Google, Ally to Target TV Spots

Google is teaming up with Visible World, a well-known New York technology company that uses software to create multiple versions of a given ad, in its push to offer TV advertisers more targeting options. Google will combine the technology with its Google TV Ads, an automated auction-based system for buying TV ads by choosing which shows best fit the advertised product or service. The idea of such "addressable advertising" is to send a TV ad promoting a sale on minivans to a household with children, for example, and the same basic ad with a promo for a sports sedan to a childless household. "Audiences are more and more fragmented," said Mike Steib, director of Google TV Ads. "One ad with one message for one audience is not the right thing for everyone." The Internet company will pay Visible World to use its software, which allows advertisers and ad firms to tweak an ad by changing features such as graphics, music and the script. Visible World's software also allows advertisers to switch out ads on the fly based on results of how an ad is performing. Among the nine-year-old New York firm's investors are Viacom, Time Warner and ad conglomerate WPP PLC.