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Sky AdSmart targets ads at a variety of TV audience segments

by Mark Tyson on 17 January 2014, 10:39

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BSkyB has launched its targeted TV advertising service called Sky AdSmart. The new initiative hopes to more accurately match advertisers with their preferred target audiences. Sky can help advertisers aim their ads at you thanks to a host of segmenting attributes which make up your household profile.

Sky AdSmart had been run as a trial for the previous six months. The trial must have been a success to precipitate this full launch and rollout of the service. Marketing magazine reports that 40 major brands are signed up to use the new audience targeting facilities; names such as Nestle, Tesco, American Airlines, Audi, Royal Bank of Scotland, Littlewoods, Citroen and Dial-a-Flight are all signed up to use Sky AdSmart in upcoming campaigns.

Sky believes that its more accurate customisable ad targeting will make TV advertising more attractive to brands and even introduce new companies to the medium. The new service "helps both the brands that previously thought TV too broad a medium, as well as local advertisers who felt that TV wasn’t previously accessible to them," commented Andrew Griffith, MD of commercial businesses and CFO at Sky.

CNet succinctly explains how the AdSmart technology works; "AdSmart ads are sent to your Sky+ HD box ahead of the breaks. Then when the show cuts to a commercial break, your box chooses to show only adverts relevant to you." But how does it choose? If we look at the Sky AdSmart Audience Selection pages it's clear to see the criteria advertisers can sift through to target their product or service at you.

Audiences can be chosen according to any combination of the following attributes:

  • Mosiac Lifestyle category
  • Financial strategy
  • Lifestage
  • Metropolitan area
  • Region
  • Home ownership
  • Affluence
  • Household Composition

So if you are an Alpha Territory, Young Homesharer in HTV West you will probably be getting different ads on your Sky+ HD box than a Terraced Melting Pot, Sunset Security, Londoner from now on. Do people mind being targeted by their TV adverts in this way?

HEXUS Forums :: 9 Comments

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Posted by Jonj1611 - Fri 17 Jan 2014 10:51
I can't remember the last time I watched the adverts and actually bought something based off whatever advert it was.

And usually thats the time I will make a drink or change channel, even though it seems Sky have managed to align most channels so the adverts all fall at the same time :/

But for the most part these days I check the tv guide for anything I may want to watch and let the box record it then just fast forward through the adverts,
Posted by Saracen - Fri 17 Jan 2014 11:36
HEXUS article
Do people mind being targeted by their TV adverts in this way?
Well, I'd say no I don't object, and Hell yes, I bleeping do object.

Let me explain.

I object to targeting, period. On principle. More specifically, I strongly and vehemently object to ANY commercial organisation, absolutely any at all, collecting ANY data on me that is not strictly required for providing the goods or services I have asked for, or for using it for ANY other process beyond the supply of those goods, and account maintenance.

To me, there is NO justification acceptable to me for Sky knowing enough about me to be able to target me in the first place, in the way that that do.


The “don't object” bit is that I don't care about the actual adverts, because I never, EVER watch TV adverts anyway. I make a point of not doing so. The vast majority of programs I watch are edited to remove adverts before I watch them. That's probably 80%. For about 19% more, we watch on “delay” and just skip the adverts. For the 1% I watch “live” (and that isn't BBC) as soon as adverts come on, I hit “mute” and either go do something (make tea, etc), or spend a few minutes online on a tablet, or just close my eyes and relax. And if I miss the start of the next segment, well, that's what rewind is for. ;)

I have no objection to this Sky scheme, PROVIDED users can opt out. Or better yet, have to opt in but my bet is that that won't happen unless legislation forces it, and as Parliament seems to pay more attention to business that wants to “market” to us regardless of whether we want it or not, I'm not holding my breath waiting for an “opt in” Act.

My position is really very simple.

I don't want targeted ads, period. Moreover, I don't want ANY organisations building or holding that data for marketing purposes. NONE AT ALL. For any purposes.

I don't care what inducements they offer. A few quid back on “reward” cards? Forget it, and retailers …. keep your paltry “bribes”. They could multiply their inducements 100-fold, and as far as I'm concerned and they can still shove it firmly where the sun don't shine. Free car? Mine's fine, thanks. Round the World trip (not just a chance of, but a guaranteed trip) …. give it to someone else, and kindly leave me the hell alone.

If some firm cares to induce me with, say, £1bn, I'll take it and accept marketing. Then buy a secluded, secure, private estate, and hire someone to extract the marketing cobblers from my mail and use it to fuel a bonfire, or mulch it for my tomatoes. Short of that, DO NOT profile me. My personal circumstances, and preferences are none of your (<growls at anti-swearing policy>) “dratted” business, so butt the (<another growl>) “bleep” out.

Do I object to targeted ads? Do fish swim? Do MPs refuse to give straight answers to simple questions? Does Superman wear his knickers outside his trousers?
Posted by Attila the Bun - Fri 17 Jan 2014 11:36
I don't know about the rest of you but I reached advert saturation point years ago, it's just so much background blur now.

I find the only time I “see” an advert these days if, like last night's Mercedes ad with the chickens, it's funny…Or…I inadvertently click a link whilst playing a browser game (Hey!…So I'm enthusiastic rather than accurate).

My buying is done based on my research not some actor/CGI recommendation.

For example: As a mental exercise, whilst writing this post, I tried to remember what ads were here on the HEXUS Home page. And I can't! I know there is likely to be an nVidia / AMD GPU ad, possibly both. SCAN show up regularly. The big background ad, no idea.

The point I'm making is there is so much advertising I now blank it almost completely. Those ads which make more than a temporary impression generally do because they have an entertainment value in their own right but even these provide no compulsion to buy.
Posted by Namix - Fri 17 Jan 2014 11:40
I haven't owned a TV in years and get all my content On-line at a time of my choosing and without ad's.

Considering the so called data protection act, these companies have alot of personal information to be able to target these adds….i mean i cant even get copies of my bank statements without providing 300 different tasks before im allowed to see my own info, yet BSkyB apparently can find out what stuff your interested by looking at where you live, how much you earn and how many people are in your home…slightly messed up imo.
Posted by Saracen - Fri 17 Jan 2014 11:48
Namix
I haven't owned a TV in years and get all my content On-line at a time of my choosing and without ad's.

Considering the so called data protection act, these companies have alot of personal information to be able to target these adds….i mean i cant even get copies of my bank statements without providing 300 different tasks before im allowed to see my own info, yet BSkyB apparently can find out what stuff your interested by looking at where you live, how much you earn and how many people are in your home…slightly messed up imo.
A lot of it comes from info people voluntarily provide, even if they do so either not knowing they are, or realising what it's used for. For instance, store “reward” cards. Computers can infer a LOT from a large enough data sample of your buying patterns.

I don't know if you use these cards, or perhaps even pay the supermarket bill by debit/credit card? But if you do, they hsve a toe-hold, even if it's just a buying profile attached to that card. Then, at least, if you EVER provide any info that lets them link that card to you by address (maybe mobile phone contract, or insurance, or …. etc) then, job done, they have a buying profile on you.

I use cash. Short of face recognition cameras, they have no “key” to link transactions together, and even then, no easy way to link that face/profile to an identity. Not yet, anyway.

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