REDWOOD CITY, CA – Heralding a first for the advertising industry, YuMe announced the availability of YuMe’s video advertising solution for Internet Connected TVs, the Embedded software development kit (SDK). LG Electronics is launching the first availability of YuMe’s advertising technology and services to support LG’s industry-leading Smart TV platform. The U.S. arm of global car manufacturer Toyota, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., is the charter advertiser for this first video advertising solution for Internet Connected TVs.

The Embedded SDK powers the new LG advertising platform and is the only video advertising technology to be built into TVs, Blu-ray Disc™ players, and connected devices, providing an end-to-end solution for developers, advertisers, and consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers. The LG advertising platform leverages the power of YuMe’s cross-platform advertising technology to offer brands the ability to reach consumers with targeted, relevant video advertising on LG’s connected devices, including Smart TVs, Smart TV Upgraders, and Blu-ray Disc™ players. The LG-YuMe agreement will immediately offer brands the ability to advertise both in the LG Smart TV navigation experience as well as in applications with pre-roll and navigation experience ads. Additionally, LG will use YuMe’s ACE for Publishers to serve ads delivered within the Smart TV navigation experience.

“We are thrilled to work with LG on this first ever ad platform embedded in TVs. Over the past several years we have offered in-player, in-app, and now in-TV ad solutions,” said Jayant Kadambi, CEO, YuMe, Inc. “Even as consumer attention fractures, we offer brands a way to seamlessly reach consumers at every stage of interaction with the TV, and across all platforms and devices; and as the interactive TV market grows we expect to be the leader in delivering relevant advertising to consumers.”

“We selected YuMe because we were seeking an ad serving and monetization provider for the LG advertising platform with a solution that gives both developers and advertisers around the globe access to our broad set of devices,” said Young-jae Seo, Vice President, Smart TV team of LG Electronics. “YuMe’s advanced technology is flexible enough to work across our diverse range of chip sets for various connected devices, making it the right solution.”

“Toyota customers are watching video online, on their mobile phones and on TV, and we are excited to be able to reach this previously unreachable audience on smart TVs,” said Dionne Colvin, national marketing media manager, Toyota. “At Toyota, we pride ourselves on our innovative approach to advertising, and as media consumption habits change, we see a real opportunity to further engage consumers through YuMe and LG.”

YuMe’s Operating System for TV 2.0
The Embedded SDK joins YuMe’s extensive set of web and mobile SDKs—in addition to its platform SaaS solutions—and positions the company as the operating system for the next generation of TV, TV 2.0. The Embedded SDK provides CE companies and OEMs with the ability to embed software in their technology stack that will support video advertising out of the box. Since it is built into the firmware of the TV, advertisers and publishers are able to offer a more integrated, interactive advertising experience for consumers. The SDK provides an abstraction layer for quick porting and seamlessly addresses the diversity of chip sets. It also handles all the details of integrating with YuMe’s ACE for Publishers and Connected Audience Network, enabling OEMs and CE manufacturers to finally participate in the advertising value chain of television.

LAS VEGAS – Two leading players in the nascent ATSC Mobile Digital Television (DTV) market demonstrated an end-to-end, standards-based reference design aimed at accelerating the rollout of this promising technology by broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers.

In a collaborative effort for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2009 convention, LG Electronics is working with Expway, a worldwide leader in mobile DTV solutions. Notable among them is the Expway FastESG™ (Electronic Service Guide), a field-proven, interoperable mobile DTV platform that allows broadcasters to offer viewers a feature-rich experience, monetize new advertising space and deliver new data services.

LG Electronics and its U.S. R&D subsidiary, Zenith – which along with Harris Corporation developed the technology upon which the fast-emerging ATSC Mobile DTV Standard is based – have been working with Expway to integrate this ESG technology into prototype devices. Building on its technological leadership in this field, LG Electronics is working to integrate ATSC Mobile DTV chips into an array of new-generation devices capable of receiving and displaying mobile DTV, including handheld TVs, personal media players, mobile phones, automotive systems and notebook computers.

