Adobe pushes into streaming wars and creates new ‘Co-op’ tracking tool to rival Facebook
Software giant Adobe has charged into the burgeoning over-the-top video market with a new platform it claims will help networks set up and sell subscription and advertising based streaming services.
Another announcement coming from the company at its massive annual gathering in the US is new ‘Co-op’ tracking tool it claims will rival Google and Facebook in its ability to track individual users as they switch devices by pooling data from its marketing cloud customers.
Its new streaming product has been integrated into Adobe Primetime and claims to give consumers a “more personalised TV and ad experience”, including a recommendation engine similar to that used by streaming services like Netflix, Presto and Stan.
“TV networks and pay-TV providers are eager to capitalise on OTT, but need a comprehensive platform to effectively acquire, engage and monetise viewers,” said Jeremy Helfand, vice president, Adobe Primetime in the announcement.
“By integrating Adobe’s advertising, analytics, data management, ad campaign and personalisation engines with the video playback, ad insertion and DRM capabilities of Adobe Primetime, media companies are transforming their businesses with more personalised and engaging viewing experiences across screens.”
An off-the-shelf solution could make it easier for smaller, more niche broadcasters and rights holders to enter the streaming market.
The company claims its product will help identify audiences, and then offer them more personalised content experiences using “more than 200 billion online video consumption points across most U.S. households that stream TV and film” to identify people’s preferences, similar to recommendation engines used by the likes of Netflix.
It also features “dynamic ad insertion” for ad-funded services allowing them to insert personalised and targeted creative for different users.
Another product revealed at the Summit conference is ‘Co-op’, “a network that will enable the world’s biggest brands to work together to better identify consumers across digital touch points while ensuring the highest level of privacy and transparency,” according to the announcement.
The company claims its new system will allow users of its marketing cloud to track individual users as they switch devices allowing more targeted messaging, which it says mirrors the ability of Facebook and Google.
According to the release: “Co-op members will give Adobe access to cryptographically hashed login IDs and HTTP header data, which fully hides a consumer’s identity. Adobe processes this data to create groups of devices (“device clusters”) used by an unknown person or household. Adobe will then surface these groups of devices through its digital marketing solutions, so Co-op members can measure, segment, target and advertise directly to individuals across all of their devices.”
It claims no personal data will be disclosed and consumers “will have privacy controls that exceed industry standards” while no personal or site data will be shared among Co-op members.
“One of the key cross-device challenges regulators, privacy advocates and technology companies have been grappling with is the ability to provide consumers with transparency and meaningful choice in an ecosystem that is increasingly complex,” said Jules Polonetsky, CEO, Future of Privacy Forum in the release.
“By ensuring that a consumer’s choice will be respected across devices and displaying information in a way the typical consumer can easily understand, Adobe is serving publishers and marketers while respecting consumer privacy.”
Alex Hayes
Mumbrella is a guest of Adobe at the Summit event in Las Vegas
