Quick Summary: Smartphone adoption has been the fastest of any technology. Ever. It is close to 50% in the United States, and could be as high as 90% next year. When using a smartphone’s apps and browser, you are generating data for your carrier and the phone’s maker. This data mining is used to re-target you with advertising based on the content you view online and in apps. The constant information your phone is gathering about your preferences means these data companies probably know more about you than your own mother. And yet, with new innovations like swiping our phones to pay at checkout or starting our cars with a downloaded app, it is likely consumers will share even more data in the future.
PW: This article is the writer’s opinion about the future, but he does back it up with solid facts. People rely on their Smartphones to provide constant contact to work, friends, and current events. But not many people understand what they are giving up in exchange for this service, their privacy. Having this wealth of data about your interests and purchases is a marketer’s dream. They can now predict your needs better than ever before and serve you ads you might, actually, not ignore. Personally, I find this incredibly creepy that random companies are compiling a “file” on me? Gathering every bit of data so they can sell me the new Hugo Boss cologne? Man, their right. I do need a new bottle, but I don’t want them to know that! It limits my freedom to make the purchase when I want to. Okay, seeing that limited time offer correspond right when you actually need the product is great. But imagine that happening all the time. It won’t be special any longer. It effectively puts the brands in control of your purchasing power. That is the one thing that makes the consumer king, the choice to buy when he/she wants to buy. By knowing exactly what you want when you want it, then giving it to you, the brand has taken control.
SM: I’m concerned with the amount of information compiled on me through new technology as much as the next guy, BUT it has nothing to do with understanding my interests. With the amount of information I give out over the web for purchases, certain websites, and social media sites, I feel it’s inevitable I’ll eventually fall victim to identity theft, again. As far as trying to analyze my personality, heck share that information with me, I’d love to see what you think of me. The purpose of advertising is to inform a certain person that there is a product that satisfies a need they have. When an ad actually addresses a current need you have it’s NEVER annoying, but actually quite helpful. (Hence, why Point of Purchase advertising is so effective.) I love how I get an email from Ticketmaster when my favorite bands come to town, just imagine if they could do that without me telling them my favorite bands. Envision this slightly exaggerated down-the-road hypothetical, Old Spice based on my purchase history and personality will know when I will need a new stick of deodorant. Using this information, they are able to send me an ad at that time detailing a new deodorant product, accompanied by a coupon for the closest store to me selling the product. Who wouldn’t find that amazingly helpful?
People seem to forget that ADVERTISING IS GOOD FOR SOCIETY. Without advertising we all might still be listening to CD players instead of iPods. The better advertising gets at targeting their consumers, the less consumers will consider it annoying and spam. We get no benefit from the hundreds of so-called Facebook Friends who know where we ate dinner every night this week. Why do we care if a brand is using that community knowledge to try to discover and satisfy our future needs?
Who do you guys agree with? Vote and let us know with a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm just as critical and creeped out by the "big brother" tracking mechanisms marketers have these days. The thought of mysterious files being kept of my activities is a little eerie. So, I initially was quick to agree with Patrick on this one. I value my privacy.
ReplyDeleteHowever, taking a step back, I thought to myself, is it really all that bad? What are the negatives here? Aside from the creepiness of it all, I have to say I have trouble pinpointing the faults of this marketing tactic. Patrick makes the point that the brands have the risk of becoming in control of our purchasing power. The elusive "marketer" knows that you're probably coming to the end of your deodorant soon, and plugs you with a limited time offer for a new brand. Convenient? Yes. Influencing my decision? Eh, maybe. It all goes back to the quality of the product. Brand loyalty is likely to withstand a couple coupons thrown at me. And if not, maybe I'll discover a new product I like better, that's...drumroll please...half off for a limited time only! Not a bad deal. It kind of makes the whole competition field a little more exciting. Who's got the best offer, and who can get it to consumers faster? Frankly, I think this works for the benefit of the consumer. Relevancy is key.
An example - A 20-something guy reads through his email, filtering through offers for Tampax, JC Penny's spring collection, and Pampers, until an offer for Gillette catches his eye. What harm is there in removing these extraneous offers being wasted on an uninterested demographic? Target the right consumers, and the right consumers will respond. And hey, you still have the choice to walk into a store and browse the aisles if you're feeling like you need to change up your cologne because that bottle sitting in your bathroom was a gift from your newly ex-girlfriend.
Marketers better targeting their consumers does not necessarily have to translate into consumer laziness. If you want a choice, be proactive about it.