Expway, LG and Zenith are demonstrating their integrated double screen mobile TV reference design at NAB 2009 in the ATSC Mobile DTV Pavilion.

“This platform is the first pre-integrated, world-class hardware and rich-application mobile DTV solution,” said Claude Seyrat Ph.D. , Expway’s vice president for marketing and strategy. “As a practical, operable and standards-based design, it can help manufacturers to move more quickly and broadcasters to deploy unique, compelling services to their audience. We are proud to work closely with LG and Zenith, which have been instrumental in defining the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard and with whom we share the values of strict reliability and unbeatable efficiency.”

According to Dr. Jong Kim, president of LG’s Zenith R&D Lab, LG Electronics views Expway’s ESG platform, data broadcasting, targeted advertising and related solutions as “ideal complements to LG’s mobile DTV chipset and consumer product capabilities.” He said, “LG is greatly encouraged by the decision of U.S. broadcasters to make mobile DTV a top priority, and we are fortunate that our colleagues at Expway have provided them with new, marketable applications going forward.”

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) elevated its mobile DTV specifications to candidate-standard status late last year, with final adoption expected this summer. ATSC Mobile DTV allows broadcasters to leverage their existing DTV capabilities by allocating a portion of the channel capacity to reach viewers on the go, thereby creating promising new revenue streams. Broadcasters announced in January their intention to launch mobile DTV on more than 60 stations in 22 markets, covering an estimated 35 percent of U.S. television households.

About Expway

Expway is the worldwide leader in Mobile TV and Mobile Video Data solutions for broadcast, telecom and satellite networks. Expway solutions allow operators and broadcasters to deliver compelling video services to their customers such and Live and Interactive Mobile TV, Mobile TV Advertisements, Video-on-Demand or Datacasting applications. Expway has established its recognized technological leadership through its ongoing involvement in standardization and focus on innovation. Expway’s solutions offer new opportunities for users to interact and play with their favorite content and discover additional, related information. For more information, please visit http://www.expway.com.

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA, based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, air conditioners and business solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. LG’s U.S. R&D subsidiary, Zenith, based in Lincolnshire, Ill., is a long-time leader in consumer electronics technologies and a pioneer in digital HDTV. Zenith merged with LG Electronics in 1999. For additional information, please visit www.LGusa.com.

NEW YORK – iPerceptions Inc. (TSX.V:IPE), a leading provider of web-focused Voice of Customer analytics, today announced the results of a new study that delivers accurate insights into which types of online ads are popular with consumers. iPerceptions collected user-generated feedback from over 14,000 visitors to leading media sites during the month of August 2008 to paint a detailed picture of consumer advertising preferences based on their likelihood to click on different types of online ads.

The study found that, despite current buzz around video ads, marketers do not need to spend on fancy interactive ads in order to reach consumers. In fact, consumers are most likely to click on simple text ads (25% of respondents). Display ads follow in popularity, with 20% of respondents likely to click on right banners and 12% likely to click on top banners. A surprising finding of the study is that video ads are not very popular among most consumers; only 11% of consumers said they were likely to click on video ads. And 25 to 34 year-olds show no special affinity for video, being just as likely to click on video ads as text, right and top banners. The only consumers who seem to be engaged by video ads are young people under the age of 25, a group that accounts for nearly one-third of the video-ad viewing audience.

“Retail groups are predicting the toughest holiday season since 1991, so marketers need to make sure every dollar spent on advertising delivers an end result,” said Jonathan Levitt, vice president of marketing at iPerceptions. “Our research shows that inexpensive banner and text ads are still preferred among web consumers. By having a direct dialog with consumers, we are able to know – with certainty – what consumers want and expect from their online experience.”

The iPerceptions study also unearthed some important data about how income level and frequency of visits impact consumer ad preferences. As advertisers plan key media buys to boost sales during the upcoming holiday season, they would do well to plan marketing messages and targeting tactics around the study’s finding that the likelihood that a person will click on an ad goes down as their income rises. On average, 40% of consumers likely to click on any ad make less than $50K a year – and only 15% make over $150K. The income gap is most pronounced with video ads, with 49% of consumers likely to click on video ads making less than $50K a year – and only 13% making over $150K.

