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Targeting Tools Help Personalize TV Advertising

Posted by Soulskill on from the do-not-want dept.

schwit1 writes: Surgical marketing messages are taken for granted on the Internet. Yet, they are just now finding their way onto television, where the audience is big though harder to target. As brands shift more of their spending to the Web where ads are more precise, the TV industry is pushing back. Using data from cable set-top boxes that track TV viewing, credit cards and other sources, media companies including Comcast's NBCUniversal, Time Warner's Turner, and Viacom are trying to compete with Web giants like Google and Facebook and help marketers target their messages to the right audience. Where can I get adblock for my FiOS?

60 comments

  1. AdBlock by Macdude · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Where can I get adblock for my FiOS?

    BitTorrent.

    --
    "Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
    1. Re:AdBlock by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

      Channel 0(ff)

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    2. Re:AdBlock by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      But that makes you a vile thief who should be tortured and executed. It is markets' God-given right to force us to consume maximum levels of advertising, and if you try to evade it, it makes a traitor to capitalism, and Baby Jesus wants to shove sharp metal objects up your ass.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:AdBlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But that makes you a vile thief who should be tortured and executed. It is markets' God-given right to force us to consume maximum levels of advertising, and if you try to evade it, it makes a traitor to capitalism, and Baby Jesus wants to shove sharp metal objects up your ass.

      Jesus isn't a baby, He is The God-man. He is NOT the God-baby. Idiot.

    4. Re:AdBlock by kheldan · · Score: 1

      I like you, you're funny. :-)

      Also, I'll have you know that I go to sleep at night with a big smile on my face knowing that somewhere in the world, there are television advertisers gnashing their teeth in their sleep because they know that someone like me with a TiVo DVR with 30-second skip turned on is just going blip-blip-blip past all their skeezy little commercials, and right back to the program I want to watch. Also I have an antenna on the roof for OTA broadcast reception, so I pay nothing, nada, zip, zippo, zero to watch TV to start with. XD XD XD
      After all, it's my God-given right as a citizen of the United States of America, with it's rich history of civil disobedience to wave my middle finger in the air at these corporate bastards and their shitty commercials; Don't Tread On Me, motherfuckers!!! XD XD XD

      {/humor}

      --
      Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    5. Re:AdBlock by TWX · · Score: 1

      Yep.

      For those that don't feel that they can turn off the TV, just record everything and watch it on time-delay, skipping ahead when the commercials come on.

      We've been nursing-along a CRT TV for some time now, in part because I have a widescreen HD tube. Unfortunately even the HD tube lacks an ATSC tuner, so we've used one of the coupon-boxes from several years ago to tune to receive. The ATSC tuner has finally died its final death after having had its capacitors replaced twice- we really haven't missed having TV. Still have a computer hooked up to the TV and can watch things that we choose to watch, but no more planning life around the TV schedule.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    6. Re:AdBlock by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      It is markets' God-given right to force us to consume maximum levels of advertising,

      Nobody is being "forced". If you don't like it, turn off the TV. Also, this isn't about maximizing the amount of advertising, but about maximizing the effectiveness, by showing you ads for things they predict you will be interested in. If the predictions are accurate, then this is a GOOD THING, and I look forward to plenty of ads featuring scantily clad women demonstrating machine tools (Note to Comcast: I need a new lathe).

    7. Re:AdBlock by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      Also, I'll have you know that I go to sleep at night with a big smile on my face knowing that somewhere in the world, there are television advertisers gnashing their teeth in their sleep because they know that someone like me with a TiVo DVR with 30-second skip turned on is just going blip-blip-blip past all their skeezy little commercials, and right back to the program I want to watch. Also I have an antenna on the roof for OTA broadcast reception, so I pay nothing, nada, zip, zippo, zero to watch TV to start with. XD XD XD
      After all, it's my God-given right as a citizen of the United States of America, with it's rich history of civil disobedience to wave my middle finger in the air at these corporate bastards and their shitty commercials; Don't Tread On Me, motherfuckers!!! XD XD XD

      Actually, the networks really don't care if you skip ads. Why? Because that just lowers ratings on shows.

      Sure they talk a big game about how downloading kills ads and all that - but that's really just noise.

