Certification - December 2008 - (Page 18) WhAT WE lIKE Point and Click Potential addictions aside, it’s still really cool that this technology exists — and not just because banner ads aren’t as effective as they once were. Veeple also offers contextual and behavioral analytics and video metrics to show relevancy. That means they’re tracking actual data to make sure users get what they want to buy, not what advertisers want them to buy. Now, whatever your heart desires — the newest gadgets, designer duds, scrumptious holiday treats — is just a click away. Shopaholics anonymous, here we come! Prime Time Goes Geek What if you could watch something over the Internet, such as a sitcom episode or a sporting event, and then click on an item that caught your eye to purchase it? That level of accessibility would give new meaning to phrases such as “impulse purchase” and “online convenience.” Luckily for all you with shopping fetishes, this type of technology actually is available. Interactive video media company Veeple has created a platform for advertisers, Web publishers and others to add interactive and multidimensional content to their videos in real time. Understandingly enough, Veeple mostly is concerned with providing clients with a way to increase their bottom lines and gain competitive advantage in their respective industries. But think of the bonus points for gamers or eBay addicts. Visions of large therapy sessions involving recovering shopaholics with bruised typing fingers and dopey grins come to mind. Prime-time television, like many aspects of pop culture, has not been kind to geeks. Much of the programming during the evening hours is devoted either to crime dramas with hard-boiled detectives and earnest lawyers or wacky sitcoms featuring families with dunderheaded dads or quirky young urbanites. And that’s not even including the litany of reality TV shows. But the studio execs at NBC appear to be changing all that, as they’ve given nerds unprecedented airtime in the past few years. “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Chuck” all have “socially challenged” characters in leading roles: Dwight Schrute, Liz Lemon and Chuck Bartowski, respectively. And they’re among the most popular personalities on TV. Plus, the shows aren’t pandering to geeks by making the characters unrealistically hip. For example, take Dwight from “The Office.” He’s a huge fan of “Battlestar Galactica” and Harry Potter and keeps nunchucks, ninja throwing stars and samurai swords in his desk at work. Yet, despite his flaws (or are they charms?), Dwight is a great character. His interplay with Jim Halpert, “The Office’s” sometime-protago- The level of accessibility offered by breakthrough technology would give new meaning to phrases such as “impulse purchase” and “online convenience.” 18 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE December 2008 http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/ http://www.nbc.com/30_Rock/ http://www.nbc.com/Chuck/ http://www.veeple.com/ http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/ http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/ http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/ http://www.ebay.com/
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