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FYI
The “Face Value” of Digital Ads
Digital ads are popping up everywhere – bus stops, gas stations, and your local shopping mall. While you stand there checking out the ad, what you may not know is that some are also checking you out.
New digital ads from Intel use facial detection cameras with specialized software to determine a consumer’s age and gender, and then displays an ad tailored to that demographic. A young woman may be shown a cosmetics ad while an older man could be shown an ad for a high-end car.
The product, AIM Suite, detects a broad range of ages in making its determination: 18 and under, 18-34, 34-59 and 60+. It can also detect gender by checking out the ears – if the ears are showing, there’s an 85% chance the subject is male.
The software cannot record images or recognize specific faces. It does send data back to the advertisers, including how long they viewed the ad and how far back they were standing from the sign.
The hope is to help advertisers understand the appeal of their ads to different groups and how often they should switch their ads out.
The technology is new and advertisers have been jumping at a chance to use it. Its estimated that of the millions of digital signs around the world, only a small, but growing, percentage are using facial recognition software.
What are your thoughts? Great idea or kind of creepy?
