Innovid Launches Harmony Direct in Effort To Tame CTV Supply Chain

Innovid

Innovid said it launched Harmony Direct, the first in a series of products aimed at cleaning up the connected TV advertising supply path.

Roku and digital company PMG are among the first to use Harmony Direct.

Harmony is designed to send more advertiser dollars toward media, increasing revenue opportunities for publishers and creating a more sustainable, transparent system for advertisers, Innovid said.

“As TV speeds toward its fully digital future, Innovid believes that TV should remain open for everyone and controlled by no one,“ Innovid CEO Zvika Netter said. “In the evolving CTV space, we can make this a reality — one that benefits buyers, sellers, and viewers — through advertising.

“But we must avoid the pitfalls our industry saw with other forms of digital transformation,“ Netter continued. “Innovid is in a unique position to bring harmony to the ecosystem and empower brands, agencies and publishers to work together during this transitional moment in TV history to create ad-supported experiences that people love.”

Harmony Direct is designed to streamline the workflow for guaranteed, non-biddable CTV media by eliminating unnecessary technology “hops,” fees and energy usage, the company said.

The workflow system is also expected to improve fill rates, lower the risks of latency and fraud, and provide a more sustainable, greener supply path, Innovid said. 

In beta tests, working media saw an 8% increase in revenue, with publishers’ yields up as much as 15% and fill rates increasing to 100% from 90%.

“We see the power of CTV advertising with our clients every day; the opportunities are endless to create relevant and engaging ad experiences that also change the game for the brands behind them,“ PMG head of partner strategy Sam Bloom said. “The inefficiencies of the supply path are hindrances to getting the most out of CTV for advertisers and getting the best viewing experiences for audiences.

“We are happy to work with Innovid to solve this critical issue. A cleaner supply path maximizes efficiency, saves time, optimizes ad spend for our clients and ensures premium ad experiences for all,” Bloom said.

“Reducing the amount of touch points along the supply path is a critical component for realizing efficiencies for buyers and sellers alike,” added Miles Fisher, senior director, head of engineering & programmatic sales at Roku. “We partnered with Innovid on this solution because more transparency and control — from advertiser to publisher — are powerful, effective means of streamlining the launch process for CTV advertising.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.