Have You Heard Of T-commerce?

As a marketer you might have started to see and hear more and more the expression T-commerce. But what is T-commerce? How does it work? How to make it work for your brand?

In the era where mobile phones, tablets— not to mention the advent of smart TV — are becoming mainstream accessories, the ability to buy the products you see on screen directly isn't so far-fetched.

However, T-commerce refers to different strategies: some include using a banner that scrolls across the bottom of the TV screen, providing ad support above and beyond the usual TV commercials that is consumed while watching a TV show. Other strategies require an interactive TV approach that allows users to click an icon during an ad or a banner while watching a show, automatically triggering the transmission of product data to the viewer's email address. There are also limited T-commerce applications that allow viewers to buy the product by directly and simply clicking on the icons displayed on the TV screen or by using a remote control to highlight and select specific icons that use subscriber information to place and process a product order.

The idea is to combine streaming and commerce in a way that doesn't interrupt or interfere with the viewers’ experience, but allows them, if interested in certain products, to get more information or place an order in real time.

For brands this is a very important step, a key evolution of product placement. Brands and marketers have with this strategy the unique opportunity to connect with consumers while the level of interest is high, while the emotional involvement is extremely high as well. This leads very likely to sales that would not have occurred using more traditional methods of TV advertising which are quickly forgotten or simply ignored.

Strategies on this new and hybrid approach are still being defined by brands and it is very important for marketers to keep up with them and include them in their future planning and budgeting.