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Can the application of perfectly targeted advertising go as far as predictable behavior modification?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. In the year 2015 people have access to a breath and depth of information, unmanageable in an earlier era. Everyone contributes in some way, participating to create a living breathing media scape,“ is the opening of one of the most compelling media presentations who’s plot consists of a series of real life events from 1989 to 2005, and continues through a series of hypothetical events to 2015 AD.
As an connoisseur of all things adverting, I am compelled to believe the more relevant and individualized content is package and delivered the more meaningful it would be to the end user. Though in 2008, most media is fairly generalized. Advertisers do their best to put their media messages where they believe it will best convert into potential customers, but I can assure your well over 50% of most media campaigns are wasted regardless of medium.
But the winds of change are upon us. People are becoming more free with their personalized data, whether they know it or not. Reminiscent of Minority Report, which depicted John Anderson, played by actor Tom Cruise, walking through a Subway where all of the advertisements were specifically targeted to his character that identified him by rental scan that seemly accessed a database of his consumption habits, lifestyle, demographic, and geographic, and served his advertising which was most relevant to him through a series of holographic billboards. Precursors of this technology exist today, though not at the point that would make it cost advantageous for agencies to spend the dollars to create the infrastructure to track, store, and disseminate the data feeds to external devices. To fast track a similar ad platform would require an advertising organization (Eg. Google, Yahoo, Interpublic, Omnicom, WPP) to joint partner with both a GPS / blue tooth enabled mobile network(s), and a physical media network that has locations in densely populated areas that could provide close proximity to their target customer (Eg Clear Channel, Lamar, CBS Outdoor).
So how would such a system work you make ask? Initially, GPS tracking via your mobile device would be the most likely choice. Current estimates reportedly suggest that “nearly 84-percent of the US population will have mobile phones by the end of 2008, which is projected 99% percent within the next 5 years,”according to SNL Kagen Mobile Research. GPS tracking would not only tell you where you are, but your continual geographic data feed overlapped with information on venues, business, and time is various locations would begin would build a fairly accurate depiction of your life and consumption habits. Moreover, through the utilization of blue tooth technology, RFID product tagging, could allow a secondary data concerning products of interest. Whereas, RFID tags could transmit every product you hold in proximity to your cell phone, as a suspect product of interest. Thus, a cumulative and combined database of geographic, demographic, travel habits, and interests are tabulated through an algorithm which then finds the most relevant advertisement given your current situation through a media device that is in proximity to your personal “blue tooth” envelope.
The end result of the proper application of timely media could go as far as predictable behavior modification. John always goes to Starbucks Coffee in the morning, but he was running late. Taking the subway to work. John notices the video panel playing a Starbucks commercial that says, “Did you miss your Vanilla Latte this morning (which happens to be the drink John always buys), there is a Starbucks location 1 block from your next stop across from the exit”. What luck John exclaims, I’m getting off at the next stop, its almost like they knew… or did they?!
About John Cataldi (Shameful Plug)
I am an avid technophile and serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in Marketing Strategy, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Traditional Media, and Mobile Marketing. I am currently the Chief Media Evangelist (CME) for media start-up, Adreka Advertising, an open media exchange to allow agencies and advertisers to target, create, syndicate, and track both traditional and interactive advertising. If you wish to contact me I can be reach at Adreka or through my contact page.
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