The world is advancing and ever changing as great strides in technology shape and redefine our understanding of people and culture. No longer do we look to The Jetsons for our fix of a dreamlike futuristic world of chrome and flying cars, when the endless possibilities for technology are already on our doorstep. With Facebook keeping track of your “likes” and Twitter promoting “trends” it should come as no shock that a British supermarket has recently announced plans to install televisions that literally capture their audience.
Tesco, one of Britain’s leading supermarket chains, is teaming up with Amscreen to develop ‘OptimEyes,” televisions that capture images of the customers and determine their sex and relative age, which will then be used to tailor advertisements to the predominant demographic at any given time.
This recent announcement has raised a number of questions mainly concerning invasion of privacy. But one of the less scrutinized factors in this decision is how are giant televisions looming over the check out line going to affect the visual aspect of the supermarket, and in turn affect the buyer experience?
Imagine, a young woman picking up a few things at the market after a morning run, finding herself checking out an ad for smart water, nutri made bars, or cat food, while she waits in line to purchase a breakfast wrap. In another case, an elderly man may see ads for vitamins and Polident while waiting for his wife to buy groceries.
This tailored experience could be an interesting and effective way for companies to learn more about their clients, and influence buyer purchases. However, large ominous screens capturing snapshots of your face may not seem that inviting to all customers.
For this inventive idea to become a success, Tesco and Amscreen should consider designing an ‘OptimEyes’ that is a little more inconspicuous, or at least visually appealing. The intentions are good, but no one wants to feel like Big Brother is watching them buy Haagen Daz and anti fungal cream.
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Southeastern Products is a full-service industry leader in retail decor, fixtures, design and product display. Our turnkey approach allows us to design and build retail interiors that create loyalty, generate word of mouth, attract customers, and increase sales. We raise the bar in the décor/fixture/marketing space. We educate the retailers that don’t know about us (yet), that providers of this type are not all the same. We are the new generation design-build.
