When I first saw the film “Minority Report” with that Tom guy, I wasn’t all that impressed by the multi-touch floating computer interface. To me this technology was a given and bound to happen soon (or soon enough.) Unlike my friends, I was more impressed with the eye-scanning advertisements that appeared on every flat surface.
These advertisements scanned your retina and started blaring ultra-targeting messages to Tom using his character’s name in their audio. But they bothered me. Not because they were creepy or anything, but because whoever’s name they said in the message, the message itself was the same.
“Dan, Tom, Janet, Sharon, you need this fancy, new, expensive, whatever it is we’re pitching….blah, blah, blah.” All just nonsense and noise, they just happened to insert my name to try and get my attention. Like I wouldn’t be able to filter this out after awhile.
Needless to say I’m pretty sure the Mad Men (and Women) behind these fictitious future marketing campaigns should all be fired outright. Seriously, if you think I, a male, will be interested in buying your perfume just because you said my name in your irritating commercial, you’re wrong.
In fact I’m more likely to never walk into your store because you distracted me when I was trying to remember what that actress has also been in and IMDb doesn’t seem to have her listed. Instead, why don’t you try to sell me something I’d like.
Everything is connected today already, I can only assume that those connections will extend in the future. My Facebook is connected to my Twitter is connected to my Google Profile is connected to all the blogs I run, etc., etc., etc. Next week, my IMDb account will also be connected, and my GMail will be there, and whatever other social networks I join will have the connect option as well.
I’m obviously not concerned (too much) with privacy. I write for several blogs and put my opinions, interests, and what I’m doing on a daily basis out there for the world to see. So you should know me.
You should know that I like Converse All-Stars, 7 jeans, Jimmy Johns, any campy feel-good movie ever, Indie films, Science Fiction, web design, using the lightrail, Starbucks, and so on forever. So try to sell me something based off of those likes and interests.
Hell, if you’re going so far as to incorporate retinal scanning technology in your billboards your budget is obviously big enough to pull some people together and do a research group on whatever product you’re trying to shill. Am I your market?
If so, great, I might be interested if you target me. If not, why are you wasting your time and money trying to get me to buy? Take that ginormous budget of yours and sell to the people who are actually interested in your product.
I can’t wait for the future (it’s coming right now!) I’m sure with the changes in our social structure and the technology out there that the advertisements seen in “Minority Report” are just around the corner. If you’re working for an ad company that plans to use these, don’t screw it up. Sell me what I want, not what you want. The technology is already starting to show up, are you prepared to sell to me?
