Are targeted ads completely off base or am I a bit behaviorally challenged?
Well, maybe both are true...
I use Google (Nasdaq: GOOG)'s Gmail for my personal email endeavors. And each time I send or receive an email, the Gods of Gmail, bless their hearts, compose a list of "Sponsored Links" based on my textual email references. Taken aback by their pristine attention to detail, I oftentimes find myself letting out a shrill "Oh, you shouldn't have!" More often, however, my response entails one furrowed eyebrow (I've mastered this, yes) and a long, drawn out, "Whaaaaa?"
Targeted advertising is supposed to be a key facet of the future of the Internet, but the more I pay mind to these ads, the more I'm finding that this practice of targeting ads toward email conversations is inherently ludicrous and does very little for the crusade to narrow advertising.
Some examples:
I forwarded photos of my Halloween-clad self to some of my friends and some of the people I pay to be my friends. Since I was dressed as a "crazy old cat lady," Gmail thought I'd benefit from the following suggestions:
Palm-Meow, Inc.: cat retirement/boarding – Florida Tropical Paradise for Your Cat
What exactly are we targeting here? One's ability to use words? Gmail is completely invading my privacy without providing any sort of service. If I refer to someone as a clown in an email, this does not automatically mean I am interested in receiving advertisements for circus-related paraphernalia. Tracking one's word usage is not the same as tracking one's behavior, likes, dislikes, greatest fears, hobbies, favorite addictions, et al.
The New York Times reported last week that the FTC would like to implement tighter controls over online marketing. However, as the article states, "Randall Rothenberg, president and chief executive of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, said the agency should not regulate online advertising because it could limit what he called a recent 'extraordinary pattern of innovation.' " The extraordinary pattern being that this consistently sucks, yes?
If we are willing to have our Internet overlords tracking our online behavior, these I-Spy tactics are perhaps better off on social networking and e-commerce sites. What use are Gmail's targeted ads if they are not only invasive but also a complete stab in the dark?
There is a definite issue with regard to relevant advertising within Gmail. I am yet to click on any of the web clips or the ads that are displayed. I do notice some of the ads that get displayed. So is getting eyeballs good enough or is clicking the relevant test?
I do think , that the text ads are far less intrusive than some of the other options on offer. In days gone by it was the flashing banner but now it is the flash animation that either loads partially over content. Or the splash page that wont go away for 15 seconds or so.
It is such a huge irritant from an experience point of view. Technology seems to be bring more in your face solutions to reaching the customer.
Makes me think of the borg greeting " resistance is futile.... "
Thanks for your comments, Leo. I think the main issue with these ads is that they're inherently worthless and don't fit the mold of "targeted" advertisements since they're not actually targeting any concrete behavior. I agree with your point that this just goes to show there's no human mastermind behind the process, but I still find it unsettling and, moreover, irritating (or humorous, depending on my mood for the day). The main point is, while they may be less intrusive than other targeted ads, they're also defeating the whole purpose of targeting behavior for advertising's sake. Picking up on one word I say in an email and sending me an ad based on that is just sloppy and pointless.
As usws points out: "And just the day before, there were Christian advertistments all over (haha, why i have no idea)." -- All you would have needed to do was type an email to your friend "Christian" and, voila, you are the proud recipient of Jesus-clad ads.
Also, Re: "Ah, another harangue from our resident Google basher (sorry, Nicole, but I can't help detecting a pattern ;->)." Haha, what can I say, you've figured me out.
So true, i recently posted a topic about gender differences but used the term 'sex' instead. Next think i knew, Google ads were showing advertisements on Sex toys and advice. Shocked some of my viewers as they weren't used to seeing such content on my site. And just the day before, there were Christian advertistments all over (haha, why i have no idea).
Ah, another harangue from our resident Google basher (sorry, Nicole, but I can't help detecting a pattern ;->).
I actually find Gmail targeted ads one of the less intrusive forms of advertising. At least there are no monkeys jumping around in my peripheral view to distract me from what I'm reading. Sometimes the link between the mail and the topic of the ads is indeed weird or funny, and I can tell you it gets even funnier if the text of the mail is in a different language.
But that's all proof to me that they are not really invading my privacy: it seems to me there is just a memory-less algorithm that scans the text to select which ads to place. Nothing is tracked or linked to my personal information. This is equivalent to targeted ads on broadcast TV.
Of course, that doesn't give you any assurance that your webmail provider (or Homeland Security) isn't tracking all your mails, who you're mailing with, and even what spam you receive, but the targeted ads at least give the impression that there is no human involvement, and that nothing is linked to your person.
The concerns that this raises should be minor compared to the effects of cookies set by an average web site (tracking your behavior, but no link to ID), and fade entirely if you think about how the use of a shopper's card at your local supermarket or Sam's Club provides them with your ID and the means to track exactly which products you're buying.
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