Microsoft Corp. has launched a new interactive way to advertise to consumers, called NUads on Xbox Kinect. This interactive marketing strategy allows users of the Xbox to interact with ads by completing engaging quizzes or answering poll questions about a product. This way, users will “pay more attention to [the ads] – since the system allows people often to choose which ads they watch.” 1 This new way of marketing allows companies “to reach people in a new way” and allow firms to be “part of something that’s new.” 1
With the 21st century being massively digitally revolutionized, the integration of online advertisements has increased substantially, but that does not mean that they are effective. Online banner advertisements are mostly ignored, pop-up ads are instantly closed, and video ads are skipped due to the consumer knowing that they are constantly looking at ads. Conversely, with the new interactive way of marketing, I believe consumers will be more willing to pay attention to the ads as they are much more interesting. With interactive ads, not only will the audience be able to engage in real time (possibly thinking of it as playing a “game”, instead of thinking of it as an ad), but companies will also be able to obtain feedback directly from consumers. I believe that consumers have an automatic negative connotation associated with the word “ad” as they believe that businesses are just trying to convince them to buy the company’s products. However, with the interactive ads the consumers’ mindset may change, thinking of it as playing a game instead of constantly thinking in the back of their minds that businesses are just trying to get consumers to buy their commodities.