Web marketers and publishers should also note that clicks come from loyal audiences. Across the board, 65% of consumers likely to click on online ads are weekly or daily browsers, and only 15% are first-time visitors and 6% are sporadic visitors.

“Our research clearly shows that media sites that offer consumers compelling content and features – encouraging repeat visits – generate much better ad clickthrough rates than less engaging sites,” said Levitt. “Marketers that want to reach high quality audiences should focus ad placement on sites that deliver the highest customer loyalty and repeat visitor traffic.”

iPerceptions technology goes beyond traditional web analytics to collect customer-generated feedback during actual web sessions to help websites understand who is visiting their site, why they are there, whether they are having a good experience, and what changes in site content or design would provide a better experience. By measuring metrics such as task completion and purpose of visit, iPerceptions can tell with certainty what consumers are doing on a site – and what they really want to do but are unable to – so that websites can pinpoint which marketing and merchandising strategies will deliver the best return.

More details on the iPerceptions research methodology and perceptual framework can be found at http://www.iperceptions.com.

About iPerceptions

iPerceptions is one of North America’s leading web-focused Voice of Customer analytics providers. Its webValidator Continuous Listening solution and Proprietary iPerceptions Satisfaction Index (iPSI), turn thousands of data points into easy-to-understand strategic and tactical decision support for website marketers. iPerceptions’ clients include such well known brands as InterContinental Hotels, General Motors, Dell Computers, Hyundai, LG Electronics, Choice Hotels International, BMW and Monster Worldwide. iPerceptions has offices in New York, Toronto, Montreal and London.

NEW YORK – Eyeblaster announced Channel Connect for Search, a new tool that allows agencies and advertisers to look beyond the last click to fully understand the consumer; where they’re going, how they got there and why. Leading agency Mindshare New York and major brand LG Electronics are among those already using Channel Connect for Search, to get an in-depth look at the consumer’s path to conversion across search, standard banners and rich media.

“Using Channel Connect for Search and Display, Mindshare was able to pinpoint crucial campaign data and draw important insights about the interaction of our search and display ads,” says Harry Case, Director of Media Analytics and Technology at Mindshare. “In the end, it provided us with a more comprehensive overview of user behavior.”

In extensive beta testing with leading brands worldwide, Channel Connect for Search demonstrated a substantial lift in search keyword performance by display advertising. It also showed the contribution of different publishers to cross channel conversions. Channel Connect for Search offers advertisers the flexibility to integrate any search marketing tool, revealing important information about the user’s path to conversion and the consumer experience.

“Last click, single channel methodologies are a misrepresentation of the consumer experience,” said Gal Trifon, CEO and Co-founder of Eyeblaster. “The need for better touch points between various digital elements makes Channel Connect for Search a vital solution for marketers.”

About Channel Connect for Search

Channel Connect for Search produces a clear picture for advertisers, agencies and brands that show how one channel affects another. The path to conversion analysis takes into account all publishers in the user’s path, looking way beyond the last click and allowing marketers to diagnose how different digital channels influence each other. Channel Connect for Search supports the existing SEM tools and native search engines, proving to be easily adoptable for customers using different vendors and quick and simple to use.

About Eyeblaster

In 1999, Eyeblaster was among the pioneers in rich media communication. Today, Eyeblaster extends its inventive heritage in digital advertising through Ad Campaign Manager (ACM). ACM enables interactive agencies, advertisers and publishers to manage campaigns across digital media channels, including online, mobile and in-game, and a variety of formats, including rich media, in-stream video, display and search. ACM is a robust, integrated and easy-to-use platform that allows customers to focus on campaign strategy, creativity and media efficiency without having to worry about the technical complexities associated with managing global advertising campaigns online.

In 2007, Eyeblaster delivered campaigns for nearly 7,000 brand advertisers serving approximately 2,500 ad agencies across over 2,700 global web publishers in over 40 countries worldwide throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Learn more at http://www.eyeblaster.com.