Eye Flavor and Buyer Behavior

     Once a decade certain technologies seem to appear that have the potential to significantly impact the way we do business.  In my lifetime we have gone from buying goods in “mom and pop” shops to eBay auctions to advertisements screened by Google analytics.  The next evolutionary step is here with NEC’s introduction of it’s new “Eye Flavor” technology.  These digital billboards utilize facial recognition software to generate custom advertisements based on your age, gender, and nationality.  Is this new technology an invasion of privacy, pure genius, or a little bit of both? And most importantly, how can this new technology change our purchasing behavior?

http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/tech/2010/07/17/pkg.lah.ads.eyes.cnn.html

     This new technology has significant implications for the effectiveness of marketing in the future.  For the first time companies will have the opportunity to evaluate their marketing efforts in real time to see how consumers are reacting to their messages.  Companies are going to have access to analytics that give them detailed information regarding your level of interest and purchasing behavior.  One blog I came across went as far as to claim that NEC intends to have it so that coupons appear on your smart phone after passing the advertisement as well.  I expect Eye Flavor to revolutionize the way companies spend their advertising dollars in the future.        

     The most significant hurdle that this technology faces is the resistance from the western world.  Currently this technology is used in Japan with little outcry from consumers.  However, many citizens of the western world are most likely going to be concerned that Big Brother is looking over their shoulder.  Is this new service a violation of our civil right to privacy or a useful tool to improve our shopping experience? Concerns that I have moving forward include how do we opt out or in to this new technology?  What if I do not want to be inundated with visual spam?  I would expect this new technology to be closely regulated by the government to prevent wrongful manipulation and distribution of data. While I feel that many people would not be offended by the targeted marketing that Eye Flavor offers, these are significant concerns that NEC needs to overcome moving forward.  

     The minute that Eye Flavor is introduced in the United States it is going to alter the way that I make purchasing decisions.  This new technology reminds me a lot of Amazon.com and the analytics they use to sell to consumers. I am an informed consumer and thoroughly enjoy saving money.  I like the idea that companies can gear sales and advertisements towards my specific needs.  I use amazon.com on a regular basis for this very reason.  Like most major technological advances, it is reasonable to expect the younger generation is going to embrace this new convenience while the older and more cautious baby boomer generation resists as long as possible.  This technology excites me because it has the ability to reduce wasted advertising dollars, improve customer satisfaction, and improve bottom line performance.  That sounds like a “win-win” in my book.   The only reasonable request I have is the inclusion of some form of visual spam filter.  


-Chris Gabriel