As social networking sites continue to grow in their dominance of the web, it looks like it might all end in virtual tears when it comes to slicing up the display ad pie!
It looks like Facebook could be planning to use it’s users data to place highly targeted ads across the internet, mainly by not only knowing who their members are, but by also knowing what their friends like…..It’s safe to say this is a fairly clever move, unless of course, we are all friends with people who are nothing like us. Google on the other hand, owns a vast amount of personal data but has promised not to use it to profile their users. They do however, have AdWords & AdSense, which use keywords to target individuals based on what they are currently searching for. Both of which are highly effective ways of reaching customers but doesn’t it all feel a bit Big Brother? Then again, isn’t that what successful advertising is all about; understanding your customer, their motivations, likes & dislikes…because without this insight, surely we’re all just batting in the dark.