Run on Toast

I just called to say, 'nice suntan'...

Those intriguing bods at Skype have put a guy called Rob in the middle of a Spanish desert, with a phone box...

Check out the site, built by The Viral Factory, here: http://phoneboxexperiment.com/ - watch the intro video, and then you'll see a live feed where you can watch Rob on the phone, all day, every day.

Call him if yourself if you like: +34 951 055 675 (you're supposed to use Skype, but any phone will work)

If this feels oddly voyeuristic in a sickening 'Reality TV' way, that's because it is. But for some reason it's oddly watchable. Perhaps it's because his one-sided chats prompt you to fill in the gaps yourself and in some way feel part of the conversation.

I also think it says something about the credibility of the Skype brand that I wasn’t even cynical about this for a second. If they couldn’t have done it, they wouldn’t have faked it.

Cheers to Hello You Creatives for the heads up.

Love as always,

The Word Monkey

Big Brother or Marketing People Want?

The news that the BBC is to use behavioural targeting on its global websites outside the UK (Marketing Week 27.04.09) is an important milestone for this (relatively) new and highly controversial technology for 2-reasons...

1. It is seen as a key enabler to commercialising their websites
2. If the ultra-cautious BBC are happy to adopt it should your company be doing the same?  

  
Behavioural targeting uses knowledge of the websites you visit to serve you more relevant online advertising. It is seen as a crucial technology for both ISPs and web owners to monetise their sites, and to revitalise online display advertising.

It's controversial because of privacy - do you want your web-surfing habits to be tracked and used in this way? The answer is of course - it depends! If it is genuinely useful then yes. There is a distinct generation gap in the attitude of those consumers (often younger and social-networking literate) who understand the value of sharing their personal information.

BT got is spectacularly wrong last year in its test on the Phorm behavioural targeting platform. Rather than invite customers to participate in a beta-test (Google style) it picked customers randomly. Whilst their anonymity was assured the customers in the trial did not appreciate being selected without permission.

Online display advertising is at a bit of a crossroads - despite comprising 19% of online advertising expenditure in 2008 (IAB) the effectiveness of this media is coming under intense scrutiny. Network buys have become the norm where you pay for impressions but are blind to the web sites you might end up on with the organisational risk and wastage that entails.

On a more positive note the combination of behavioural targeting and the interactive display formats that are increasingly available promise greater customer relevancy and a better branded experience - potentially moving from the interruptive to the genuinely engaging.

If this sounds to you a bit like the cookie debate of 5-years or so ago - you'd be right - using much the same technology. Whilst consumers are beginning to accept that cookies are useful for improving their internet experience there is a way to go to win the debate on highly targeted advertising. 

Brand and digital media owners need to demonstrate to consumers that they can use behavioural targeting responsibly to genuinely deliver marketing people want. The IAB's good practice guide is an excellent place to start.