Dear Zappos, I know you know I love Converse sneakers… but enough with the creepy ads already! Love, Anonymous Browser
I love Converse sneakers. I have at least 5 pairs in my closet and have probably owned a dozen or more pairs since buying my first pair in the early-90’s. They’re comfortable, cheap and go with every outfit (even, thanks to David Tennant, suits!).
However I’m a little creeped out since this week it seems every website I visit is advertising Converse sneakers. I first noticed it on DailyMe.com, but was also stalked by “Cons carousels” (see below) on SI.com, MSNBC.com and other major media sites.
I’m not the only one to notice this. Michael Learmonth was stalked by a pair of pants (and several of Michael’s readers report being stalked by shoes, bags and expresso machines). While the folks at privacychoice found sandals following them around on Huffington Post.
The ‘stalker’ in each of these cases is Zappos (aided by their personalized retargeting vendor Criteo). In my case, I had visited Zappos to see if there were any new Converse models I wanted to buy (there wasn’t), which placed me in a “Converse sneaker” purchase funnel.
Criteo claims their retargeting approach increases conversion rates by a factor of 4x over standard retargeted banners, so I understand why Zappos is using them. However, I agree with Zappo’s Front Office Technology Lead (see tweet below)… the ads are awful and the frequency caps (if they exist) are way too high.
The FTC is concerned about the privacy issues, but also about concerns that online advertisers are not always forthcoming about their use of targeting. In a Business Week interview, Leibowitz said “There’s a critical issue about whether consumers have notice of what companies are doing with their information and whether they’re making informed choices about [sharing] information,” For example, if an advertiser sends an ad based on sensitive information about a person’s health, “you might want to take that off the table.” Broadcasters should note that Leibowitz counts FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski as a close friend and “basketball buddy.
…via
RBR article on Targeted Web Ads.
The article also reports that Researchers estimate that advertisers will spend $960 million on personally targeted ads this year.
We’ve only barely touched on the use of data to enhance targeting. In all of the media discussed above — email, site, and display — data only help refine the ability to reach with certainty. By creating models based on desired behavior such as purchase or click-through, marketers can fine-tune offers with even greater precision. Skilled analysts can find the meaningful relationships among offer, audience, and channel to cut down on waste.
1 year ago
