The Social Construction of Targeted Television Advertising: The Importance of "Social Arrangements" in the Development of Targeted Television Advertising in Flanders

Abstract

This paper focuses on the social construction of targeted TV advertising. In 2016, experiments with targeted TV commercials started in Flanders (Belgium). We apply a Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) approach to understand how targeted television advertising is being developed. We underline the importance of social arrangements in the development of this particular technology. Social arrangements can be defined as the relations between relevant social groups that work together to stabilize a technology. The development of targeted TV advertising can be seen as a moment of "interpretive flexibility", implying that different relevant social groups can give a different meaning to targeted advertising as a technological artifact. To steer the development of the technology towards the most beneficial solution to their agenda, different social groups use different strategies. In our paper, we argue that in the case of targeted TV advertising, the audience should be approached as a relevant social group. Our empirical research thus incorporates both television industry and user perspectives on the development of targeted TV advertising in Flanders between 2012 and 2017. Based on expert interviews with industry representatives and focus group interviews with end-users, we provide an analysis of the different strategies, opportunities and challenges that different stakeholders (TV-industry, viewers and policy actors) are faced with. To conclude, we also formulate specific recommendations for a successful implementation of targeted TV advertising in Flanders.