      You know Neilsen ratings? There are several of them - the ones the public gets (the "free" ones) are ones called LIve (Same Day), Live + 3 days (L+3), and Live + 7. Same Day are the ones watched within 24 hours of airing, and are the numbers usually reported. But in honest truth, everyone knows a lot of people don't watch it same day - hence live + 3 and Live + 7 numbers, which are the numbers reported to advertisers when setting ad rates. They're public and auditable. Now, most networks use L+3 numbers, but CBS realized that a lot of their shows are seen up to a week later, so they charge L+7 rates.

      Now, here's the tricky bit - none of this matters to the network. Because they pay for what's called "Commercial" numbers. Which is the ratings for the show's commercials! There are commercial numbers for the same day, +3 and +7 days as well. These are highly secretive and kept close. The program is merely a conduit for eyeballs to see ads. If the audience doesn't seem to be watching ads, then no matter how high the ratings get for the program, the show is cut.

      So really, the networks don't mind if you torrent the show, DVR and skip the ads, etc, because that just means they open up your program's timeslot for a different show whose audience doesn't do those things as much.

      In other words - the networks really don't give a damn. If you wonder why there's fewer shows that appeal to the geeks of the world - well, any show that appeals to those who know how to "beat the man" already starts off with a handicap because an audience that knows how to skip ads or does skip ads? Well, that's not going to get good C ratings. Even if the SD/L+3/L+7 numbers are excellent, if the C numbers are terrible, the show is axed.

      As for OTA - well, networks don't care. In fact, the networks, when they get into disputes with cable or satellite operators often suggest picking up an antenna.

    8. Re:AdBlock by kheldan · · Score: 1

      Okay.. but how can they even tell what I'm watching or not watching? I don't participate in any polls.

      Also, they're slitting their own throats, then, because even if I didn't have a DVR that could skip through commercials, if I had to watch shows live when they're broadcast, I'd still mute commercials and do something else during them anyway. Or I'd have a VCR still and I'd be fast-forwarding through them. Cancelling all the shows I like because I don't watch the commercials would just turn me off to TV completely and I'd stop bothering. Frankly if I couldn't have TiVo I think I would stop watching TV, it just wouldn't be convenient anymore. Likewise if they strongarmed TiVo to make it impossible to even fast-forward through commercials, I think I'd just unplug everything and go read more books instead of being bothered with commercials in my face.

      Of course I don't necessarily believe what you're telling me about all this until I do my own research to verify it.

      Finally, you seem to have not noticed the {/humor} tag at the bottom of my comment, or you just don't understand I was being funny (or don't have a sense of humor?): I don't actually think I'm 'getting over on' anybody here, or even really care what networks or anyone else thinks about my viewing habits; I was being intentionally absurd. I just don't like, care to be subjected to, or have time to waste watching commercials on broadcast television, which is why I have TiVo.

      --
      Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    9. Re:AdBlock by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      " Still have a computer hooked up to the TV and can watch things that we choose to watch, but no more planning life around the TV schedule."

      Exactly my way of doing it as well. I selected the shows I wan to watch in http://showrss.info/ and utorrent downloads them automatically.

      All without any ads.

    10. Re:AdBlock by bickerdyke · · Score: 1

      Okay.. but how can they even tell what I'm watching or not watching? I don't participate in any polls.

      That's the miracle of statistics. Using that as a crystal ball they never can be completely sure what you watch, but with enough people sharing your age/sex/education/background answering polls, they can be confident enough.

      --
      bickerdyke
    11. Re:AdBlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps they should consider running commercials that are actually of interest. When the commercials are just a huge pack of lies about things that aren't relevant, why should we be expected to watch them?

      And that's the crux of the matter, the advertisers broke the deal by allowing ads to contain so much bullshit that watching the ad makes no sense. They made them as loud and annoying as possible before the FCC told them they couldn't be loud. They routinely make shit up knowing that they won't get penalized until after their campaign is done. Just take a look at those Milk commercials claiming health benefits or the Rob Lowe ads for DirecTV. It wasn't until those campaigns were basically over that there were any sort of penalties involved.

