TIVO,
Susan, I just noticed this news on TIVO from this morning with Lexus:
Leading Luxury Automobile Manufacturer, Lexus Joins TiVo's Charter Advertising Program
TiVo's Ipreview Provides Lexus With Interactive Promotions
SAN JOSE, Calif. and TORRANCE, Calif., May 23, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- TiVo, Inc., (Nasdaq: TIVO chart, msgs) the creator of and leader in personal television, has signed luxury automaker Lexus to the company's Charter Advertising Program. The one-year agreement provides Lexus with the benefits of TiVo's advertising platform, including Ipreview technology, TiVo's unique feature that transforms commercials into interactive promotions. Up to this point Ipreview has been used primarily by networks and cable programmers to provide TiVo subscribers with the ability to schedule programs to record directly from promotional previews. Lexus and its agency, El Segundo, Calif.-based Team One Advertising, will be one of the first to use the interactive Ipreview technology as a tool to extend their advertising by linking traditional thirty-second spots to their brand building television and event sponsorships.
Lexus advertisements will feature an interactive Ipreview icon allowing TiVo subscribers to instantly schedule recordings of upcoming shows sponsored by the leading luxury automobile manufacturer. TiVo subscribers who press select on the remote will be presented with a description of the program, when the program will air and the option to automatically record it. Lexus will choose the programs it wishes to sponsor and determine the timing and placement of the Ipreview icon to best complement the advertisement's creative presentation.
Lexus participated in a trial use of the technology in February and interactive advertisements will roll out to TiVo subscribers in the coming months.
"Lexus' Charter participation sends a clear message that TiVo is committed to developing an extraordinary new way for consumers to enjoy television, as well as creating an innovative platform for building powerful marketing relationships with those viewers," said Stacy Jolna, chief programming officer and vice president of TiVo's Entertainment Group. "Our advertising and programming clients are garnering critical lessons as we invent the future of television marketing with TiVo's unique technology to build brands, extend them and acquire and retain customer relationships."
"The overwhelming response from TiVo viewers to Lexus' early trials with TiVo's interactive Ipreview proved to the company that we could more effectively and efficiently extend their brand on television," said Karl Meyer, National Advertising Manager. "We helped transform a traditional passive thirty-second spot into an interactive experience with integrated marketing messages and entertainment. Ipreview seamlessly extends Lexus' brand from an advertisement directly to a sponsored program while maintaining and entertaining viewers."
Interactivity is shifting the dynamics of traditional ads for both advertisers and viewers. Advertisers continue to do what they do best, grab the attention of the viewers through creative, innovative and entertaining ads. Now with TiVo's Ipreview interactivity, advertisers are able to go one step further and provide additional information, content or promotions to the most pertinent and interested viewers. Meanwhile, viewers are in control with the choice to select from the programs that are relevant to their needs.
"By collaborating with TiVo, we've expanded our brand presence beyond traditional mediums of advertising while at the same time, heightening the effectiveness of our current advertising models," said Chris Conard, Lexus national advertising manager, "TiVo's Ipreview makes it even easier for viewers to find and watch the programs we choose to sponsor as well as provide a unique and memorable way to interact with our commercials."
As a member of TiVo's Charter Advertising Program, Lexus will receive branding opportunities through TiVolution Magazine(TM) and TiVo's Showcases as well as Ipreview. TiVolution Magazine is an exclusive interactive gateway that presents information in themed packages about upcoming shows. Lexus will have the opportunity to sponsor programs on TiVolution Magazine that are most relevant and compelling to the company's target audience. TiVo's Showcase, an exclusive branded environment that offers viewers the opportunity to record shows by clicking on a company, network or cable logo, provides Lexus the opportunity to feature various programs it has sponsored.
Lexus will also receive TiVo Direct(TM), thirty minutes of pre-loaded advertising content on TiVo recording units; a seat on the TiVo Advertising Advisory Board; priority access to TiVo's new advertising concepts and basic aggregate research data associated with TiVo advertising products. Lexus joins current Charter Adverting Program members, Miller Brewing Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Philip Morris Companies Inc. and Pfizer, Inc.
About Lexus
Lexus, the luxury vehicle division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., markets and sells luxury cars and sports utility vehicles through 191 dealers in the continental United States. Lexus prides itself on providing the best in vehicle quality, service and customer satisfaction. The company's dealers have achieved the highest honors in customer satisfaction from the independent research firm J.D. Power and Associates. Additionally, with record-setting sales in 2001, Lexus is the top luxury nameplate in the industry for the second year in a row.
About Ipreview
Ipreview brings recording convenience to TiVo subscribers by enabling them to schedule programs to record directly from promotional previews. With the simple click of the TiVo remote, Ipreview is designed to ensure that viewers never miss the upcoming movies, sports events and television series that interest them most. Ipreview's interactivity enables viewers to get the most out of the vast amount of television programming available to them.
About TiVo, Inc.
TiVo is the creator of and leader in personal television. Founded in 1997 with the mission to dramatically improve consumers' television viewing experiences, TiVo developed a technology that serves as a platform for delivering a variety of home entertainment services. TiVo's Personal TV Service(TM) simplifies the way we watch and enjoy television by digitally recording television shows, without videotape, so you can watch what you want, when you want to watch it. TiVo was the first to deliver on the promise of consumer choice and control over TV viewing, building a loyal and passionate subscriber base. TiVo's leadership is grounded in its ability to forge critical partnerships, working together with the giants of the media, technology, consumer electronics, and television industries. Industry support of TiVo is reflected in its partner roster that includes, AOL, BSkyB, DIRECTV, Philips, SONY, Thomson and the leading cable and network television companies. Today, the TiVo Service is available in the United States on the Philips Personal TV Recorder(TM) and the Sony Digital Network Recorder(TM) in nearly 3500 consumer electronics retail and online outlets and in the UK under the Thomson Scenium brand. TiVo is headquartered in San Jose, CA. Additional information can be found at tivo.com .
This release may contain forward-looking statements regarding TiVo's business, customers or other factors that may affect future earnings or financial results. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those, expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include delays in development, competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in the TiVo Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 1999 and form 10Q dated March 31, 2000 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
NOTE: TiVo is a registered trademark of TiVo Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other company or product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated |
