Personalisation vs Privacy

Beware Marketeers, US Citizens Want Liberty Online:

Demographically targeted, location based, contextually relevant direct marketing surly hits the campaign budget to conversion ratio target smack bang in the middle, creating a super-satisfied brand ambassador of a consumer t'boot. Whilst that may be the aim of many a marketing initiative new research from Washington DC's Pew Internet & American Life project suggests the opposite.

"Even though online Americans are more satisfied than ever with the performance of search engines, strong majorities have negative views of personalised search results and targeted ads", says Pew's Search Engine Use 2012 report.

It seems nobody wants to be pigeon holed or have their desires second guessed, everybody wants serendipity back. Discovery is the consumers right, a human right. So, think again marketeers, before you target and re-target or you could find yourselves on the hook, not only damaging your brands value when your were supposed to be building it but for indirectly infringing human rights - and folk have be hung for less!!