Consumers can now order products they see on TV direct from Amazon.com using their TiVo remotes.
The two companies collaborated on the development of the feature, which they’re imaginatively calling Product Purchase.
Advertisers whose products are sold through Amazon need to go to TiVo to place interactive tags in content – ads or shows.
Viewers will see prompts that encourage them to buy a product. TiVo will establish a link between the viewer and Amazon; when viewers click on products they want to buy, they’ll have the option of buying the products immediately or having them placed in their Amazon carts. Purchases must be verified with the entry of a pin number.
The process works in both live and time-shifted content. TiVo said the process does not interrupt the program stream.
Viewers can also use TiVo’s Universal Swivel Search feature to search directly through a list of products being offered through TiVo and Amazon.
Evan Young, TiVo’s director of broadband services, said, “Television advertisers and consumer products companies are no longer limited to the traditional linear shopping channels that require live viewing for product merchandising and fulfillment – if their product is seen or advertised on any TV show or network, and sold by Amazon.com, it can be merchandised to viewers through TiVo.”
Scott Merlino, senior manager of business development at Amazon.com, said, “Now, a record label can merchandise and sell a new artist’s CD on a show where the music is featured, or a publisher can merchandise an author’s book during a talk show when the author appears as a guest – the marketing possibilities are endless.”
TiVo said broadband-connected Series2, Series3 and TiVo high-definition (HD) digital video recorders (DVRs) will be able to take advantage of this new feature.
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