Mass customization is the new advertising trend according to Andy Donchin, from Carat USA, a leading media planning agency, concurs. “Every single advertiser wants to reach their audience so specifically, it’s like they want a map of their DNA. The goal is to minimize waste and better target the audience they want to reach.”

A few days ago, the Weather Channel began offering advertisers customized TV commercials based on regional preferences, changes in the weather, even the pollen count.

This “copy-splitting” technology is based on a system, called IntelliStar.

Campbell Soup is tapping IntelliStar to track temperature up until five seconds before it dispatches a commercial. If the temperature dips below 30°, the technology sends a spot for soup. Otherwise, it sends commercials for other products based on regional preferences: Pace Mexican cooking sauces are popular in the South, Pepperidge Farm cookies in the Northeast, and V8 Vegetable Juice on the West Coast.

When a camping-equipment manufacturer tested the system, if skies on an upcoming weekend were clear, IntelliStar sent out spots for a fire-starter. If rain was in the forecast, a battery-operated flashlight radio was promoted.

A pharmaceutical company is considering using the system’s ability to track the local pollen count, promoting allergy medications when the count is high and asthma medications when it is low.

Although Weather Channel programs the system primarily on weather fluctuations, the company is already looking to license the technology to non-weather networks, retail and hotel chains, and video-on-demand providers.

Via Broadcasting & Cable.