      They should also consider cutting back the number of commercials to what it was in the '70s. Having nearly 10 minutes of commercials per half hour of programming is bad enough, the fact that it's usually the same advertisers over and over just makes it worse. If I didn't want your product the first half dozen times, I probably still won't want it.

    12. Re:AdBlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They could just target the content to the TV programming like they used to do. If anything the quality and effectiveness of advertising on TV is getting worse. I can't recall the last time I bought something that was advertised on TV. I tend to just fool around with my phone during the commercial breaks and the ads are for things that I would never buy and in most cases have never bought.

      You get the occasional advertisement for coke or something that's widely used, but any effect that those ads had on me was years ago. And truthfully I mostly drink Coke over Pepsi because my mother does. Ads or no ads, I'd probably have more of a taste for Coke either way.

    13. Re:AdBlock by kheldan · · Score: 1

      I've yet to sit down and research this whole 'commercial ads rating' stuff, but it still sounds like nonsense to me. You pay for ads during programs that people want to watch, not cancel shows because people watch the show and not the ads; that's what makes sense to me. If the other way is really how they're doing it then I wonder how they manage to stay out of bankruptcy.

      --
      Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    14. Re:AdBlock by bickerdyke · · Score: 1

      That's pretty old school. You're paying to have your ads watched. period. measuring if the program is watched was the only way to estimate if your ads are watched until rates would be measured down to seconds resolution. Bur of these two numbers are not unrelated.

      --
      bickerdyke
  2. They were bragging about this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Companies and agencies have been bragging about the ability to do this for about a decade now. I have caught myself startled enough times to count on both hands over the last three years or so. It is only the beginning...

  3. LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Block the ad and tracking servers... so what ads on the internet?
    Cut the cord 8 yrs ago... so what ads on TV?

    Last ads I saw was Amazon trying trying to sell me something that I got else months earlier. You need to in front of the sales not behind. Data Mining is always "OLD NEWS".

  4. It becomes official... by willworkforbeer · · Score: 1

    When they finally start calling us "targets" instead of "customers."

    "Thank you for calling "target services" how may I help you ... to see ever more creepy, hyper-personalized ads?

    --
    Pretending this is my office full of bitter coworkers..
    1. Re:It becomes official... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When they finally start calling us "targets" instead of "customers."

      Isn't the more common parlance "marks?" You're the mark! Err, Customer!

    2. Re:It becomes official... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The term is "consumer." But what baffles me is how does one "consume" a stream of bits?

      Look into MythTV, a smarter and open source DVR. I haven't seen a commercial in years.

    3. Re:It becomes official... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ". . . how does one "consume" a stream of bits?"

      Uh, by learning from them and (sub/)consciously being influenced by them in the future?

    4. Re:It becomes official... by TWX · · Score: 1

      When they finally start calling us "targets" instead of "customers."

      Isn't the more common parlance "marks?" You're the mark! Err, Customer!

      The polite term is subscriber. Doesn't indicate as much about the direction of the transaction.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    5. Re:It becomes official... by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1

      The term is "consumer." But what baffles me is how does one "consume" a stream of bits?

      One byte at a time?

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    6. Re:It becomes official... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've had a Mythbuntu box running for a little over 10 years now. Box is a bit big by modern standards (needed lots of room as the cpu runs fanless with a huge heatsink to minimise noise), but it still works beautifully. My only changes during that time was to install a second (larger) hard-drive and move the IR receiver so the remote works from a wider angle.

      Definitely worth it!

  5. I know those words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    but what's a set top box?

    1. Re: I know those words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A box you could set on top of a CRT TV.

  6. argh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just pictured MeTV overwriting the local ad that overwrites the national ad with a personalized ad...and still missing all the feeds by 2 seconds :/

    Damn automated TV and radio now anyway :/ The ad overwrite is a couple seconds late in certain spots so you get a few seconds of ad interrupted by a different ad :( In the good old days a station manager would have raised hell and fixed the timing, now they might fix it one of these months.

    Now you can get ads for the last thing you bought online on your TV too. What's not to like!

  7. here's the "money" quote: by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    “Because of digital’s ability to state just how much of a video someone is actually watching, it is more accountable” than TV.

  8. If the really want to add value for advertisers... by C+R+Johnson · · Score: 1

    You don't even need to target me. Just let me choose between multiple commercial streams.

