It’s 7:30am. As you head out the door to work, your cloud programmed virtual assistant updates you on local traffic conditions. It then turns off all the lights behind you.
You hop into your driverless uber. The most pressing issue occupying your mind is what tunes to listen to.
No problem. Playing the role of virtual DJ, Siri rolls out the top 10 songs based on your references.
This isn’t some fanciful future. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is already penetrating all facets of our lives. Google has just purchased approximately 15 AI-focused businesses in the last three years alone – billions of dollars of investment.
In September, Uber deployed a fleet of driverless cars on the roads of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the first time self-driving cars have been so freely available in the US. AI is poised to act as force multiplier in health and fitness. It will help predict how bodies will respond to treatments – helping humans make better personalised decisions.
The rate of change makes it almost impossible to predict what will happen next. History shows us that seismic changes delivered by technology demand adaptation. Innovation. And growth. Boom! New businesses and industries are created.
So what about the impact of AI on media and communication?
Dr Karen Nelson-Field, professor of Media Innovation at the University of Adelaide said: “There has never been a more exciting time to be in media-research. AI is challenging the inertia of ‘old-school’ media research metrics providing marketers and agencies with more accurate empirical data than ever before.”
So true.
According to the 2016 PWC, Media and Entertainment Outlook report published in AdNews Out of home grew 14.8% in 2015 and is forecast to grow each year to 2020. Digital will account for (at least) 50% of the market by that stage as investment in digital screens and infrastructure, data, mobile and location technology increase.
Until recently, the Achilles of outdoor has been accountability. Newspapers and mags have circulation and readership. TV uses people-meters. Outdoor has traditionally measured static formats using historical and often subjective inputs, but what about digital outdoor? At VMO we utilised the latest biometric technology and developed a sophisticated analysis tool for measuring digital outdoor audiences.
DART – Digital outdoor Audiences in Real Time
Launched in November 2014, DART uses Audience Measurement Devices (AMD’s) no larger than a thumbnail to anonymously track people as they view content on screen.Since inception the breadth and scope of DART has been honed and refined. And we’re proud to now be launching DART 2.0. Our system uses AI to learn how to analyse facial features to determine with accuracy, age and gender. The software can detect 18 unique demographics.
The insights for clients include:
How many viewed, when they viewed, and Insights on their target audience’s viewing habits.
Live data is recorded via an online platform that collates insights for the advertiser.
In this sense, DART is like a virtual campaign analyst.
Emotional intelligence
Yet where DART has truly transformed audience measurement is through its ability to identify the facial reactions of those viewing the content.
Yes, DART can measure emotional responses. This is a first for outdoor.
Technology is also changing how brands run content. Content can be triggered by time of day, geography, weather and more. DART allows a brand to program content to run only when it detects a percentage of the target audience viewing.
By knowing exactly who is watching, and when, it means that if one piece of creative isn’t getting the desired response, new creative can be tested almost instantly.
It’s these sorts of bold approaches that will define digital outdoor campaigns of the future.
DART 2.0 is only the beginning of AI in outdoor. At VMO we will continue to evolve our technology suite further to offer our clients even more detailed campaign intelligence.
Earlier this year AdNews partnered with VMO to explore the creative possibilities digital out of home offers brands and how marketers and their agencies can maximise the opportunities. Go here for the full report..
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