Yesterday I spoke with David Ranii at the News & Observer for a story he was writing on the impact of TiVos.  A recent study that was published by the Journal of Marketing Research showed that the presence of a TiVo, surprisingly, had little impact on what someone watches on TV, the amount of ads they watch and what they buy. 

I was surprised that these results were, well, surprising.  Technologies like DVRs merely enable behaviors that people are already doing - now we just hit fast forward if we want to avoid a commercial instead of running to the fridge.  Maybe TiVo is the solution for American obesity.  But for a brand, good ads can overcome the impulse to skip.

More importantly, technology doesn't present an obstacle for marketing success.  In fact a customized advertising program with TiVo was a central part of the Bravia launch we did for Sony in 2006.  When technology starts creating completely new behaviors and opportunities for people to meaningfully connect with brands, then I think we will be really surprised.

Click here to read David Ranii's story from the News and Observer