Canoe ITV is Dead. Long Live Interactive Television! - Mark Risis-TiVo

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Cover image for  article: Canoe ITV is Dead. Long Live Interactive Television! - Mark Risis-TiVo

As we bid adieu to Canoe, let's not declare Interactive TV dead in its wake. Interactive TV is in fact very much alive, thanks in large part to the efforts of Canoe ITV.

One of Canoe ITV's greatest accomplishments, which we should acknowledge posthumously accordingly, was that it to put a big shiny spotlight on the notion of making interactive television a reality. Unlike the previous attempts over the last decade(s), which were stifled by technological limitations, Canoe ITV was choked by the sheer messiness and immovability of it all, especially compared to lofty goals and over-hyped expectations set for it. Yet, in the process, Canoe did an invaluable service, the benefit of which will be felt for years to come. They made everyone take notice and really pay attention to interactive television for the first time. Agencies, advertisers, technology partners, and distributors had to dedicate mind share to evaluating the space. Perhaps most importantly, Canoe made all stakeholders accept the realities that sparked the conversation in the first place – new consumer behaviors and expectations, born from new technologies, significantly complicated the process by which marketers traditionally had been able to connect with consumers. The path to influencing minds and hearts with the goal of driving sales continues to evolve and Canoe ITV was successful in making that known.

As the focal point of the conversation, they benefitted from the attention, but also they took the brunt of the criticism. Anyone close to the space saw the writing on the wall two years ago – Canoe's very public failure to bring addressability to life was the first sign that it was going to be a scapegoat for the industry's inability to navigate an impossibly messy environment created from a complicated ownership structure.

Yet there is another story here, one that's been brewing for years, very much going on right now and still unfolding. In this story, the goals of allowing a television viewer to interact with television are less ambitious – and at the same time much more successful. Here is the cast of characters and some of their more notable and admirable achievements:

Dish and DirecTV showed how a comprehensive, integrated TV footprint fueled with a concentrated linear buy can translate to spot interactivity, and how a branded experience on the TV can be bold and beautiful and really fun.

Cablevision demonstrated how a robust infrastructure can power tremendous engagement and bridge the link to content and commerce seamlessly, even empowering a viewer to get a call with a click of the remote.

Rovi expanded the program guide to allow for networks and advertisers to increase their time spent with elusive TV viewers, and is now spearheading the drive to bring brands to connected TVs and related devices.

And us. TiVo looked soberly at the behavior it created (time-shifting), one that has fueled the businesses of all those listed here and countless other parties, and turned it on its head by allowing for the fantastic ride of the TiVo/DVR empowered viewers to be equipped with a seat for networks, studios, and brands.

Take the pieces laid out above en sum – there's quite a bit there, and a few more players can be reasonably added to the list, making the picture even more compelling – AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner, and Comcast. It is an ecosystem that's a lot of things: comprehensive, compelling, targeted, actionable, synchronized, and efficient. Add it up, and it's pretty darn close to 100million homes. An impressive accomplishment, and maybe the right…and proven…path for those left standing in the wake of the great Canoe to aspire towards, together.

Long live Interactive Television!

Mark Risis is Director of Interactive Advertising Sales for TiVo, Inc. Mark can be reached at mrisis@tivo.com

Read all Mark’s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at InteracTiVoty.

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