New Amazon Patent Might Give You a Discount for Watching Content

[DooKey]

Amazon was awarded an interesting patent in October that could end up giving customers a discount for watching video reviews, ads, and other interactive content on their site. Once it goes live you just go look at an ad for something and as the video is playing the cost of the item starts to drop. This is really a great idea and I bet it drives even more business, if that's possible, to the e-commerce giant.

With this patent, Amazon has signaled that it is taking on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snap, and other media platforms for digital ad spend. And customers will now also know the value of their time. And potentially whether their time gets more or less valuable depending on their purchasing behavior. One person’s time is inevitably more valuable than another’s, so with dynamic pricing, it’s not hard to imagine a personalized price based on a customer’s attention span and spending behavior.

 

[HeadRusch]

Commercials..they still have those?

 

[Dead Parrot]

Click on ad, go play with dog for 5 minutes, buy item.

 

[_l_]

Click on ad, go play with dog for 5 minutes, buy item.

I have a dog, where do I sign up?

 

[RogueTadhg]

Click on ad, go play with dog for 5 minutes, buy item.

Then they'll require a webcam to make sure you're sitting infront of the computer screen and a code that detects when a browser is minimized.

 

[Rahh]

WATCH IT OR PAY BIG TIME!!!

 

[SomeoneElse]

This is starting to get ridiculous...... Everything is an AD or has an AD attached to it. So coupons are going to be replaced with these "watch this 1 minute 30 second ad for your discount of 50 cents off of a 40 dollar item." Not cool.

 

[Showbiz]

So basically like Cable TV then......?

 

[SixFootDuo]

Only, the discount is not a real discount in any traditional sense of the word and, you've just been suckered into watching commercials that Amazon will get paid for. It's a win/win for everyone but you, the consumer.

And no my friend, it's not ridiculous. It's just a new spin on marketeers coming up with new ways to separate you from your hard earned money. Of course the enlightened knowledge you need to decipher all of this comes with wisdom and age. Mostly age. Once you guys get into your late 30's I promise all of you will gain clarity along with a BS filter unlike you've ever seen at any point in your life.

And all this is is repackaged BS. Nothing more.

 

[westrock2000]

Cool idea I guess if your into that, but a patent?

When I was your age we had free internet that did the same thing!

 

[commissioneranthony]

hahaha. Hobbyking does something similar with their website. If you leave a product open in a tab for like 30 minutes, there's a message that pops up in the lower right hand corner with an offer for the product at a discounted rate. II remember this happening when I was gonna snag an aquastar motor for a project.

 

[polonyc2]

how much will the discount be?...better be worth it

 

[Derangel]

If it's a good discount I'd consider it. I spend time thinking about buying an item anyway so I'd ignore the ad while making sure I want to buy the thing.

 

[Zepher]

Click on ad, go play with dog for 5 minutes, buy item.

You need your webcam hooked up so that they can see that you are watching the ad.

 

[wildfire99]

Isn't this what mobile apps have been doing since forever? Watch an ad, get something free that you'd normally pay for. Either that's prior art, or a whole lot of apps are now violating Amazon's "patent". And yeah, commercials.

 

[mord]

If they really did require a webcam, is assume some poor qa group would have to spot check the occasional feed against the evaluation.

Are they gonna see some hot chick in her bra and panties, or a hunk in boxers (gotta be inclusive)? Nope. Gonna see boring stuff and the occasional fat guy choking the chicken to who knows what.

 

[nutzo]

Actually they will raise the prices, and only after watching the video will you get the same discount you are already seeing today.

 

[Derangel]

You need your webcam hooked up so that they can see that you are watching the ad.

Where does it say that? Neither the patent nor the article mention needing a webcam.

 

[Poseur]

Actually they will raise the prices, and only after watching the video will you get the same discount you are already seeing today.

And people will shop elsewhere. For example, I don't typically go to grocery stores where they ask for a "discount" card. I pay a little more sometimes, but unless they invest in facial recognition or buy marketing data from the credit card companies they'll get nothing from me. I will also actively waste my time shopping for things I really don't want or need, just to poison their data on me. I also tell them it's a "gift", when it's for me. Marketing people are the enemy and the enemy must be destroyed, or at least annoyed.

 

[Gavian]

I would be watching ads all day.

 

[RayderR6]

Only, the discount is not a real discount in any traditional sense of the word and, you've just been suckered into watching commercials that Amazon will get paid for. It's a win/win for everyone but you, the consumer.

And no my friend, it's not ridiculous. It's just a new spin on marketeers coming up with new ways to separate you from your hard earned money. Of course the enlightened knowledge you need to decipher all of this comes with wisdom and age. Mostly age. Once you guys get into your late 30's I promise all of you will gain clarity along with a BS filter unlike you've ever seen at any point in your life.

And all this is is repackaged BS. Nothing more.

How you can say Ford is the good guy in the Cena thread and then lay down some solid wisdom here, idk, but you nailed this nonsense well. Just another way for algo's to eat up the naïve, and Amazon gets you to watch an ad while they do it imo.