The DirecTV deal
IMC: Can you give a timeline of events leading up to the formation of DigitalPlus?
Meyer: We've been servicing local cable operators for 25 years or more. This is just an outgrowth of all that work. As I said, DigitalPlus has been at least 18 months in the making. We can see there is enough critical mass for us to do this now. More specifically, we had a large meeting for our national clients in mid-February and we wanted to make the DigitalPlus announcement to coincide with that meeting.
That's the past. As for the future, measuring of video in the interactive space is a very dynamic business. It's very hard to predict future timelines. However, we're very committed to this space. I believe the next six to 12 months will be very interesting in this area.
IMC: How does any of this fit with your new project with DirecTV?
Meyer: That is the first announced partnership in the DigitalPlus testing and development process. We're delighted to be working with DirecTV, and as part of this new partnership we'll be processing and reporting data from about 300,000 of their subscribers, looking for patterns and developing new insights on the usage and effectiveness of these new interactive platforms. At first, of course, we'll be reporting on this only to DirecTV. But later, what we come to understand and what we learn how to do will become more generally available to the entire advertising community. We have an eye toward creating a syndicated service out of these initial efforts.
IMC: What are all these new insights and analyses going to cost advertisers? For example, what's your arrangement with DirecTV?
Meyer: We can't publicly disclose that. However, we work out acceptable terms with each of the people we're doing trials with. We have several other trials in development that we can't yet announce.
IMC: Can you offer some early word about any of them?
Meyer: Sorry, no. Each of these trials and development projects is announced when we and our partner agree that it's appropriate to make the information public. There's not one set of criteria that dictates when you do an announcement.