Archive

God’s Addressable Ads

Targeted TV Ads Set for Takeoff”.That’s the headline in the Wall Street Journal (December 20^th Section B) announcing that DirecTV will rollout “addressable ads” which will allow advertisers to send targeted commercials into around 10 million homes, based on the interests of that household. They’re partnering with Starcom MediaVest which purchases ads on behalf of major consumer goods companies.

A test conducted earlier by Starcom and Comcast Cable with a smaller target audience provided evidence that households receiving targeted ads changed the channels 32% less than homes which didn’t receive the specific ads.The DirecTV initiative will reach many more households, and while this is a $10-20 million venture, Merrill Lynch projects that by 2015, addressable ads will be an $11.5 billion business.

The basic premise of course is the ability of cable TV and other companies to collect and utilize information about its customers so that these customers will receive advertisements targeted to their interests. Advertisers can use their marketing dollars more effectively based on age, income, gender, interests purchases, favorite channels, etc.The customer in turn will receive messages that advertisers think they will be more responsive to, thereby increasing the likelihood of purchase, instead of changing the channel when a commercial comes on.

I admit that commercials are sometimes just interruptions to what I really want to watch on TV.I don’t have TIVO so when I’m watching TV (and generally multitasking doing something else), it’s easy to just ignore the commercials. This reminds me a little bit like life; busy focusing on work, meetings, family, friends and so many things to do; all the “important stuff”.Then here come the commercials; someone trying to tell me something for my own good, or warn me about the future. But do I pay attention or stop and listen?

In 1998, an anonymous donor purchased ads on billboards in Florida, and posted catchy but realistic messages such as:

• Will The Road You’re on Get You To My Place? –God
• Have You Read My #1 Best Seller?  There Will Be A Test.  –God

The messaging became a hit and billboard companies, among others continued the posts.

These words are like addressable ads in our lives from the God who knows our demographics, likes and dislikes, need and wants.He knows our present, our future and more importantly His purpose for our lives, and wants His very best for us.He’s constantly trying to communicate information and direction to us.Like an advertisement, He wants us to make a commitment, and offers himself in an appealing, loving and tender way. He programs messages to be delivered to us in a variety of ways; something a colleague says, a needy person on the street, a TV channel that we flip to; a song on the radio; a scripture in the Bible.

These are all ways that He uses to tell us how much we need Him; to share His wisdom and direction; to help us to focus on His will for our lives.God guarantees confidentiality of the personal information He has about us, but uses others to confront us on our behaviors.

So what message is God addressing to you? What “ad” has He placed on your “lifetime TV” to encourage you to make a commitment to Him, to take a particular course of action in your life?How many times will you have to “view” the advertisement for you to act on it? God is continually sending you programming that’s unique to His purpose and plan in your life.Just like addressable ads from your cable TV supplier, you can choose to view it, or you can ignore it. Your cable company knows what they want you to see for their corporate gain, but God knows what you need to see for your personal gain.Pay attention to His programmable ads.

“O lord, You have searched me and known me, You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways” (Ps 139:1-3 NKJV).

Want Insider Information?

The federal government is increasing its investigation into insider trading activities on the part of hedge funds and expert trading networks, according to an article on Marketwatch.com on November 23, 2010. They are concerned that these experts are providing investors with data that is significant enough to be considered insider information. ‘Expert Networks’ under microscope: Firms that connect consultants to investors hit by insider-trading probe also says that investors are increasingly concerned that the government may be changing its definition of insider trading and insider information.

According to the article, written by Alistair Barr and Sam Mamudi, expert networking firms “connect experts with investment firms that are trying to learn more about an industry or delve deeper into an issue or a company”. The firms generally have strict guidelines to ensure their experts comply with applicable laws on not providing non-public or sensitive information. This is part of the “mosaic” approach to investment research where investors gather many pieces of information that individually are not considered material, but collectively may provide valuable information without violating laws regarding securities.

When I think of the mosaic approach, I picture a stained glass window.  It’s comprised of many colored bits of glass that individually have no value or beauty, and provide no clue to what it could become. But when assembled to form a picture, and light shines through the colors in the mosaic; it tells a story, reflects its splendor onto that which is around it, and manifests the talent of the craftsman.

Investors want to assemble all the pieces of the mosaic and somehow put them together, like pieces of a puzzle, to see the entire picture of a company, and to understand what its future will look like. Very likely, we all want to gather pieces of expert information that we can assemble to show us things to come, so that we can make the right decisions today.  We want to optimize every possibility that our investments will have the highest returns, and get in on the leading edge of the next hot commodity or IPO.  We want anything that we spend our resources on — time, money, or energy – to yield positive results. We want to ensure we make the best personal and business decisions that will support accomplishing our objectives and achieving our future desired state.

Expert information is valuable in every aspect of our lives.  What business decisions should we make? Where should we invest our personal funds? Who should we hire? What job should we take? What career path will enable us to reach our goal? We research these issues; talk to “experts”; pay consultants for advice; work hard; work smart; and at the end of it all, try to assemble all these pieces of “mosaic” information to make the best decision possible.

But what if you had an expert network legally providing you with insider information to help you make the right decisions for every aspect of your life? What if you knew the craftsman who was creating your mosaic?  What if he revealed to what some of the pieces looked like and how they fit together, so that you could begin to understand the final picture?  This insider information would give you an understanding of your purpose in life, the decisions you need to make, and the actions you need to take.

Well I can introduce you to the master craftsman who can provide that insider information. You can have your own personal expert network to help you optimize how to manage your valuable resources. The only requirement is that you spend time getting to know this expert, and developing a relationship with him.  His information will require you to invest your time, it will require you to adjust your priorities, but this investment will provide increased returns in every area of your life.

This expert is none other than the Most High God.  His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm119:105).”The entrance of [His] words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 NKJV).  Choose to seek the insider information that God will provide to you.  He will guide your decisions in the right pathway to success in Him.