CELLULAR COMMERCE ON THE MOVE

This just in from eMarketer and ACNielsen: a whopping 9.2 million people are buying things through their phones in America. I think we're getting near the tipping point on this front.



The free portion of their report also says that security issues are probably holding back the space.



Check out the report here.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

LIP SYNC FRIDAY SERIES FINALE

Lip Synch Fridays will be going on hiatus. Remember that LSF was conceived to combat the precipitous drop in ratings for this blog on Fridays. But alas, after about 8 weeks of chart topper ratings, LSF has begun to slip in popularity. So beginning in July, we will be beginning the summer replacement season here. Stay tuned.

And in the meantime, enjoy five great lip syncs featuring songs that will surely accompany floats on Sunday.

GLBT Marketing Shout Out. Because It's Pride Week in SF

So those who live in SF are being treated to what may be the largest collection of rainbow flags, owing to the Gay Pride Weekend that falls on Saturday and Sunday of this week. They hang from every lamppost as our city struggles to remain the vortex of gay life in an America where happily gayness is gaining delightful cultural indifference (by which I mean, increasing millions don't give a goddamn one way or t'other, which in my opinion is how it should be) in many places around the country.

What does that have to do with digital marketing? Well, consider the following stat, lifted from a post at GayMarketNews, a fascinating marketing blog that comes out (pun DEFINITELY intended) daily from Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now Consulting.

Out Now is UK based, but these data are for 'Merica.

The total buying power of the U.S. gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) adult population in 2008 is projected to be USD$712 billion. Witeck-Combs worked on the research with Packaged Facts. That 2008 projection is up from USD$690 billion, one year before.

Billion with a B, people.

Many marketers are paying increasing attention to this buying power, because in America money talks.

It's something to think about as you develop marketing plans.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Internet in China: From Little Red Book to Big Red Top Level Domain

Over at Read Write Web they reported that the .cn Internet suffix has now reach number three in popularity, surpassing .net. .com is still king, but with 221 Million Chinese Internet users, can the number two ranking be far off?

The news, which was reported to the AP by Verisign, show how the face of the web is changing dramatically. Global-reach.biz shows the following stats for the language break down of Internet pages:

It's old data so that Chinese wedge must be far bigger by now.

What do you suppose Chairman Mao would think about 221 Million people having not entirely censored access to web content?

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Here it comes... The .SEX top level domain

ABC is reporting that ICANN has approved a measure to make virtually any word aa top level domain suffix.

Says the report:

The policy would expand the short list of approved domains like .com, .org, .edu and country names to allow for almost anything, including steamy-sounding domains like .sex. ICANN recently turned down a proposal to create a .xxx domain for pornography sites, but if the new policy is approved, virtually any name, including .xxx, would be permitted.

New names will likely not appear online until at least 2009. The organization still must work out many of the details, including fees for obtaining new names, expected to exceed $100,000 apiece, to help ICANN cover millions of dollars in costs.

Coming Soon! Dynamic Buildings!

WHITE PAPER THURSDAYS! WHO ARE THE DIGITALLY SAVVY?

Take this advice: download this presentation about who the digitally savvy are, and what they think and do. Do it now before Scarborough wises up and realizes all the value they are giving away! ;-) 70 slides of essential data, people!

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Say This for MSFT: Sometimes They Have True Class

Received by Firefox team on launch day...

From feelfirefox.com

WHITE PAPER THURSDAYS! PRODUCT PLACEMENT STRATEGY

A nice case-focused deck on product placement strategy is available here. Written by Maria Ivanova, the deck offers nice succinct ideas on how to develop a product placement strategy and executional plan with legs.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

WHITE PAPER THURSDAYS! THE STATE OF DIGITAL VIDEO

Great set of slides on the state of digital media, from TV to online, is available at videonuze. Click here to download it. Research and analysis by Strategy Analytics.