    For example, when I am watching a football game with my son, give me a way to not be subjected to Viagra, Video Games, and Violent, Scary, or sexually suggestive movie trailers.

    I'm not gonna buy a video game or go to a movie anyhow. And I don't need Viagra (yet). Give me the choice of a G-Rated stream where I feel like I have to cover his eyes and mute the sound.

    --
    The alternative to limited government is unlimited government.
  9. Why block targeted ads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If advertising could really be targeted then it would be an additional source of information.

  10. Re:If the really want to add value for advertisers by Snotnose · · Score: 4, Funny

    And I don't need Viagra (yet).

    Apprehension: The first time you can't do it a second time.
    Panic: The second time you can't do it the first time.

  11. No thanks! by sinij · · Score: 2

    >>>"Surgical marketing messages are taken for granted on the Internet."

    Yes they are, and that why we block all of them.

    If you want to advertise to me - FUCK YOU, I don't want any of that.

    1. Re:No thanks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try Netflix or the new commercial free Hulu Plus. I block ads on the Internet, and only watch ad-free video streaming services. My time, attention , bandwidth and privacy are too valuable to me to let marketing a**holes steal them so that they can profit at my expense!

    2. Re:No thanks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed. The only personalization of value that advertisers can give me is turning all the ads off.

    3. Re:No thanks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're sick of being tracked, check out these Firefox (and others?) addons: Self-Destructing Cookies, Referrer Control, Adblock Edge. Not sure if it's redundant to also have Ghostery, but that's another.

    4. Re:No thanks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And don't forget about APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++! /sarcasm

  12. privacy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NBC is giving advertisers “very targeted and unique capabilities that are much more like what advertisers get when they go to Facebook.”

    In order to do that, you have to have Facebook level privacy... Your cable company is going to be gathering information on you, and comparing it to what shows you watch. Why stop there, why not do it for web sites too, and compete against Google. After all, the cable company knows who you really are.

    1. Re:privacy? by T-ice · · Score: 1

      The funny thing about targeted advertising is that I search for things I know nothing about, rather than things I'm interested in. So I get advertisements based on this or that which is related to something someone mentioned and I had no clue about until I googled it. The things I do have an interest in, I find information about from specific sources. Although, when it THINKS it knows what you're interested in, provides those ads as a replacement to one of the "one weird trick" ads. Oh, and as soon as we move to targeted ads on TV, expect to see one weird trick every episode, at a minimum.

  13. Pay to veiw programs by MrKaos · · Score: 1

    IIRC these boxes were sold to us on the grounds that if we are paying for the services then we don't have commercials on them. Essentially we are paying to watch advertisements. Personally, I rarely watch TV anymore, I just can't stand watching commercials.

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
    1. Re:Pay to veiw programs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what I don't get. When I first heard of pay TV back in ye olden times (late 80s iirc) I thought "why would I pay when I already have TV for free? Wait, there are no adds? Cool, that's worth it!". Then it turns out that you pay... and still get adds. Oh and now it looks like they're throwing in extra privacy-invasion technology.

      So I have to ask again: what exactly am I paying for?

    2. Re:Pay to veiw programs by MrKaos · · Score: 1

      Oh and now it looks like they're throwing in extra privacy-invasion technology.

      So I have to ask again: what exactly am I paying for?

      This is what you are paying for.

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
    3. Re:Pay to veiw programs by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      IIRC these boxes were sold to us on the grounds that if we are paying for the services then we don't have commercials on them.

      Cable TV service was sold on those grounds. Set top boxes, however, were foisted upon us even through they provide exactly zero benefit to anybody but the Cable Cartel. It used to be that almost every TV sold was "cable ready," which means you just plugged the coax into the back of it and it Just Worked. Or you plugged the coax into your VCR or DVR or computer TV tuner card or whatever, and you could do whatever you wanted (including blocking ads). Then the digital transition happened, and -- despite the existence of the clearQAM digital tuner standard -- the Cable Cartel used the confusion as an excuse to pretend we all suddenly needed set-top boxes for cable "because digital" when it was really "because encryption" and "because tracking" and "because extra-cost services."

