What if your TV knew you were sad?

Everything is expensive these days, but TVs have remained relatively cheap. The reason for that is simple: manufacturers make the real money selling your data.

And they’re getting better at it

LG is about to introduce new AI tech into its smart TVs that will track what a user is watching and pair it with an “emotionally intelligent ad,” per Ars Technica. 

• The tech comes from marketing platform Zenapse and uses a show or movie’s plot to sort viewers into hyperspecific market groups.
• These include “emotionally engaged planners” and “wellness seekers,” but there’s probably also one for people who just rewatch “The Office.” 

It’s called “psychographic data,” and it goes beyond just tracking where someone lives or how much money they make in order to serve more effective ads. 

Advertisers are even using AI to create mood-specific profiles for shows and movies to pair them with appropriate ads. 

• “Misaligned” ads (i.e., something serious paired with a funny show) aren’t just less effective, they actually hurt brands.
• And, as Ad Age notes, it can be challenging to place the right ad with something like a dramedy, where an upbeat ad that could work during a traditional comedy might feel out of place. 

It might seem intrusive…

… for your TV to be making a note of your emotional state, but it works (sorry).

• A study found that viewers pay 4x more attention to ads that are tailored to content they’re watching. 

So, TVs are cheaper, and you get ads that exploit your mood. A win-win?