Targeted Advertising, How?

st999

Last night I was watching Sky Living on channel 107 on my sat receiver, when an advert appeared for a local garage selling cars.


How do they target adverts for specific postcodes, I assume that is how it is done, when there is only one channel broadcasting Sky Living?


I can understand all the BBC and ITV channels but Sky Living?

Tropez

Sky AdSmart

https://corporate.sky.com/media-centre/news-page/2014/sky-adsmart-launches-postcode-targeting

Nilrem

That link doesn't seem to say how they're doing it in the technical sense, but my guess would be the box must download a set of adverts from a hidden channel, and must receive a signal to insert them at the correct time.

Tropez

Nilrem wrote: »

That link doesn't seem to say how they're doing it in the technical sense, but my guess would be the box must download a set of adverts from a hidden channel, and must receive a signal to insert them at the correct time.

Ah, sorry. I didn't actually read the link, just knew of the service.

But yes, you're correct. A selection of adverts are downloaded to the box's hard drive. Based on the information Sky holds about the viewer (post code, package subscription) adverts are then tailored to the viewer.

The idea is that a home with Sky broadband or Sky Sports will see fewer adverts for those services, and instead see adverts that are more relevant to them, or adverts for other products and services, such as an upcoming TV show on Sky One, or local services such as the garage the OP mentions.

This is a better link - http://help.sky.com/articles/tailored-advertising-with-sky-adsmart

And a user can opt out if they desire.

st999

So they are not spying on me using my catchup mini box ( I can never remember what it's proper name is I just see 2 eyes peering at me from the top of my Sky box) through my Virginmedia broadband then?

Tropez

st999 wrote: »

So they are not spying on me using my catchup mini box ( I can never remember what it's proper name is I just see 2 eyes peering at me from the top of my Sky box) through my Virginmedia broadband then?

That would be your On-Demand connector. And nope, no spying.

Basically they just use the data they hold about you to deliver you 'better' adverts. No doubt, given the rise of targetted advertising online, they want to push it on TV too.

brewerdave

I'm in Cardiff so this must explain how we get a continuity announcer on some Sky channels with a Welsh accent I suppose ??

macman

I assume it's postcode-driven. Even on my Humax Freesat box you have to enter a postcode at set-up to regionalise the channels-same principle applies.