For a long time, variable imaging has allowed marketers to personalize direct mail messages and make them relevant to their customers for a long time. Email marketing offers an opportunity to make this pertinent communication even more affordable. So what’s the future for one-to-one marketing in the big reach sight and sound medium of television?
Imagine sitting in your home on your new sofa from Art Van Furniture and seeing on TV a beautifully designed and appointed room with your new sofa center stage. Would that make you stop and think how the rest of those items would make your room even nicer? And right now it’s specially priced and has just the finance offer you’d want. That just might make you take off your slippers and head out to visit the store or at least shop their web site. Both Comcast and Time Warner Cable are experimenting with "addressable advertising" the technology that would make this possible. Currently the production options are basic. A TV spot that is common to all the houses can have text banners that vary by household. Over time the expectations are to be much more sophisticated.
Addressable advertising would have it’s greatest impact on advertisers where relevant communication will make a difference. Best Buy selling flat panel TVs to households without them, politicians wanting to persuade voters by being relevant to their causes, etc. And wouldn’t it be great to avoid non-relevant spots for let’s say replacement windows if you live in an apartment building? The prospects are tremendous and the future is promising. With relevant messaging, who will need Neilson to measure audience? We’ll be able to measure results by house instead
Michael Morin, Directing Direct Marketing into the Future
