal, the faster, safer way to pay. This integration creates a new opportunity for advertisers and brands to connect with TiVo users and to turn their 30-second spots andinteractive TiVo ad placements into actionable purchasing opportunities through a one-time account link.
“In today’s fragmented TV viewing world it is harder than ever before for advertisers to reach their audiences, and it’s important to find creative ways to get in front of viewers,” said Tara Maitra Senior Vice President, General Manager, Content and Media Sales, TiVo Inc. “TiVo’s interactive ads allow advertisers to grab the attention of viewers in unobtrusive ways and on the viewer’s terms. By teaming with PayPal consumers will be able to instantly purchase products with just a few clicks of the remote after an easy, one-time account setup. PayPal’s expertise in online payments, customer service, and working directly with merchants and sellers makes the entire payment process easy and trustworthy and will create a valuable experience for TiVo users and advertisers.”
Scott Dunlap, Vice President of Emerging Opportunities and New Ventures for PayPal said, “At PayPal we have been redefining commerce from online to mobile to offline and we see television as the newest channel in commerce. Teaming up with TiVo will help us connect merchants and consumers via the TV set in the fastest and safest way possible. We are excited about the prospect of delivering a more complete and seamless couch commerce experience.”
TiVo’s other interactive advertising solutions are currently being used by various leading brands in a host of industries as they allow advertisers to target consumers in a time-shifted world without unwelcomed interruption and offer them the option of exploring products that interest them.
TiVo will be working with its advertisers and agency partners to develop PayPal-enabled TiVo ads and Showcase campaigns beginning with the fall 2012 television season. This solution will also be available to TiVo’s MSO customers such as RCN, Suddenlink and more. Products purchased through PayPal will be charged to the TiVo user’s PayPal account through a secure transaction and shipped to the address the user has registered with PayPal for deliveries. Orders will be fulfilled either by the advertiser or a trusted merchant that accepts PayPal for payment.
TiVo and PayPal unveiled news of this new offering during the TV of Tomorrow Show 2012 in San Francisco. To learn more about TiVo’s interactive ad opportunities visit www.tivo.com/advertising. For more information about PayPal and t-commerce visit the PayPal Blog.
