I just wrote up a post over at my blog - on 'targeted ads' and why Google has to fear Facebook [1].
This is the ultimate enchilada - the game changing aspect of capitalism that has to change. The relationship between the vendors who wish to sell us goods and services - and us folk - who buy all that crap!
Here's the post [1]in it's entireity:
My first targeted ad - whether it was intentional or nic [1]
When I first heard of targeted ads - over 20 years ago - my mind was lit up to the possibilities of the vendor<->customer relationship changing. Needless to say it’s been one of our holey grails (which we’ve failed to have reached.) Doc Searls has helped launch a movement - which he calls VRM (vendor relationship management) [2] which aims to flip the tables on this intrinsic capitalistic balancing act between the people who offer goods and services and the people who buy them.
My life changed today and that’s because I received (what I believe to be) my first targeted ad.
I’ve been waiting for an ad that understood who I was, what I was interested in and more importantly offered me a discount on EXACTLY what I’m looking to purchase.
[3]
I can’t tell yah how long I’ve been waiting for advertising to be presented to me - which I didn’t view as ‘the enemy!’ If I can view ads as something that are positive and could be thought of as a blessing, rather than a curse, then I knew that we were on our way to truly flipping the tables on capitalism.
If ads are not longer a bothersome distraction - than we can build experiences, communities and content around them.
If ads are no longer ‘the bad guys’ - then maybe we’ve found our long lost UGC business model - that elusive beast which lurks in the background but refuses to show itself. Maybe the long tail can start wagging itself!
So guess what showed up today on my Facebook page?
This is why Google is afraid of Facebook.