Free for the taking, though a three line registration is required. It's worth every letter of those three lines and a whole lot more.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Talk Market: Ron Popeils in Training

Some say there are signs of trouble over at eBay -- that people are tiring of the whole auction thang. Certainly, their many moves to push the buy it now buying solution seem to indicate that eBay is hedging its bets.

But I wonder if the problem is the format of eBay. Pixely jpegs may not cut it in a world of Hulu and Vuze. I find myself auctioning less (I was never a seller, always a buyer) perhaps because of these issues but also because I was burned by a seller. It has taken years to get my issue resolved through Paypal. I know that the distributed nature makes things tough to enforce, but I still feel a little leery.

But that is not the subject of this post. Rather, I want to talk about Talk Market, the UGC infomercial market currently in beta. This site is very intriguing. Here's an example of how a UGC standup presenter enriches a sale:

I love this little vid because the host really tells us about the origin of her collection and its inspiration. This may not be a great venue to sell used iPods, but that's never what I went ot eBay for anyway. I went for unique items, and for these having a little story to go with the photography is really quite pleasant and seductive.

Financially, the way this works is that you upload a video and Talk Market hosts and seves your content for free. If the item sells, you pay a 5% commission -- a HELUVA lot less than a consignment shop.

I'll admit that part of the appeal of this model for me is seeing the sell. I love a good pitch. I love to watch a sales person take you from consideration to sell to upsell. I think this model is also great because it holds the potential for sellers to become microcelebs -- trusted voices that have items that reflect who they are.

So surf on over and check it out. It's a really interesting format, and a great selling environment.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

WHITE PAPER THURSDAYS! STATE OF INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN CHINA

8/8/08 is coming and with it the Olympics. If you are interested in censorship of the Internet in China, there is a very interesting powerpoint from the CIRC conference here.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Wanna Get Something Approved Without Questions? Talk About Algorithms

There is so much jargon in digital that the use of it often silences debate. And don't think that isn't sometimes intentional. My favorite debate stopper is the word algorithm, a word guaranteed to conjure up mental images of millions of lines of code and thereby seal upper lips to lowers.

Algorithms sound like concepts mere wortals weren't built to understand. I am reminded of a book by Allen Paulos called Innumeracy, which chronicled human misunderstanding of chance and probability. Innumeracy explains the poor unfortunate fellow who took all his cash and but 110,000 Lotto tickets, thinking surely he'd win with THAT MANY tickets.

So I want to demystify the word algorithm. It means method. Or alternatively...process. Or simpler yet, way. So when you hear someone smug talk about algorithms, remember that little trick. Substitute "way" in the speaker's sentence, and fire off your arguments. ;-) Don't be silenced by the smug.

Thansk for reading, and don't forget to write.

Net Neutrality: Profits and Principles

Sometimes it seems as if Congress has been debating net neutrality nearly as long as digital pundits have been saying next year is the year of mobile.

As someone not at all opposed to the making of money, I've been taking a look at both sides of this issue, and have come to some conclusions that I thought I would share.

The people against net neutrality, largely telcos, want a share of the enormous amount of money being made through digital marketing. Can you imagine how it chaps the butts at ATT to see Google's stock price where it is? Many hardware companies also oppose net neutrality, thinking they'll get more butter for their bread from richer telcos.

I imagine the telco board meetings with a circle of Elmer Fudds wondering where their Hossenpfeffer is.

OK, and over on the other side, the popular POV is that there are earnest free speech advocates in holey sweaters toiling away on a principle. And there are. But let's get real. The real money behind net neutrality comes form giant publishers like Amazon who have all the Hossenpfeffer, thank you very much, and don't want to share.

So it's money versus money.

There are other issues -- telcos state that more profit will be essential to refurbing the Internet infrastructure in the coming years. If you think about how much MORE bandwidth each of us are using, the argument seems to hold some water.

Certainly, US competitiveness requires a robust Internet. But it's also important that we take a larger view of what creates US success online -- and that is an incredibly robust and inventive environment where big ideas can succeed despite small budgets.

