The Rumor That Never Dies, Indeed
Recently I have witnessed a growing number of sites I visit displaying ads that are all too familiar and personal. The picture above is the screen shot of a site I visit frequently with both the side and top banners advertising W PROMOTE #1 Integrated Search Marketing Firm...
Of course that's no coincidence. An online market research company such as ComScore has collected my personal data and sold it to companies who perceive me as their target market.
And while as a marketer I am fully aware of the use of this tactic and how effective it can be, it still irritates me. My attitude is torn between the positive marketing implications and my personal objections.
However I'm more interested in gauging your thoughts on this matter. Have you witnessed similar ads on Facebook or general sites that seem a little too direct? If so, does it bother you personally, or do you accept it as the future of advertising?
Share your thoughts below!
*UPDATE*
It appears this Integrated Search Marketing Firm take their integration very seriously.... I've now spotted the same ad on other social media sites such as YouTube, as above.
Single girls in Williamstown Victoria seems to appear regularly on mine! Hence the risk of having "location services" on.
ReplyDeleteYES!! I feel your pain!! !it's so annoying hehe i hate it when i see the same ads over and over again i feel like my privacy has been violated!!! Like you i understand why marketers do that and in some cases it can be effective but it really annoys me and would really appreciate if they'd stop doing this! :) Great post by the way :)
ReplyDeleteI think we are more aware of them as marketers but the general consumer often believes they are s coincidence! Personally I use this tactic at work and have incredible success with this type of advertising! So as a marketer a huge fan - as a consumer not so much :)
ReplyDeleteI think the general consensus is that as marketers - yes, personally - no. Interestingly I've now seen the same ad appear across other social media platforms, such as YouTube. "Integrated Search marketing Firm" sure is integrated...
ReplyDeleteI got told in class that there are ads on Facebook in the middle of the news feed. That goes a bit too far. I've never experienced that but I've added some really good ad blocker add-ons to my firefox browser and I don't really see any ads on any sites at the moment. But sadly, I think it's only a matter of time before the ads start pushing through the blockers.
ReplyDeleteI find that ads on YouTube aren't targeted at all or even really relevant to the video you're watching but they are quite annoying...
Doesn't bother me too much. It's going to happen so I think just let it be. You can't fight it. If you do and you win the fight, what will happen to our beloved SM sites?
ReplyDeleteRoss
The flip side... isn't it GOOD to have relevant ads appear on site that we visit? I'd much rather see content that I can relate to, rather than products that are irrelevant to me.
ReplyDeleteAm I alone with this point of view?