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2007-12-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Choice in Digital Advertising: My Response to Facebook's Beacon

2007-12-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure many of you read the press releases on Facebook's controversial advertising system, Beacon. For those of you that live in a closet, Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new advertising system that can track purchases and site visited by Facebook members. The purpose for such tracking is to leverage your online activity to advertise products, services, and sites to your friends in Facebook.

I will admit that at first I thought this was a pretty cool idea. That was, until I read that Facebook only allowed you to disable this feature per site visited. In other words, Beacon did not have a seamless “disable” feature, something that is very common in todays digital world! Mark Zuckerberg figured that the distasteful reaction by thousands of Facebook members would eventually vanish as members became accustomed to Beacon. But after pressure from Facebook members to allow preference settings on Beacon, Zuckerberg was forced to adhere to their demands.

My 2 Cents...

I have to applaud Facebook for being creative and revealing a unique advertising mechanism. We can expect more daring advertising innovations from Facebook, and other net powerhouses, as the demand to strategically target consumers reaches new heights! With regards to Beacon, I am more likely to make a purchase or visit a website if a dear friend recommends that it’s worth my money or time.

Although I may be stating the obvious it is evident that we are in an era where the voice of the masses is more powerful than ever. The fact that I am able to write this blog, rather than reading this in the NY Times, is amazing. Today the average person does not like to feel powerless or that they are coerced to participate in any activity that is too invasive. It is this type of freedom that has influenced individuals to open up and write blogs, post videos, and share information at will. Today I can look at your My Space page and pretty much determine what you look like, music you listen to, who your friends are, commons interests that you may share with your friends, and so on.

The closed proprietary environment of the past has been challenged more than ever with open source technology. I now have the ability to improve software programs, operating systems, and web applications. No longer are we tied down to environments with limited functionality and personalization.

It is this trend of "choice" that will drive the next generation of digital advertising. With that said, I look forward to the era when I can choose which advertising technology I can tolerate. Whether I opt to allow impressions on web pages, pre-roll ads on videos (or animated banners as recently scene in YouTube), text ads in my email, or GPS driven ads on my mobile phone, it will be delivered by system preferences that I choose.

So you probably think that this suggestion is ludicrous?? In my email I probably have a 100 different customizations. At work, I customized Outlook to display that little transparent window on the bottom right every time an email arrives. My calendar displays a daily view cut into 30 minute increments and my email is sorted by sender with the expand and collapse view. Why do I modify these views as such?? Because this is the way I prefer to view my information.

Prior to Beacon, Facebook welcomed developers to use its social network as a platform for member applications. It vowed to be, not the next social network but, the next generation operating system. By offering its platform Facebook opened the door for members and developers to build a happy home to work, play, interact, and advance interactive technology. Facebook's objective was to allow members to "interior decorate" their social network so that you always felt at home...

As we are provided with more choices to personalize all that we utilize we expect more control over those attributes that are controlled by external forces. If I am able to pick my rugs and paint my walls with desired colors, I should be able to select which paintings go on my wall or what curtains will compliment my living room. Along those same lines, if I am able to personalize my interactive experience I should be able to choose which ad distribution technology resonates with me or is likely to provide advertisers with a desired outcome. After all, I would know me better than an advertiser?!?!?

Facebook must choose an advertising model that compliments its boundless social networking platform. Beacon is a clever concept but it has to reach further into the psyche of its members. Advertising is registered best if the potential consumer embraces it. If I see ads at the right time and in the right place advertisers are more likely to lure me as a consumer. If I know that I am visiting the grocery story today, I am more than likely to look for specials in the local newspaper. If the contrary is true, like seeing ads by Facebook's Beacon of those cool boxers my fiance purchased, I’m more likely to build animosity towards that advertiser for ruining Christmas!

The moral of the story is that as a consumer of the Internet I want choices over all that comes before my eyes. In the end, advertiser will establish a good repertoire with me if they provide valuable and timely information. Information that is invasive and coerced will receive rejection and worthless impression(s). It is choice that has made Linux, i Tunes, Wikipedia, and eBay popular tools and spaces on the Internet. Oversight of choice will prompt rebellion from those who favor a more democratic digital environment!

My 2 Cents on Digital Marketing

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Choice in Digital Advertising: My Response to Facebook's Beacon