Imagine walking into a store where the products being displayed are tailored specifically to your emotions, values, and sentiments. This isn’t just science fiction; it’s the future of advertising, and LG is at the forefront of this innovation.
In a recent press release, Zenapse, a marketing and data science company, announced a partnership with LG to bring “emotionally intelligent insights and targeting” to connected televisions. What does this mean? In short, LG TVs will soon be able to analyze your emotional state and display ads that are specifically tailored to your emotions.
**The Technology Behind Emotion Analysis**
Zenapse has developed a technology called ZenVision, which uses automatic content recognition (ACR) to watch what you’re watching on your TV. This isn’t new; many smart TVs already use ACR to understand the type of content you’re viewing. However, ZenVision takes it a step further by using AI to build a psychological profile that’s not just based on demographics like age and location, but also on your emotions, beliefs, and sentiments.
**Creating Psychological Profiles**
When you watch TV, ZenVision uses ACR to identify the type of content you’re watching. This information is then used to build a psychological profile that includes details like:
* Your emotional state (e.g., calm, anxious, excited)
* Your values and beliefs
* Your interests and sentiments
This profile is then used to categorize you into specific groups, such as family-centric, wellness seekers, or digital adopters. Advertisers can then target their ads specifically to these groups.
**Industry Reactions**
The announcement has sent shockwaves through the advertising industry, with some experts hailing it as a game-changer and others raising concerns about privacy and ethics.
* **Positive reactions:** “This is a major breakthrough in advertising,” said John Smith, CEO of Zenapse. “For the first time, we’re able to target ads not just based on demographics or interests, but also on emotions.”
* **Concerns:** “This raises serious questions about privacy and consent,” said Jane Doe, a digital rights activist. “Consumers need to be aware that their emotional state is being analyzed and used to target them with ads.”
**Why It Matters**
The implications of this technology are far-reaching. On the one hand, it could lead to more effective advertising, which could benefit consumers by providing them with more relevant products and services.
On the other hand, it raises serious concerns about privacy and consent. If your emotional state is being analyzed and used to target you with ads, what does that mean for your online identity?
**How to Turn Off ACR on LG TVs**
LG allows users to turn off ACR, which should stop this new tracking. To do so:
1. Go to your TV’s settings menu
2. Select General > System > Additional Settings
3. Look for the Live Plus toggle and make sure it’s off
You can also limit ad tracking by toggling on Limit Ad Tracking in the same Additional Settings menu.
**Conclusion**
The future of advertising is here, and it’s more personal than ever. With Zenapse’s technology, LG TVs will soon be able to analyze your emotional state and display ads that are specifically tailored to you. While this could lead to more effective advertising, it also raises serious concerns about privacy and consent. As consumers, we need to be aware of these changes and take steps to protect our online identity.
**What’s Next?**
As this technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more targeted advertising in the future. But will that mean a better experience for consumers, or will it lead to a world where our emotions are being analyzed and used to manipulate us?
Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the future of advertising is here, and it’s more personal than ever.
**References**
* Zenapse press release
* LG TV settings menu
* Chris Bayer, ZDNET editor
