econsultancy.com
Today Google will announce new privacy measures to increase transparency and consumer trust in regard to behavioral marketing. You know, that eerie way Gmail knows that you just sent an email about how much you miss ‘NSync. And next thing you know there’s an ad about where you can pick up your copy of Best of 1998. My favorite part about the new settings is that you not only have the choice to opt out of receiving ads tailored to your “personality,” but you actually can pick and choose which ads better target you. For instance, if by chance I start seeing ads that paint me as nostalgic for the late 90s, leading me to places I can auction off my old bobbleheads and Britney Spears paraphanalia, I could determine that definition of me erroneous and deny, deny, deny. Instead, I could tell Google, “Hey, wait a minute. Just because it seems like I’m that lame, I’m really not. I really want the ads that invade my space every day to reflect my true self. Show me more about ways I can save the whales. Or puppies. Or trees. I really like trees.”
It’s an interesting idea that some of us believe that ads exist for our benefit, and if we can have a hand in making ourselves easier to sell to, then we’re really in control.
