No matter what technology does eventually get traction and become the future of our digital media future, advertising is still going to be a big part of it. Advertising is why we have “Free-to-air” TV. It’s not really free, as you have to endure the ads. This does, however, give us a window into what we are likely to see with the future of Internet sources TV. For example, free to watch TV coming over the Internet with ads.
This idea has been around for a long time. It is an easy idea to understand. Ads for a free-to-watch internet viewer can be much better targeted. Can be customised exactly for the viewer so it is more appearling and effective to the viewer. Its is completely trackable. This is all a dream come true for the advertisers.
However, tho this idea is easy to understand, by no means is it easy to accomplish. So much so, one wonders exactly how archevable it really is. Injecting custom ads into every stream is no mean task. The infrastructure is excessive and really only possible, currently, based on cable TV infrastructure. I currently cannot see this being effective on global Internet size.
Unfortunately, it is these older advertising models that pay for most of our favourite shows we freely watch every week. Utilising the power that digital gives us, to skip all the ads, at the same time kills what we enjoy so much. The hi-quality shows that take a lot of money to make.
Microsoft has put a lot of effort into implementing a new model that can carry some of the traditional ideas forward. Feasible or not in the new digital media future, it is better to have this technology then to not.
I rarely endorse Microsoft, however, his could one of many important technologies for the future of content production.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Philip Hodgetts // Sep 14, 2008 at 4:59 am
I think getting the demographic information might be a difficult step. While I only want targeted advertising, I don’t want to give out personal details. So, for me the only desired option is ad free, for a fee. Give me the option, please.
FWIW, reproducing old models in new technology is *always* a failure in the long run. Old wine does not belong in new wineskins – a principle that’s been known now for a couple of thousand years, but people won’t learn.
Philip
2 JamieG // Sep 15, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Philip,
Privacy is an illusion. Is that not the saying these days. I wouldn’t think it would be that difficult to analyse what people watch and define a decent demographic from it. Also Philip, just because the industry is changing and fragmenting does not mean the older business models don’t have some relevance in some of that fragmented market. There are many good reason to try and get models similar to older ones going. Mainly because it is something the older advertiser known’s and understand, and is, in the long run, more likely to move forward with.
And finally, some people don’t mind watching ads. Good for them. They get to see great shows with little inconvenience to them. Maybe not to you. As long as there is enough of them, and we DO have a technology to derive a food change that sees the producer make the content. Great. All for it.
James
Leave a Comment