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Ask HN: Do any consumers prefer targeted ads?

2 points by ilovetux ↗ HN
I generally have knowledge of what sorts of goods and services are available for me to buy. I am told long before interesting new product offerings that they will be released.

On the other hand, I find it incredibly creepy when ads follow me around the web for something I searched for or looked at.

Then Tuesday Mark Zuckerberg testified before congress that many users would not like to see less relevant ads. I am very curious if there are groups of consumers out there who actually prefer the targeted ads, because I haven't met one and would like to hear why they feel that way.

4 comments

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frantzmiccoli
I do, because I don't do a lot of physical or online shopping for fun, nor I spend time looking for new products by reading reviews or lifestyle articles. I do prefer to see advertising about things that are a bit related to my interests.

Though I also find intense tracking creepy (but this is more ad stickiness / retargeting / remarketing than pure targeting).

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Marketer speaking now: reducing targeting also means that ads ROI will fall and it will probably reduce the number of companies able to afford media space. Economically speaking I think it is a problem to not leverage the data we have to help new businesses finding an audience.

To speak truth about this, if the point is about "selling data", targeting ads is not about selling data. It is about enabling advertisers to reach a "target". Saying I want people that are female between 20 and 30, does not mean that you will get their profiles in your inbox. They will just see your ads.

ilovetux
>> does not mean that you will get their profiles in your inbox. They will just see your ads.

I do like that this business model limits data exposure to third parties. That being said, I don't believe that it is possible for the ad company (Google, facebook et. al.) to fully protect their assets. If that email is delivered to me a simple web beacon can inform the third party quite a bit.

I digress, however, because I was simply curious about the consumer desire for targeted advertisements. Everything else aside I believe(d) that a consumer-based desire for targeted advertisements is a fallacy which is repeated by a certain group of people, I really just want to test this hypothesis by soliciting public opinions and comments.

SHOwnsYou
I very much prefer targeted ads. I don't have time to research the numerous products released each day that target my demographic. Seeing ads that are specific to my interests are important. I don't prefer seeing the same ad every time, a la youtube. I want variety in my ads, but "revisiting" ads over time is good to me. I have fairly broad interests that I actively engage in - gardening, fitness, gadgets - I want to see the latest products in those areas and be reminded of items I've seen advertised before.
oldmancoyote
I have toyed with the idea of a service where people voluntarily registered for ads relevant to a list of their interests. Users then could log in to a site to view ads directed at their interests. The site manager would sell access for advertisers subject to appropriate rules while preserving privacy.

People don't use Facebook etc. to get relevant ads. The ads I'm proposing would out compete Facebook's ads because the recipient would actually want to see these ads.