3UK launches real-time in-video advertising

Despite getting rightly beaten up by colleague Ben Smith (regarding their rather appalling 3G / WiFi Router), we’ve got some good things to say about 3 this morning.

3UK has done a deal with 4th Screen (the single point of contact for mobile advertising that’s part of MIG) and Mobix Interactive (the technical supplier).

Later this year, when you download/stream a video from the 3 portal, you’ll get a targeted ad in front of it.

I think that’s rather swish provided you’re not paying out cash for the privilege.

I’m pleased to see this kind of innovation going on. I’d really like to see operators deploy this a little bit more — I perceive it as a much fairer transaction when I don’t have to pay out cash for something but have to watch an ad. Provided the ad is pretty good.

I don’t think mobile operators have quite got a handle on the existing information they own, inherent in their customer records. For example, my location, my age, my average spend. The industry is very much still stuck on the ‘if you watch a sport video, you are, er, interested in sport’ record. That isn’t good enough.

But it seems it’s the main alternative…

Apart from Blyk, has anyone else seen examples of mobile operators using their billing information to help profile customers during their portal sessions?