Cool stuff mostly comes from little start-ups, not big corporations. Do you think for a moment that if the economics of the auto industry were different that there wouldn't be niches of ecofriendly cars? But because the economics favor large companies, startups in that market are all but nonexistent.

The same would be true, I fear, on a two tier Internet. Since innovations are going to increasingly rely on big bandwidth demands, we need to preserve a level playing field for the

sake of our competitiveness.

And let's not forget the idea of free speech and the essential role that the web is providing on that score, in an era where five or so media companies control all of the MSM.

What's the solution? I say it's neutrality. Issues with bandwidth demands could be addressed by allowing end users opt to pay for faster connections -- focusing on value for usage rather than pay for access.

Look, there are billions of words online on this topic, I just thought I'd add a few hundred more because it is an important issue and our ability to innovate is at stake.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to fight.

Get Your Vacation Underwritten: XLNTADS UGC Video Contest

I've talked about XLNTADS before, but I assure you there is no relationship between Catalyst and XLNTADS other than my undying love for their great approach, ideas, and community. I may be shilling, but it is a sincere shill.

XLNTADS helps marketers by creating sponsored content video either about your product or the subject of your choice. It works by offering pro and pro am video producers a chance to win big prizes in exchange for making the kind of content and advertiser is looking to sponsor online. It can be a make an ad contest or simply the development of videos and serials that advertisers can sponsor in some way.

Their latest program is a video contest asking people to chronicle road trips in webisode form. I don't know who the advertiser is...they don't appear to be making the requirement that you use suspiciously large quantities of the product on your trip ;-). Instead, they want high quality engaging pro and pro am video content in the travel vertical that they can sponsor.

And that is really an important need that needs to be filled. Those of you who read the trades know that Unilever has decided to develop a series of original Spanish language content in large part because no one out there has existing content to support! Translation:

Unilever: Please Mr. Publisher, take my money.
Publisher: Pish Posh. I'd much rather focus on these T&A things.
Unilever: Fine, we'll make it ourselves.

BTW, the first prize in the road trip contest is $,7500. Would be DeMilles would line up at their web site and get taping. You don't have to vacation on spec. You submit your idea, they approve it, then you go! No muss no fuss.

And brands should really consider this format/approach as a way of getting UGC passion and excitement without the dangers of having their ads run next to amateur Girls Gone Wild wannabes. And don't think producers are whoring out for brands here. The beauty of XLNTADS is that it represents the union set between what producers want to make and advertisers want to support.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

NebuAd Responds, and Robb Topolski Responds to the Response

Last week I reported in this post on the latest troubles facing NebuAd in the area of privacy. Well, NebuAd responded to the report that characterized their data collection practices as problematic from a privacy standpoint.

NebuAd responded to the report, and you can read the highlights in Broadcasting and Cable.

For those that don't remember the name, Robb Topolski is the man who discovered Comcast's secret e of slowing downloads to customers using BitTorrent applications. Robb's blog is here. I did not identify him as the author in my previous post and I apologize to him for the omission.

If I understand it, the key issue is that according to Topolski NebuAd appends web pages with an extra packet that appears to come from the publisher, not NebuAd. This, according to Topolski, is forgery. The second issue is about notification and whether the notification processes of ISPs have been robust enough to ensure consumers are aware of the activity and its potential benefits to them.

NebuAd's response:

"NebuAd cookies do not contain specific information about a user," the company said. "All ad networks use a small piece of code that is temporary and operates only within the security framework of the browser to invoke the placement of ad network cookies. The code NebuAd uses is no different, and is clearly demarcated outside of and does not modify any publisher code."