      The time to oppose this SHIT was before the Cable Cartel bribed the FCC to effectively overturn Carterphone decision (at least as it ought to apply to cable networks, as well as phone networks)

      In other words, the cable companies should never have been allowed to require "set top boxes" in the first place, but now they can, so now we're fucked (except for those of us smart enough to ditch cable entirely).

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  14. Serious question... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who watches cable/satellite/terrestrial now-a-days?
    There's a reason I explicitly only wanted internet when the sales guy at verizon fios asked if I wanted that triple-play crap.

  15. I dont think that this is going to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You merkins get all bent out of shape just showing a nipple on tv . God knows what will happen if you actually see some tits. How are you going to advertise porn and a loan to get a penis extension to me and then Viagra for when I can pay the loan back and get depressed so it doesnt work when my russian bride leaves me?

    1. Re:I dont think that this is going to work by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 1

      You merkins get all bent out of shape just showing a nipple on tv . God knows what will happen if you actually see some tits.
      That only counts on about 5 channels. CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS. The other 180 brazillion channels...fair game. Tits away.

    2. Re:I dont think that this is going to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You merkins get all bent out of shape just showing a nipple on tv.

      Well, being a distinguished pubic wig of the Hitler Mustache persuasion myself, I must say I rather take offense to your tone, you insolent troglodyte!

  16. Great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So the ads will still not specifically be targeted toward you, unless you live alone.

  17. This could never go wrong by aevan · · Score: 2

    Cue the uneasy couple watching tv together, wondering why every third commercial is for Ashley Madison.

  18. An interesting question arises. by queazocotal · · Score: 1

    What happens if personal advertising gets so good that some people are known to be not worth advertising to?

  19. Internet Tv by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... television, where the audience is big though harder to target ...

    Why do you think everyone is looking at internet television? A network connection and personal account allows targeted marketing. Just add a microphone so they know which products you're talking about to reach marketing paradise.

  20. Surgical? by jandersen · · Score: 2

    Surgical marketing messages are taken for granted on the Internet

    This is quite startling news - I have never seen the word "surgical" used to mean "clumsy, useless". Novel, I grant.

  21. HBO by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    HBO

  22. Re:"First they ignore you, then..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The funniest part is your complete disregard for the rules of capitalization, you illiterate fuck.

  23. Is this english class? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Funnier still's how you're off topic & a cowardly weasel to top it off.

    APK

    P.S.=> Grow a pair of balls you stinking worm... apk

  24. Hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So they spend millions if not billions on marketing for a market whose subscriber count is falling.

    But then we never thought the TV Conglomerates were smart, did we?

  25. Re:"First they ignore you, then..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's called Subject for a reason. It's not called Part of First Sentence. If you have a point to make, don't make it a visual treasure hunt.

  26. Cut the cable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's get everyone off regular TV. Ads are a little more controllable on the internet.

  27. "First they ignore you, then..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Funniest part?

    Heh - It's that the JOKE is on you, & you're a joke!

    Yes - I TRULY really got the best of you one time or another here didn't I?

    After all - It's just so damn terribly obvious in the unidentifiable ac post of yours...

    So:

    WHY do you do them (along with your abused downmods to effetely & VAINLY *try* to "hide" those posts of mine you downmod + yet never prove me wrong)?

    You do since you know I'd just TOSS YOUR DOUBTLESS MANY MULTIPLE "FAIL(s)" vs. myself, RIGHT BACK IN YOUR PITIFUL COWARDLY FACE & I'd be doing the laughing... lol, LOTS OF IT!

    (So that's why you attempt to either troll me or mock me... you're failing)

    (I love it - projecting "ReAcTiOnS" like yours give your unintelligent ass away...)

    Yes, your FAVORITE COLOR must be "transparent"... why? I SEE RIGHT THRU YOU, fool...

    APK

    P.S.=> It's not MY fault you're a dolt that's easy to blow the hell away due to your technical inadequacy in this field + your "10 below plantlife" IQ

    &

    As usual - You're MORE than welcome to VALIDLY & TECHNICALLY prove my points on hosts wrong (which you can NEVER, ever manage & you know it, I KNOW IT - heck, everyone READING KNOWS IT - history proves that much on /. alone)... apk