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Monday, 27th February 2012, 16:46:05
Facial recognition technology is "tip of the iceberg" in marketing world
Online marketing has the potential to be even more personalised thanks to strides in modern technology, an expert believes.
Stefan Drew, owner of TheMarketingMagician.co.uk, notes that some companies are even able to use facial recognition in their advertising.
UK-based charity, Plan UK, has implemented interactive advertising at a bus stop outside Selfridges in London's Oxford Street which demonstrates this.
It works using facial recognition software, similar to the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) used by police on cars, to determine the gender of a passerby.
This technology then triggers an advert tailored to the male or female viewer.
However, Mr Drew notes that this technology is "just the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to marketing.
"The technology exists to send you a text about a retailer's offer when you pass a shop window - it uses Bluetooth technology to speak to your mobile phone.
"Link this to a RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip in the clothing you bought last week and it could offer you something to match the item you are wearing - a shirt to match the suit or shoes to match the dress maybe," he said.
While customers are perhaps used to online shopping sites, such as Amazon.co.uk, using previous purchases to make suggestions and recommendations for things to buy, the ANPR advertising takes this to a whole new level.
"ANPR could be used to show you an offer on snow tyres for your make and model of car next time it snows," Mr Drew said.
However, there is a downside to this highly specialised form of marketing, in that it can also be highly intrusive and may need further regulation.
Already, many consumers find remarketing a nuisance – an online device that allows advertisers to ensure that the viewer sees more ads, based on the websites that he or she has previously visited, even if no purchase were made.
New legislation is coming into play later this year that will require website owners to request permission to leave tracking cookies on a web user's personal computer.
However, Mr Drew warned that many other types of marketing could slip through the net.
Posted by Kevin Jenson
Build and host your dynamic websites and applications with Hostway
Categories: | Online Marketing / Search |
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