Targeted advertisement using television delivery systems

A method of targeting advertisements to television terminals using multiple channels, comprising:

• broadcasting a program containing program breaks, each of the program breaks including at least one default advertisement;
• broadcasting at least one alternate advertisement;
• broadcasting a switching plan, wherein the switching plan designates which of the television terminals receive the default advertisement and the at least one alternate advertisement during the program breaks;
• creating categories of advertisements;
• defining group categories;
• for each group category, defining at least one group;
• assigning each television terminal, for each group category, to the at least one group;
• creating a group assignment matrix based on the categories of advertisements, the group categories and the group assignments;
• storing the group assignment matrix in each television terminal;
• and
• comparing the switching plan to the group assignment matrix to determine a channel to tune for receiving one of the default advertisement and the at least one alternate advertisement.

A method of targeting advertisements to a plurality of television terminals, comprising:

• creating a package of targeted advertisements;
• providing the package to each of the plurality of television terminals, the television terminals storing the package in a memory;
• generating a group assignment matrix;
• providing the group assignment matrix to each of the television terminals, the television terminals storing the group assignment matrix in the memory;
• generating a switching plan;
• providing the switching plan to each of the plurality of television terminals, the television terminals storing the switching plan in the memory;
• broadcasting a program to the plurality of television terminals, the program including at least one program break;
• and
• switching a television terminal receiving the program to one of a plurality channels during the at least one program break, each of the plurality of channels carrying a different advertisement selected from the package of targeted advertisements.

A method for assigning targeted advertisements to multiple broadcast channels, wherein the multiple broadcast channels include a program channel for each of a plurality of programs to be broadcast and at least one feeder channel, comprising:

• identifying the plurality of programs to carry the targeted advertisements;
• assigning the targeted advertisements to target categories;
• dividing each target category into groups of viewers;
• ranking each of the plurality of programs based on the target categories and a first percentage of total viewers in each group of viewers;
• ranking the targeted advertisements based on a second percentage of total viewers in each group of viewers;
• determining, for each of the plurality of programs and each of the targeting categories, targeted advertisements with overall highest rankings, based on the first and the second percentages;
• assigning targeted advertisements with the overall highest rankings to be displayed on first program channels;
• assigning targeted advertisements with lower overall rankings to be displayed on second program channels;
• and
• assigning alternate targeted advertisements to be displayed on one or more feeder channels, each of the one or more feeder channels associated with a corresponding one of the second program channels.

A method for targeting advertisements to a plurality of television terminals, comprising:

• generating a package of targeted advertisements;
• from the package of targeted advertisements, assigning at least one primary advertisement to a program;
• from the package of targeted advertisements, assigning at least one alternate advertisement the program;
• providing the package of targeted advertisements to the plurality of television terminals, each of the plurality of television terminals storing the package in a memory;
• assigning each of the plurality of television terminals to at least one group;
• generating a switching plan, wherein the switching plan instructs each of the plurality of television terminals to select one of the primary advertisement and the at least one alternate advertisement from the memory during a program break occurring in a broadcast of a program on a program channel, based on the group assignment.