7TH MINUTE
CEO: ED FRENCH COUNTRY: UK STARTED: 2019
What’s your origin story? My name is Ed French and I am the CEO of 7th Minute. The digital advertising world is awash with data – but that doesn’t always mean it provides the information we want. That’s very much the case with TV data,
and small – to search, analyse and uncover the whole context behind every spoken word on TV, whether that’s an ad or part of a broadcast programme. What is the company working on right now? We launched our TV insights platform, 7M Discovery, at the beginning of Q4 this year. This technology enables brands to develop an understanding of TV data, with unique observations into when people talk about brands, products, industries and topics, and the context in which they are mentioned. Like any advanced tech, it’s a work in progress and we’re now looking to evolve the platform, so we can enhance the ‘TV mentions’ with new features. These include sentiment analysis to further understand context, audience reach and demographic data, along with an accurate breakdown of viewership into minute-by-minute segments around when the mention took place. This involves real-time notifications flagging when mentions occur and additional contextual information to build a ‘bigger picture.’ What is the next step? We want to build out our broadcaster relationships. We have the ability to process all forms of video content, but the next stage is to focus on streaming and VOD, which will give broadcasters the capability
to transcribe every spoken word. This TV data can then be enriched with the wealth of other information over which they preside – to form better advertising strategies, create contextual segments and ensure brand-safe ad environments. What one thing does the business need most? Despite the growth in the adoption of CTV, or connected television, (in 2021, 79% of UK TVs were connected to the internet, according to Ofcom) accelerating the discussion around advanced TV, there is still a lack of clarity and in-depth knowledge. From an industry perspective, we’d like to see support for the education of the market around all advanced TV – from addressable (programmatic) linear, through to VOD and the digital capabilities that connected TV enables. For our role in this, we are working with both IAB UK and the Digital TV Group (DTV) to determine how the technology can best be harnessed. We’re a relatively new company, but with proven technology, big ambitions and lots of ideas. That means we are proactively pursuing investment – both in the UK and global – to underpin a hyper-growth phase, as both brands and broadcasters experience firsthand the value of their TV data.
which has always felt like a bit of a mystery. While audience data is available, the granular details, such as when a brand appears on-screen and in what context, are missing. 7th Minute was born out of the frustration we felt that advertisers could not access, analyse and action the TV data that would enable tactical planning for marketing strategies. The company has its roots in an early understanding that context plays a pivotal role in how people behave. This can be harnessed to make more informed – and therefore more effective – marketing decisions. We evolved our existing technology into a self-service offering that allows brands – big
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