After years of speculation and rumors, Canoe Ventures launches their interactive TV platform.

Marketers can place overlays in spots that prompt viewers to click-through and request a coupon or sample. Cablevision’s AMC and Comcast’s E! and Style are teed up to run the spots now, while the Discovery Channel and two NBC Universal cable channels are anticipated to be ready by year’s-end.

Canoe Ventures’ ITV Solutions allow programmers to better engage with their viewers through innovative marketing applications.

So far, the “request-for-information” spots can only be delivered into some homes served by Time Warner Cable and Comcast. Verklin would not release the number, but it is likely no more than 15 million. Next year, Canoe aims to be able to stream spots into households served by TWC, Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Charter and Bright House — all part owners of Canoe.

Networks license the technology and then sell it to advertisers. Canoe then shares in the proceeds of a deal.

Canoe has data showing that the simple appearance of an overlay on screen during an ad raises brand recall — even if a viewer takes no action. “There’s value to an unclicked banner”.

But could the triggers and prompts cause a backlash? Since few ads have them it’s unlikely but if this concept hits the mainstream then I think it will definitely cause some issues with viewers.  Only time will tell.

Mobile Bar Codes Coming to Your TV

Bar codes have been seen flashing on TV screens across the country allowing you to scan them with your smartphone and get instant information.

The process works like this: bar codes are embedded in commercials that appear on the screen. Then a viewer with a smartphone scans them and gets access to more information about a product, which could also include a discounted price.

These mobile bar codes are known as QR Codes, for “quick response.”

QR Codes, already widely used in Europe and Asia, allow advertisers to place bar codes on posters, product packaging and TV commericals and turn these objects into links to online content.

Using bar codes is starting to spread, because more people are using smartphones, and many of those phones have the scanning application to read the codes.

The Weather Channel and HBO also have tested the technology.

Still, there are challenges for TV advertising, such as time constraints. But other observers see bar code technology as a major advertising tool of the future.