How Does Samsung Smart TV T-Commerce Work?
The future of television advertising is already here. Well, at least for those with 2012 and 2013 Samsung Smart TVs, it has arrived. Dubbed T-Commerce, buying online through your television remote is now a possibility. It is made possible through a smart television application called Delivery Agent that was developed by Samsung and only compatible with their 2013 and 2013 televisions. This new technology is in its infancy, but look for it to bloom and blossom at a fast rate as more smart televisions are purchased and once other television manufacturers also develop similar technology.
H&M Pioneering the Way
Samsung’s t-commerce option goes a step beyond going online using your smart TV. Instead of using the web to order from a website, this new age commercial allows you to shop right from your remote when commercials air. It also works in conjunction with shopping channels. H&M is one of the first companies to embrace this new technology with a commercial with t-commerce enabled that aired during the Super Bowl. Of course, it had a much more limited audience than other Super Bowl commercials, but it is still making headlines and H&M is being regarding and the leader in this new and innovative advertising space. They were banking on David Beckam helping to add to the novelty of buying through a television ad that featured his own body wear line available only at H&M.
How Does it Work?
Don’t worry; buying though the t-commerce commercial does not interrupt your television viewing. Instead a small menu opens up and you are able to order using your remote control. You can finish the transaction using your remote and the pop up menu, or choose the option to forward the transaction to your computer or smartphone device to finish the transaction. One of the smartest options is that the interactivity is even available on shows that are previously recorded on your DVR, so there is no need for viewers to be watching live in order to place an order through the t-commerce application.
Pros and Cons of T-Commerce
Beyond the popularity of Beckam and his selling power, his exclusive body wear line can only be purchased at H&M, so even if you did not purchase through the t-commerce application, or you only saw the regular commercial, the selling power is still there and will likely drive many customers to the store. T-commerce is admittedly in its infancy, however the novelty and demand is still there whether you got to see the t-commerce enabled smart tv ad or not. There are drawbacks to the t-commerce idea. At the moment, the biggest drawback is the limited audience. However, as smart television owners grow in numbers and technology also develops along with the trend, this will cease to be a problem. The other potential negative for advertisers is the lack of personalization using smart television ads in this way. The ads are not targeted the same way that online ads can be targeted. Therefore, the return on investment may not be as strong for this advertising medium vs. other more traditional, yet less innovative advertising methods.