Topolski responded to this statement on his blog with the following (excerpted):

As detailed in my report, NebuAd's code is appended to the web page code, in an extra packet that appears to come from servers owned by Google or Yahoo (not NebuAd). This is why you can claim any demarcation. However, there is no demarcation between the publishers code and your injected code that indicates that the code is not from the publisher and that NebuAd is the source of the injected script. The packet is a forgery and the reason is obvious -- if the injected packet would properly identify its source in the IP header, the customer's computer would properly ignore it. This is by intentional design, and is why I characterize NebuAd's programming as usurping the intentions of the application and operating system designers.

More technical minds than mind should and will debate this.

For me this battle is an indication of the kind of thing we are going to see much more frequently in the future. My earlier post on Google's use of toolbar data for targeting is another example of the complexities of data collection, usage, and concerns about privacy.

I hope that this issue can be addressed with reason. NebuAd is clearly filled with smart people who have made decisions based upon what they believe is responsible business practice and reasonable protection of privacy. So characterizing them as evil would be unproductive.

Similarly, I sincerely hope that the debate will focus on the issue rather than the author of the report. Robb Topolski is not a kook. A read of his report, his blog, and indeed his comment to the earlier post on THIS BLOG show he's very passionate. But passion is something we should be pleased to see in a debate about privacy. He demonstrates a comprehensive point of view and an orientation toward thorough review and specifically outlining his findings.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Gooey Brother is Watching With the Google Toolbar

I've talked a couple times about the Google toolbar and how it holds the potential for an enormous amount of data collection because the T&Cs that no one reads permit Google to collect all of the user's browser based searching behavior.

Now comes this post on TechCrunch which points out that the new Google Ad Planner may be using this toolbar data for ad targeting.

Google isn't saying if the toolbar data if now being used for targeting. Which makes me all but certain that it is. If it wasn't, I think they'd be all over themselves to deny it.

The thing is, if the data are anonymized I personally don't consider it a major privacy problem. WHAT IS A PROBLEM is the secretiveness of this and other companies who seem to have forgotten that nothing goes unnoticed on the medium that they helped pioneer.

Say TechCrunch:

If that is true, Google should disclose the fact, even if it is only using the toolbar data in an aggregate, anonymous form. Because most people who download the toolbar are probably not aware that the data it collects about their surfing habits can be used to target ads back at them.

To paraphrase Gilbert and Sullivan, "I am the very model of a GODDAMN TROJAN HORSE."

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Check Out Latin-Know. Because Hispanic Pop is 16% and Growing

To be a marketer in the future, you are going to need to have a solid understanding of the Hispanic market. Actually I hate the term Hispanic market because it implies that there is only one. It's a bit like saying the Caucasian market, without recognizing that there is a difference between Paris Hilton and the Waltrips. And me for that matter.

The blog Latin-Know, which moved recently to a dedicated url, is a great place to start to learn about this market. I don't know the author (Jennifer Woodard Maderazo) other than by her posts, but I love the way she writes and the stuff she covers. I learn at least three things every time I head over there.

While not digital centric, there is a lot of digital info there, and a lot of broader insights and news that will help you play catch up on a market segment that is setting the societal tone every day.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

The Wonderful World of Privacy. Post 3. Privacy Beyond BT

My last privacy post related specifically to BT and the issues surrounding BT and privacy. Today I want to focus on some of the other marketing connected areas where privacy issues are being cited.

One important thing to remember is that the Internet was designed as a very open, communications centered network. Ergo, it is inherently insecure. There are always risks of privacy when the system in question was designed to be so open.

The following are some of the major areas where privacy questions have been raised.

E-Commerce privacy: The conduct of e-commerce places PII at some level of risk. Whether through spyware on user PCs, insecure communications on the network, or compromises in the security of e-commerce databases, this area of privacy arguably gets the most consumer focus and attention. Focusing specifically on the aspects of security here that the consumer cannot control, it is important to recognize that the level of security surrounding the respective databases of different e-commerce companies varies widely. Some offer profoundly secure protections, while others offer very little. As a result, there are several major announcements every year of compromised databases that can lead to identity theft.

