The idea of improving engagement with prospects by personalizing their experience has been at the forefront of the marketing landscape for the last few years.
Don’t take my word for it: try conducting a search for a fairly specific item, like a crib for a newborn baby. After you engage with the search results a bit, browse onto your regular social media networks, favorite media sites, etc. Notice the type of targeted advertisements that you begin to see.
Assuming you are using standard browser settings, you’ve probably been bombarded with ads about buying a baby crib. Looks almost as if the Internet has you or your partner’s pregnancy test results, huh?
Many digital marketing enthusiasts would call this kind of example a great representation of the huge leap forward that the world of marketing has taken. On the other hand, many consumers have expressed some discomfort with targeted ads. Major civic organizations have created petitions to stop Facebook from using browsing history to display targeted ads, and in a recent survey by Ipsos, nearly 70% of smartphone users in the United States say they are uneasy about having their activity tracked for advertising purposes…
