TV-Synchronisation
United Internet Media Allows Real-Time Synchronisation of Online And TV Ads
“The big screen is the first screen” no longer holds true. As studies show, people divide their attention almost equally between the TV screen and their devices, looking constantly from one to the other. Multi Screen use also increases considerably during TV commercials, creating a special challenge for advertisers as they plan their campaigns.
With our technology partner Spotwatch, we can now synchronise TV commercials with our online ad campaigns on our WEB.DE, GMX and 1&1 online and mobile sites in real time. The synchronisation is automated and doesn’t require any time-consuming comparison of media plans, allowing for last-minute adjustments in TV programming, e.g. for live broadcasts.
Why Is United Internet Media’s Real-Time TV Synchronisation Product Useful?
- People switch their attention between screens in multi-screen situations
- Multi-screen use is especially heavy during TV commercials
- People most commonly read and send emails during multi-screen situations *)
- WEB.DE and GMX indicate higher mobile mail usage during TV commercials
- Your ad campaigns on the GMX, WEB.DE and 1&1 online and mobile platforms will be synchronised with the broadcast of your TV ads – guaranteed!
- No additional scheduling information needs to be provided for real-time TV synchronisation
- Implementation is automated and synchronised – without any additional effort!
*) Catch Me If You Can! 2.0 – Study 2016
Contact Opportunities Increase Dramatically with United Internet Media’s TGP Targeting
We also offer innovative targeting technologies to increase your chances of reaching the right TV audience.
Cross-media targeting in TGP Media allows advertisers to their campaigns to audiences that use preferred media, including preferred TV programmes and timeframes, thus increasing the probability of synchronising contacts between TV and digital. We conduct user surveys to model this information in compliance with all data privacy regulations.
How Real-Time TV Synchronisation Works
Spotwatch constantly monitors the programming of relevant free-to-air television broadcasters in Germany, Austria and Switzerland using an automated system. Based on visual and acoustic signals, Spotwatch identifies the various TV commercials in real-time to identify the exact broadcast time. This information is transferred to our ad server, which displays the corresponding digital ads on our websites and mobile platforms based on defined target audience parameters.

Synchronised Campaign Display Boosts Your Ad Impact
We examined the usage habits of TV viewers in our “A Peek Into the Living Room” survey. These results confirm the increasing parallel use of mobile devices while watching TV. Various case studies show an increase in campaign efficiency through the synchronised display on TV and online: It was possible to dramatically increase goals such as awareness, popularity and continued new product engagement with the main target audience as a result.

Integrating TV and online and media planning has been regular practice for years. Synchronising the two further optimises the impact of these efforts, and should be considered in every campaign.