GPS: Is your location your business and your business alone? The growing number of GPS enabled mobile phones poses the eventuality that location may become a heavily tracked aspect of your life in the near future. Many consumers, however, will take little issue with this. In fact, a number of successful startups are creating services specifically designed to let consumers communicate their locations to friends and other people who may be interested.

Safety of Minors: As individuals under 18 are at special risk given their more limited reasoning skills, there is a great deal of concern about preserving privacy during childhood. COPPA and CARU offer standards designed to mitigate a great deal of this risk. But the rise of social networks has posed new challenges as kids happily advertise their locations, interests, feelings, and purchases for others to see.This is proving to be a very challenging area for the social networks as businesses.

Aggregation of Data into Profiles: Since our economy is fast becoming electronic, and since so much of our personal information is now traveling the Internet in various levels of security, the potential for the development of centralized repositories of most or all of this information is of concern to privacy advocates. Of particular concern is the improper storage and transmission of medical information.

Identity Theft: Related to the first topic above, identity theft is affecting a significant portion of our society. Causes relate to ignorance of safety and security issues as well as improper storage, communication and sale of PII.

Government Security Breaches: While a great deal of attention has been paid to commercial data breaches, government organizations also make errors that result in compromised security.

Government Surveillance: Recent controversies around Internet and telecommunications surveillance have driven home the issues related to poorly written, outmoded, or ignored regulations and laws related to electronic privacy.

Digital TV and DRM Enforcement: Both on and beyond the web, the level of behavioral and interest monitoring is increasing. Digital TV allows cable companies to better understand your specific viewing habits and serve ads accordingly. Additionally, the efforts of the music and other content industries to drive both the government and ISPs to monitor what we view and download also poses the possibility of extensive profiling that disturbs some privacy advocates.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

IN MEMORIAM: STEVE WOLKOFF

Earlier today I sent out a congratulatory wish to the people at FreeWheel for their first successful year of changing the face of the net.

Later on, I learned of the tragic death of FreeWheeler Steve Wolkoff. His life was cut short in an accident caused by a drunk driver.

I have difficulty putting into words the sense of loss TO THE WORLD that Steve's death represents. I so admired his cleverness, his incredible intelligence, his energy, and his irrepressible wit. He was a major force in the FreeWheel organization, and no doubt in the lives of every person he touched.

Steve's death should remind us all to live for today. It should also be a wake-up call to those who are afflicted with self destructive behaviors like the drunk driver responsible for Steve's death. No doubt that individual feels remorse at this time. But the time to demonstrate concern for the innocent around them is before a life as precious as Steve's -- or indeed any life -- gets cut short.

If you find alcohol controlling your life -- if you get behind the wheel while intoxicated, don't wait until you end the life of another before you get help. Steve cannot be saved. But other innocent people can stay alive if YOU get help. Help is available. I know that addiction can seem unstoppable. Believe me I know. As I sit typing on the 3019th day of my sobriety. I was fortunate enough to stop drinking before I hurt someone. Don't wait until you harm someone...

There are many resources you can reach out to for help. One is available by clicking this url:

http://www.aa.org/

POST SCRIPT: THOSE WANTING TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT STEVE MEANT TO THEM, OR TO SEND HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY CONDOLENCES SHOULD VISIT FREEWHEEL.TV, WHICH HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A MEMORIAL SITE WITH A POSTING BOARD.

Brand Good UGC and Brand Bad UGC

I had the good fortune of being in a presentation today where UGC was the big topic of conversation. Specifically, the idea that so much video online today is UGC, and yet advertisers are afraid to run on it.

Which is of course understandable. But at the same time, I think it is far too binary a view. Too often, it seems, people fail to draw quality distinctions between different grades of video. It is not an environment where all professionally produced video is brand enhancing, nor all UGC depicting two women in wet t-shirts hitting each other over the head with baseball bats while calling each other four letter names.

