Smart Targeting

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by: Gary Hayes

While browsing some gadget sites the other day with my partner we came across a company called SmartAdds who seem to be inextricably attached to the almost defunct Gizmondo, convergent device. The device is/was interesting in itself, phone, GPS (plus navigation), games console, video player, MP3, bluetooth etc: but the service partly bundled with the device, SmartAdds, is the real eye opener.

I am sure many of us have seen the scene from Minority Report where Tom Cruise’s character enters a mall and through retinal detection he is bombarded by targeted, personalized projections around the mall. Well always keen to see services that take us one more step towards that potentially the most invasive side of personalization.

Smart Adds are partnered with an impressive almost frightening list of brands –

1. UNIVERSAL MUSIC
2. WARNERS MUSIC
3. EMI
4. 20TH CENTURY FOX
5. WARNERS HOME ENT.
6. BUENA VISTA
7. THE SUN
8. MTV
9. SCI-FI CHANNEL
10. VUE CINEMAS
11. HMV
12. GUINNESS
13. SMIRNOFF
14. LUCOZADE (GSK)
15. McDONALDS
16. CARLING LAGER
17. FOSTERS LAGER
18. COCA-COLA
19. PEPSI
20. NIVEA
21. A G BARR (TIZER)
22. YAKULT
23. RED BULL
24. CHUPA CHUPS
25. WRIGLEYS
26. DOMINO’S PIZZA
27. BURGER KING
28. MASTERFOODS CONFEC (SNICKERS)
29. T&T SOFT DRINKS
30. UK GOVERNMENT ROAD SAFETY
31. NATIONAL LOTTERY
32. TOYOTA
33. SMART CAR
34. MINI CARS
35. ADIDAS
36. REEBOK
37. LEVI’S
38. TOURISM AUSTRALIA
39. TOP SHOP

and one wonders more about the relationship between the gadget and the service given this impressive line-up. Back to the service which is in effect a way to lull a younger demographic to use a device because it has games and cool communication functions then…

Imagine being able to send a TV commercial (at DVD quality), to the individuals of your choice, and who positively want to see your ad (your audience chosen on the basis of what they actually like, do and buy). Ads and offers (including bar codes that can be scanned straight from the Gizmondo screen) to which they can respond instantly, by text or email. Your audience can call up a map, instantly, showing the nearest stockist of your product – whereer they are at the time. Well, imagine no more. Smart Adds are real. Smart Adds are available right now!

So that covers the ‘interest’ section of personalized advertising what about the time and place?

Hit your target group at an exact time. Gizmondo not only assures that you hit the desired target group you have aimed for, but you can also decide the exact time they’ll receive your marketing message. For example, imagine you own a chain of restaurants and it’s almost lunchtime. At 10.30 a.m. you send a commercial, advertising your delicious lunch specials. Perhaps with a special offer valid only for Gizmondo customers? In the same way, a TV station could remind people about a program being aired in half an hour, a box office could inform people about tickets going on sale in 45 minutes, a bookshop could suggest exciting evening reading just before you go to bed and so on …

This is both compelling and frightening at the same time. The GPS aspects of the device/service prompted Gizmondo’s namesake blog Gizmodo to kill all chance of sales against the might of PSP and NintendoDS by calling it a ‘baby killer!’ – probably why the US distributors are floundering. The targeting service though is likely to transfer itself to future devices or if Gizmondo do get rescued by Tiger Telematics – they even published a very early price list for advertisers wanting to get very close to potential consumers…

Charging double to hit a specific gender, location, age and interest group against a blanket ad to everyone seems a crude pricing structure and one can assume this was a quick throw together one hurried meeting pre-launch – but still wondering why those big brands are listed as being partners? Nevertheless the audience are also very interested (it seems) in personal services, more than three quarters wanted to be targeted and nearly the same took the next step of manually profiling themselves for the system. Staggering to say the least!

There is no mention of the system learning you are you wander those malls, browsing product, showing interest in certain store windows etc: Perhaps the device could have a sound to text conversion element and pick up those ‘wish list’ conversations or how about an eye detector that senses where your eyes dwell for extended periods – or are we back in the movies again?

Original Post: http://www.personalizemedia.com/index.php/2006/02/13/smart-targeting/