Published
May 7, 2019
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NBCUniversal to launch Shoppable TV

Published
May 7, 2019

American mass media conglomerate NBCUniversal revealed plans to bring shoppable ads to the small screen on Monday, the first initiative of this kind to be undertaken by a national television broadcaster.


Viewers of NBCUniversal programming will be able to scan QR codes to purchase products - Image: NBCUniversal

 
Dubbed Shoppable TV, the service will allow viewers to scan QR codes that appear in the corner of the screen during NBCUniversal programming and commercials with their phone cameras. They will then be redirected towards an e-commerce site where they can consult further details about the items in question on their mobile devices and, if desired, make a purchase.

Having attended a demo with Josh Feldman, NBCUniversal EVP and head of marketing and advertising creative, Adweek offered the example of a QR code displayed during an episode of NBC’s The Voice, which, when scanned, directed viewers to the website of a furniture retailer whose pieces were featured on the show’s set.

According to NBCUniversal, the service will be rolled out on a number of its networks, including NBC, NBC Sports, Bravo, E! and Telemundo, over the next few months.
 
“By pairing brands with our premium content, owning every stage of the purchase funnel and removing the barriers consumers traditionally encounter between seeing a product and making a purchase, we're giving marketers a direct sales channel to millions of viewers across the country,” explained Feldman in a statement.
 
Shoppable ads have quickly become commonplace on social media platforms like Instagram and have long been a feature of Google and other search engines, but NBCUniversal’s new TV-based project looks set to shake up the way sales are conducted in a medium, which until now, has been relatively limited to slight variations on traditional teleshopping.
 

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