Explainer: Facial-Recognition Targeting

August 31, 2011 • 1 min read • By Carla Rover

What is it: Facial-recognition technology, which allows machines to recognize specific facial features — often by comparing them with a database of facial photos — is now being used in ad targeting to enable in-store display to show ads geared towards specific populations.

How it Works: The technology, which has been used by law enforcement agencies for decades, uses an embedded camera in digital signage to scan passers-by as they approach the signage. The display then shows ads appropriate for a chosen audience based on age, gender or other variables. This allows a store or a mall to show ads for multiple product lines, targeted to consumers as they walk by.

Who is Using it: Kraft has tested facial recognition in store kiosks, and Adidas is currently planning to test the technology in stores in the U.S. and Britain. Microsoft and Intel have also developed the technology for some clients. The technology has been used in Japan since 2010.

Why it Matters: When it comes to interactivity and sophisticated targeting, digital outdoor advertising has been playing catch-up with the rest of digital advertising for years. Facial-recognition technology, although fraught with controversy, promises to bring the medium back into industry conversation.

Assessment: The problem with using facial-recognition technology is that although it might make in-store digital advertising more relevant to consumers, it won’t make the quality of the ads better or be able to accommodate the interests of mixed groups. There’s also always the possibility that privacy groups will object to the this sort of targeting and make waves.

https://digiday.com/?p=3166

Digiday Top Stories

Life Beyond the Cookie
‘Not the future’: European publishers remain steadfast in blocking alternative IDs to third-party cookies
Some European publishers believe alternatives to the third-party cookies, probabilistic or deterministic, will do more harm than good to their ads businesses.
Member Exclusive
Media Briefing: Why Leaf Group spun off its media arm into a standalone company
World of Good's newly appointed CEO Lindsey Abramo spoke with Digiday about her plans to lean into experiential and embrace niche vs. scale.
Navigating Economic Instability
Dentsu’s latest ad report shows slowed growth, driven mostly by inflation
The good news in Dentsu's ad forecast is that there's still growth. The bad news: most of the growth is the result of inflation, while real ad pricing actually dropped a bit.
Sponsored
What the measurement and currency discussion really means to TV advertisers
Ali Mack, head of TV and agency, Experian Major streaming video providers have recently made headlines by adopting new currencies for ad measurement, threatening Nielsen’s long-standing TV ratings monopoly. NBCUniversal, for example, has certified iSpot and VideoAmp as currencies for advanced audiences and formed the Joint Industry Committee with Paramount, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros. Discovery. […]
The Creator Economy
How chef influencer Tue Nguyen works with the BuzzFeed Creator Network
BuzzFeed's Creator Network has been valuable from an audience and production education standpoint, but Nguyen still drives most of her business on her own.
Experimental Channels
Dentsu’s new Web3 readiness tool shines light on the tech’s potential to complement AI
Dentsu's Innovation Initiative is launching a web3 readiness index next month — at a time when the industry is obsessed with AI. Could the two technologies actually make a good pair?