Sunday, November 27, 2011

Tailor Stuff to Me!

As marketers we are all keenly aware of how much customer data is available on the web. We also know how valuable it is to harness that data and properly utilize it sell a product or send a message to our potential customers. I know that I've been the recipient of a gorgeous pair of shoes or a bookcase following me around from site to site. And, I've personally used the recommendation engines on sites like Pandora and Amazon. I find the recommendations based on my purchases and interests to be extremely helpful as a consumer.

Now there are a few startups that are putting their own twist on customer data. Startups like Singly and Personal are developing ways that customers can personalized what online data is associated with them and who it is sold to. Essentially instead of companies thinking that you are a new mom, since you've recently bought a baby present online for a friend, you can tell them that you are married without kids. Or, if you are in the market for a new refrigerator, you can identify that you are interested in "green" or energy savings products. Soon the products that appear in banner ads and in recommendation engines would be more tailored to your tastes. It will be interesting to see how these startups monetize this information and how they price accordingly. I can only assume that my interest in high priced jewelry should fetch more on the open market than a pair of running shoes. This marketplace between marketers and customers should shape up to not only interesting but also a whole lot more relevant... my wallet should be very wary!

http://adage.com/article/digital/web-data-startups-bank-consumers-controlling-data/231208/

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