Companies want to know what potential customers are searching for online. Using that information, they can target each internet user with an ad for a product or service that is relevant to what they’re looking for.

But people don’t always perform an online search for everything they want or need to buy. What if those companies could listen in to potential customers’ everyday lives and hyper-target them with advertising based on what they’re talking about?

The marketers at media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) pitched this idea to potential advertising partners, according to a report from 404 Media. The tech news outlet recently obtained a pitch deck from CMG from November 2023 that detailed its “Active Listening” service and how it can target advertising based on smart devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and smart TVs.

“What would it mean for your business if you could target potential clients who are actively discussing their need for your services in their day-to-day conversations?” reads the beginning of the CMG sales pitch. “No, it’s not a Black Mirror episode – it’s Voice Data, and CMG has the capabilities to use it to your business advantage.”