April 23, 2025, 12:53 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
In front of the TV, we often experience a range of emotions: from joy and emotion to frustration, such as when an exciting moment is interrupted by commercials. On the other hand, advertising can sometimes strike the right chord and resonate with us. This is where a leading smart TV manufacturer comes in: It aims to recognize viewers’ emotions in the future and share this information with its partners. TECHBOOK explains how this works.
In streaming, we’re already accustomed to receiving content that aligns with our interests based on our personal usage behavior. A similar approach is now being applied to advertising. LG is one of the first TV manufacturers to integrate such a feature, specifically the AI tool Zenvision from the U.S. company Zenapse, into its smart TVs.
LG Uses Zenvision to Detect User Emotions
LG’s interest in its users’ emotions is well-known. A few months ago, TECHBOOK reported on a prototype household robot from the South Korean manufacturer, presented at the IFA, which analyzes the facial expressions of its counterpart using an integrated camera. This allows it to recognize human emotions and respond accordingly. The idea is to provide support as a smart assistant beyond specific commands.
With the new TVs that aim to recognize user emotions, the intention is somewhat different. Here, the knowledge of the emotions triggered by what’s shown on the screen is intended to benefit targeted advertising. LG uses the AI tool Zenvision from the company Zenapse for this purpose. More information is available in an official press release from LG Ad Solutions, LG’s subsidiary specializing in cross-platform advertising.
How the AI Tool Zenvision Used by LG Works
In this case, it works without a camera. Instead, the artificial intelligence interprets the usage and search behavior of the person(s) in front of the smart TV and creates a profile of their values and interests. Zenvision combines this information with users’ psychographic data, as explained in the release, to categorize TV viewers into different market segments. According to the Zenapse website, these segments provide deeper insights into the characteristics of the various target groups shaping today’s markets. “Ultimately, this helps advertisers build a stronger connection with viewers, maximize campaign performance, and increase the relevance of advertising in connected environments,” explains the CTO of LG Ad Solutions in the press release.
Examples of market segments defined by Zenapse:
- “Family-Centric” refers to users who place great value on products and services that support and facilitate family life.
- “Money Matters” represents price-conscious individuals who make purchasing decisions based heavily on cost-benefit analysis and compare prices and offers.
- “Digital Adopters” or “digitally open-minded” are individuals with a relatively high affinity for technology and a strong interest in new technologies.
- “Wellness Seekers” look for products that enhance physical and mental well-being.
- “Positive Impact & Environment” refers to environmentally conscious consumers who prefer sustainable and responsible manufacturers and companies.
- “Convenience Seekers” refers to consumers focused on comfort and user-friendly services and goods.
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What This Means for Users
Ultimately, advertising partners benefit from the collaboration between LG and Zenapse. Zenvision is intended to help identify more precise target groups, which can consequently boost sales. The partnership is also meant to serve as a foundation for developing new software solutions or products.
Users may also notice when the ads shown to them are tailored to their personal interests. The partnership with Zenapse also means that personalized advertising will be broadcast not only on smart TVs but also on ad-supported free TV channels. General advertising is thus replaced by ads better suited to the specific user. The user experience could be improved if ads are more relevant, or at least perceived as less intrusive.
At the same time, privacy concerns may arise. It is clear that personalized advertising is based on collected data. How transparent and controllable this process is for users is not detailed in the release.