But being able to distinguish between videos is challenging. Certainly ScanScout’s brand protector is a step in a positive direction, as are other initiatives from video publishers and networks.

I don’t want to propose a model in which there are 27 grades – but what about four: two for pro content and two for UGC. Such a model could help advertisers feel more comfortable about UGC, while still being able to capitalize on the virality and passion that UGC drives.

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.

FreeWheel One Year On

I am very proud to say that Catalyst:SF works with FreeWheel, the company that is helping expand online video by making it possible to pair every airing with advertising, and then ensuring that publisher, content owner and ad network get paid their fair share.

FreeWheel is nearing it's first year anniversary, and I would like to take this time to say how proud I am to be working with a company that is truly changing the face of communication. Our industry is one of great hyperbole, but FreeWheel behaves in just the opposite manner. A very understated company that really is transforming the way consumers consume content online.

There are those who will read this and view it as a transparent client pander. But the reality is I have never been more sincere.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

Lonely? Hate to Type? SayHeyHey

Video dating was the puchline of every sit com in the 1970s. I believe AI remember abn episode of Mork and Mindy where Mork --- well, I am sure you can write the rest. So, anyway, two guys from Palo ALto have created SayHeyHey, a website where all your interaction is via video. Jin type a couple of KWs, and then start uploading your vids. People here have a sense of humor. The first vid I clicked on had a woman saying she basically hated everything and didn't bathe. Well, you had to see it. It was actually pretty funny.

But in the meantime, I've brought a video to you! Hosted by a woman who appears to get more and more tanked as she tells you about the service.

I have no idea how they make money. But I do know that the vid is pretty funny, and there are stupider ways to meet someone...

Eggs, Milk, and Playgroup. Cozi's got you covered

One of the most interesting aspects of the web for me is better understanding how regular people use digital to improve their lives. I've spent my life targeting regular people, meaning middle income people, mostly families. So when a friend told me about Cozi and how it was making their family life better, I had to surf on over.

Founded by former Microsofties and based up in rainy Seattle, the idea behind Cozi is to offer web based organization and planning tools. Users get a family life scheduler, a message board, a family journal, grocery list app, and a couple of other tools. Not rocket science, but really really easy to use and profoundly useful for both one and two earner families.

Cozi is ideally suited for the planner type of person -- someone who either prefers not to wing life or who has so much to do that organization is essential to getting it all done.



My friends are a two earner family with three kids -- kids with karate and ballet and playgroup. With two professional parents, it's important that they figure out who can do what each day, and having this web-based platform to do the planning and messaging is very helpful.

They tell me also that the kids add to the grocery list, send notes, and one daughter does her best to keep a daily journal.

Naturally, this kind of tool is attracting the sort of demo that is very useful to lots of adverrtisers -- food in the box and soap in the box come to mind immediately, but I can just as easily see auto, finance, retail, and and and.

Marketers can offer a cobranded version to their customer or prospects, or they can advertise in the product and in newsletters.

I think this is a great idea and the consumer experience is exactly what it needs to be: useful to all, simple for parents, and fun for kids. Is it time for you to have a Cozi relationship?

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

The Wonderful World of Privacy. Post 2. 13 Questions and Answers About Privacy as it Relates to BT

Q: What is behavioral targeting?

A: Behavioral targeting or BT is the process of using your interests and behaviors, as evidenced by the places you go and things you do online, as tools to help companies show you ads that are more likely to be relevant and interesting to you. Using BT, companies can focus their spending on reaching people who have a greater than average likelihood of being interested in their products and services.

Q: BT companies maintain that my privacy is retained because they don't collect PII. But then how do I know if I am shopping for a Mercedes?

A: The information about your shopping habits is associated with a cookie on your PC, not with your identity. The BT companies know that the browser on the computer has been used to visit the Mercedes site or whatever it is that alerts them to the fact that you may be shopping for a Mercedes. But the info is associated with the cookie. Not with your name or other PII. Truth is, they are tracking your browser, not you. It is simply Assumed that "you" are the shopper because you are using the computer.

