Seven’s 2023 commercial offerings: CODE 7+ to launch next year; Investment in media gaming tech, Aura
The first phase of the Seven Network’s new state-of-the-art digital and broadcast converged trading platform, CODE 7+, takes off in 2023, which aims to provide Australian advertisers and agencies with faster, more effective and easier buying across the screens of Seven.
Announced last year as the network’s largest-ever technology transformation project, CODE 7+ is a new, advanced converged media planning and campaign tracking solution, which the network says transforms and enhances Seven’s successful audience automation solution, CODE 7, potentially making it the future of total video audience buying in Australia.
The second phase of the rollout of CODE 7+ will start next year, assisting BVOD trading in Australia and making 7plus an even more powerful platform for advertisers, according to the network. In 2024, the full total video audience delivery system will launch.
In a global first, Seven said it will bring together the technologies of both Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, and Imagine Communications, a leader in video infrastructure, advertising systems and workflow management solutions.
CODE 7+ will also be underpinned by the new industry total audience measurement VOZ, along with data from Seven’s market-leading audience intelligence platform 7REDiQ, to unlock better results and dynamic campaign deliveries that will maximise outcomes.
With CODE 7+, advertisers and agencies can leverage Seven’s reach of 18.5 million viewers a month. Whether it’s broadcast or digital, metro or regional audiences, brands can weave their message throughout Seven’s amazing stories and cultural moments that millions of Australians talk about each week.
Seven West Media chief revenue officer, Kurt Burnette, said: “We’re excited to introduce CODE 7+ to the digital media community next year, offering more automation, reduced turnaround times and improved processes to get campaigns live fast and making them even more effective.
“We have listened to our client and agency customers to carefully understand what they need most – not just now but into the future – to effectively invest with us to reach and engage with their target audiences. We have worked with them to co-create what we believe will be the best total video trading platform in the world.
“The next stage of CODE 7+ will provide our clients and agency partners with more certainty on delivery through the very latest improved optimisation engine, with increased addressability and targeting capabilities on their way,” he said.
“The integration of VOZ total audience data will also be a huge boost to CODE 7+ and for marketers by helping them identify opportunities, maximise reach and exploit digital viewing behaviours in a modern video ecosystem across Seven’s powerhouse content.
“By combining advanced technology from global-leading vendors with Seven’s market-leading audience intelligence platform 7REDiQ, CODE 7+ is the future of total video audience trading, designed to make it even easier for brands to reach Australia’s biggest audience on Seven, all at the push of a button,” Burnette said.
In conjunction with the above announcement, Seven West Media has also signed a strategic investment deal with Australian media gaming and technology business, Aura, to deliver engagement across its market-leading BVOD service, 7plus.
The investment will also see Aura’s next-generation technology integrated into 7plus, with the aim of placing Seven’s streaming service at the forefront of digital innovation in Australia.
Aura, which was named Best Emerging Tech Company at the 2021 SportsPro OTT Awards in London, uses video game technology that can stream content. Its immersive platform supercharges the screen experience for viewers and advertisers with an interface that is completely interactive.
Operating like a video game, Aura’s advanced technology will take the user and ad experience to the next level by aggregating content, data, and social and transactional capability into one environment, allowing the viewer to take full control of the experience.
Functionally on 7plus, Aura will allow viewers to easily switch between different interactive options – including alternate camera angles, e-commerce, free-to-play games, live statistics and more – without losing the live primary feed, creating a “sticky” environment that keeps audiences engaged for longer.
Seven West Media chief digital officer, Gereurd Roberts, said: “Aura is globally recognised and its unique technology will redefine the content experience for Australian audiences through 7plus, taking our premium, personalised user interface to the next level.
“With Aura, 7plus can converge interactive virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, and integrate social feeds and e-commerce easily into both live and on-demand content, bringing a new and exciting dimension to our leading sport and tentpole programming.
“Aura has worked with some of the top-tier sporting codes around the world. For Seven’s unbeatable sporting schedule – which will include full digital rights to the AFL from 2025 – this technology gives us the potential to deliver viewers the opportunity to access stats during events through live data visualisation, purchase merchandise while watching, change camera angles in real-time, chat with other fans and so much more, all without leaving the action,” Roberts said.
Seven West Media chief revenue officer, Kurt Burnette, said: “Our investment in Aura is set to redefine the way streaming is delivered and consumed in Australia. It will create new advanced, flexible advertising solutions that will help brands get ahead of the competition and engage viewers in hyper-contextualised, personalised and innovative new ways on 7plus.
“Aura is a disruptive digital player that will help marketers grab and hold the attention of younger audiences who have moved away from passive viewing and have grown up dual screening and in full control over what they watch, whenever they want. Its Twitch-style features will allow interactive elements that brands can use for different advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
“Our partnership with Aura is the latest example of Seven’s digital-focused strategy to invest in the future of media, push the boundaries of content delivery and find new ways to engage audiences at scale,” Burnette added.
Aura chief executive officer, Antony Arena, noted: “We are extremely excited to be working with the Seven Network to create the future of interactive entertainment and bringing our home-grown technology to Australian audiences and advertisers. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this market.”
Seven West Media’s investment in Aura, under its Seven West Ventures banner, was included in the company’s 2021-22 financial results and aims to both enhance Seven’s digital capability and help accelerate the growth of Aura through Seven’s unbeatable scale and national audience reach. Commercial opportunities using Aura and 7plus are expected to roll out in 2023.
Got a tip?
topics
7plus
7REDiQ
Antony Arena
Aura
BVOD
BVOD trading
CODE 7
Gereurd Roberts
Imagine COmmunications
Kurt Burnette
Salesforce
VOZ
Have your say