TiVo and Amazon turn viewing into shopping
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008Ever watched a television interview with a favorite author and wanted to buy their book? Then you get involved in something else and the thought skitters off into nowhere land. You’re not the only one who bemoans the lost opportunity. Now, advertisers and consumers alike have a cool new way to connect. Amazon has partnered with TiVo to offer subscribers a unique experience: interactive ordering through your television. Impulse buying meets secure purchasing. Handled correctly, this new way to buy could be a beautiful thing.
According to TiVo’s press release, “If a guest on the Daily Show or Oprah has a new book, CD, or DVD out, you can purchase it on Amazon.com using your TiVo remote without missing a second of TV, whether the viewer is watching live or recorded.” Advertisers are now able to partner with TiVo to offer products at a time when viewers are most interested in them. While the specifics of how the advertisements would appear are a little vague, there are allusions to pop up tickers beneath the main viewing area which would allow audiences to use their TiVo remotes to put an advertised item into their Amazon shopping cart. Another possible ad slot would run at the end of shows during the rolling credits. Viewers can watch multiple shows on different channels and store items in their Amazon cart for purchase at a later time. Tax and shipping costs will be presented on a confirmation screen prior to finalizing purchases authenticated by entering Amazon’s customer profile PIN. Initial shows participating in this venture include The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Colbert Report, and Burn Notice.
The concept of TiVo linking up with advertisers in such a way has some eyebrows raised. TiVo’s subscriber base is estimated at about 4 million. These are folks who enjoy storing and watching TV shows when they want, and fast forwarding through television ads. TiVo chief executive, Thomas S. Rogers explained to the New York Times, “It is critical that there be a form of advertising and a transactional solution that underpins the DVR, or the economics of television are going to be substantially undermined.” This new alliance offers just such a solution. Still, Ars Technica article posters are a little leery while some are outright belligerent about the idea of commercials infiltrating their viewing. As forum poster qst330 put it, “I honestly was going to buy a Tivo. Not now. I hate placement adds. Even the silly references to them from actors in movies/Television are getting stupid. It doesn’t make me want to buy a product that intrudes. They just don’t get it but when I see it I now go out of my way to buy their competitor. Netflix for the win once again. They are the only company that seems to get it. I enjoy watching stuff but only on my terms.” Understandable, considering that TiVo subscribers pay for a service which allows them to have a fairly uninterrupted viewing experience.
Amazon and TiVo’s interactive advertising is a great idea. My movie collection is incredibly sparse considering the amount of movies I watch on DVD. This is certain to change if I’m offered the ability to buy a movie with the click of a remote button. While perusing the soundtrack bin at a local store is an amusing past time as I wander the mall, the chances of me finding what I want is hit or miss. Whereas clicking on “Purchase Soundtrack” via TiVo has a 100% success rate. Books, movies, and CDs are the initially mentioned choices for purchase. However outfits, furniture, and other items that figure prominently in a show could all be offered at the end during the credits. TiVo and Amazon are offering advertisers a sleeker, more sophisticated way to market versus the tacky product placement that seems to have become common place in most modern movies. It may be a jungle out there, but Amazon and TiVo are helping to blaze a new path where sellers and buyers connect.
By Alicen Hogan