Q: What pages do BT companies track me on?

A: It depends on what kind of BT companies. BT is most closely associated with ad networks. They are aware of the pages you visit IF they control the ad units that you see on those pages. So suppose you went to two pages on a car site. One for a hybrid sedan, and one for a Hummer. If the BT company only serves the ads on one of the pages, then they only "know" that your PC visited that page. The way BT mitigates this partial view is to aggregate info across all the pages that you visit where they are serving the ads. With hundreds of pages they develop a fairly accurate profile. The newest areas of BT relate to ISP-based tracking. These companies put an appliance in the stream of traffic at the ISP, so they can "see" every page you visit. The exceptions would be HTTPS or shopping pages, where they generally don't track. Some BT companies, however, track only those pages. The third source of potential BT info are the toolbars that you may have signed up for at some point. The user agreements of these toolbars in some cases actually allow the portal to know everywhere you go. So they are another potential source of info.

Q: What happens to BT if I delete my cookies?

Most BT systems will have to start all over tracking that computer. Since behaviors are "stored" on cookies, deleting them deletes the past actions tracked. The BT systems rely on having literally millions of pages in their networks, so profiles rebuild relatively quickly if you are a moderate or heavy web user.

Q: I don't like the sound of this.How can I opt out?

By visiting the website of the Network Advertising Initiaitive (NAI) and opting out of the networks. As of this wriitng, sixteen networks, which represent the vast majority of tracking, allow you to opt out by ticking the boxes next to their names. There are networks that are not members, however.

Q: How do I opt out of nonmember networks?

A: Good question. Some may offer opt outs on their websites. To my knowledge, however, networks are not required to offer opt out. If this is incorrect, please leave a comment to this post with an appropriate citation and I will immediately correct the post.

Q: Does BT represent 1 to 1 marketing? That is, am I being marketed to as an individual?

A: No. Most BT platforms classify your behaviors into "buckets". You are viewed as a member of that "bucket." Many of your online behaviors are irrelevant to marketers.

Q: Are my online searches part of a BT profile?

A: Generally, no. Ad networks, which are the primary behavior targeters, do not have access to your search results. The major web portals, however, do track search as part of their on site behavioral targeting. The exception is Ask.com, which does not participate in BT.

Q: I've been hearing a lot about ISP based targeting. How is it different?

A: The key difference is that the tracking of behavior is done at the ISP, so they can monitor ALL of your web site visits, though they don't monitor pages within online stores, or any visits you may make to adult sites.

Q: Am I at risk of medical profiling if I visit health sites?

A: This is one of the major questions around BT today. The NAI has put forth standards so ihat its members will agree NOT to track your visits to health content of a "sensitive" nature. Though defining sensitive is rather complicated and what you consider sensitive may not fall into the NAI definition. But major illnesses like cancer will be a part of that standard. Also, because BT does not track PII, your behaviors will not be associated with your name. However, privacy advocates view this as a major potential area of risk.

Q: Do individual web sites have their own BT, or is it all done through ad networks?

A: Some sites have their own BT systems. But mostly it is done by ad networks. The portals in particular have their own systems, though because some of the pages on their sites have ads from ad networks, the networks may also track some of your behaviors on portals.

Q: I see how advertisers benefit from BT. How do I benefit?

A: This is an area of controversy. Proponents of BT say that consumers benefit from more relevant advertising messages. Opponents question the value of targeted advertising as a consumer benefit. Most consumers say that they prefer targeted advertising. But as to whether that is a benefit to you? Your call.

Q: Does BT track my mobile web surfing?

A: Until recently, no. Mobile browsers couldn't handle cookies well. But there are mobile solutions available today. Personifi, for example, offers mobile BT.

The Wonderful World of Privacy. Post 1.

Thus begins my series of posts on the issues of Internet privacy as they relate to digital marketing.

