Well, I'd like to claim credit for it, but I'm sure it was already in the works when I posted this idea last night.
TiVo has already decided to give subscribers the option to receive targeted ads:
TiVo will soon offer subscribers a way to customize some of the ads they receive -- and offer advertisers a way to make sure they're targeting consumers who want what they're pitching.
The new service won't conflict with ads seen (or fast-forwarded) in live or on-demand viewing or the "showcases" of longform advertising that appear in a menu, often purchased by automakers or movie studios.
Instead, this new feature will work in much the same way TiVo subscribers create "WishLists" to find programs. But instead of Jimmy Stewart movies or TV shows about baseball, TiVo users would register a profile with the company based on their interests. Then, in a section of the TiVo menu system, they will find ads -- short- and longform -- based on their interests.
Someone in the market for a new car would find ads for cars that someone who isn't would never see, for instance.
"What we've learned is, TiVo customers want to know about new products and services but on their own time," TiVo vp national advertising sales Davina Kent said.
I dislike advertising, but it's a fact of life. Luckily, it's fairly easy to tune it out, via mute buttons and fast forwarding, but as I said yesterday, I'd be much more inclined to pay attention to advertising for products or services I care about than the bullshit they spew out of the box right now.
What I'd really like to see is some sort of advertising model with TiVo which would allow indie publishers (like Monolith Press, or Vagrant Records) to reach interested viewers at reduced rates. If I could afford it, I would absolutely advertise Monolith products to audiences I think would enjoy them, but there's no way I can afford to advertise on Family Guy or Alias. And I think that Do You Want Kids With That? would probably do very well with Oprah's audience, but that would cost me more than I make in ten years.
