Riding on its Super Bowl success, Delivery Agent announced today that it has partnered with Toyota for a t-commerce shopping experience. Instead of making a purchase, though, viewers will be able to check out the new Camry through the ShopTV app:
Viewers will see an interactive overlay appear on the left side of the Camry commercial. Those who choose to engage will have the option to “browse features” or “explore and build” a Camry. Once an option is selected, the viewer will receive a mobile text message with a link directing him or her to the relevant information.
Delivery Agent CEO Mike Fitzsimmons said in a statement that the partnership shows a real shift in how advertisers interact with viewers:
Our mission is to enhance the way television and online audiences interact with content and brands, and how brands think about engaging with consumers. Our platform helps shift the dynamic of television from a passive medium to an interactive medium enabling a brand, like Toyota, to engage with consumers beyond the 30 second spot.
Consumers are into the t-commerce experience. Delivery Agent and Nielsen conducted a study that shows many are open to making purchases with their remote control.
The survey included about 1,700 participants over the age of 18. Not surprisingly, those in the 18-34 age bracket had a higher propensity to engage with interactive ads, while those 35-49 were slightly less so.
Fitzsimmons says that:
The future of successful marketing is deeply linked to a brand’s ability to monetize its message and story across all screens – the television being the newest engagement and transactional screen. With the technology and consumer interest in place, we’ll start to see a profound impact on how marketers and media companies think about marketing through the television.
It really is all about the right time and place for t-commerce. Finally, TVs are hooked up. And we’re all more than used to one-click shopping. It’s interesting that people would like lists of featured products, like the back-pages of a fashion magazine. Who cares if they buy it right there or through, say, Amazon or Overstock (Delivery Agent has a partnership with Overstock) a day or two later?