So, here's my disclaimer. This is a blog not a court record or peer reviewed study. I am not a journalist, software engineer, or a media pundit. I am also not a BT "expert" though I do know more about it, how it works, and it's value to marketers than the average ad or marketing person.

And BTW, if you know that I got something wrong please leave a comment so I can correct the record. Because like the song says, I'm doing my best, but sometimes my best ain't good enough...

I am writing this because it is important for all digital marketers to understand privacy because it is a fundamental consideration in any digital marketing, not just BT. this stuff is not easy peasy. And it is rarely described in plain English. But I am gonna try.

All of us need to understand the techniques that are used to gather information online, so we can make informed decisions about the vehicles we choose to support. I am going to try to state facts rather than opinion, though this will be a profound challenge.

All of us would probably say yes if asked about whether we think privacy is important. But what the Hell does that mean?

I've done a lot of reading about privacy over the last couple of days, and the general consensus seems to be that privacy and communication are the teeter totter of user experience.

When we talk about privacy, most of us think about personally identifiable information, meaning the sort of info that directly identifies us as specific individuals and associates things with our identities. And all of us make decisions every day, if we use the Internet, about whether we are willing to share PII -- meaning we evaluate whether the utility of a digital experience is worth the effort and consequences of sharing the info.

What do I mean by that? Well, most of the people reading this blog are on Facebook. And we reveal to our friends, and to Facebook, details about who we are, what we think, what we do, and how we live. We assume that the Facebook people will protect our PII, and that the consequences of our sharing are worth it. This is the major issue that now haunts people who have ever posted a photo of themselves blind drunk on their profile, because companies can see this. Prospective employers, insurance companies, whomever.

We assume that Facebook is safe because it is Facebook. Many of us would be unlikely to share as much with a site we have never heard of, or with a .RU URL.

Now, suppose you find a cool digital marketing news site that requires that you join to view. Do you go to the trouble of joining, and do you make the decision to trust the site with the PII? You decide.

The ethics involved in being marketers as we ask consumers to make these daily sets of choices assumes two things:

1. That consuemrs are reasonable judges of what is safe and what isn't.

2. That we are actually given a choice or are aware that we have a choice. For example, do the users of a discount ISP know that in some cases they are ceding control of their personal info in exchange for $6 access?

It's right there in the user agreement they don't read. And what's interesting is that most of us assume that all user agreements are pretty much the same, or that we hope that reasonable protections are offered.

By the way, these agreements are emphatically NOT the same. NOT AT ALL. There are enormous difference. Check out Ask's (very respectful of privacy) versus Google's (not as respectful.)

Again, I think if each of us were asked about our POV on fastidiously enabling user choice, we'd say we are for it. But I need only remind you that until standards were set, most websites required OPT OUT to avoid newsletters rather than OPT IN to get them. And we all know that the reason for this was the hope that we'd get more names that way, and that lots of those people wouldn't have opted in if the choice had been expressed that way. That process was a usurpation of choice in spirit if not quite in fact.

The fact is, there are unscrupulous companies not acting ethically every day online. And there are other companies who don't really consider the ethical aspects of what they are doing. And there are companies that emphatically are acting in consistently ethical ways. It's a mishmash.

But before everyone shuts off their PC in fear, recognize that those choices and tradeoffs (ceding privacy for utility of some form) are a fact of life in many many areas, not just the web. Direct mail companies are routinely sharing your name, address, and buying habits with one another. If you live in London, once you set foot outside you're probably being filmed by at least one camera all day long. This level of surveillance was begin as a response to the Irish Troubles and acts of terrorism. And many find that an acceptable tradeoff for not being Sarined on the Tube. But it is a tradeoff.

The point of this post is to set up the idea that the issue of privacy is fraught with those teeter totter tradeoff situations. Exchanging privacy for value. Assuming you are given the right to choose. But more on that a little later.

Anyway. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.