Interviews with Digital Media Thought Leaders
Tracking A Consumer’s Internet Use Patterns Across Multiple Websites (Part 1 of 2)
Podcast Video | Posted by Phil Leigh on January 8, 2008
If you would like to learn about an Internet ad service that can track consumer behavior across multiple unrelated websites because it is embedded within the infrastructure of the ISP, this interview is for you. (Part 1 of 2).
Our guest today is Robert Dykes who is the CEO of NebuAd. Unlike other Internet advertising services, NebuAd is built-into the infrastructure of the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Since the ISP is the gateway for each subscriber, NebuAd can (anonymously) track a consumer’s use of the Internet across all websites. Unlike website-centric ad services, NebuAd can construct more detailed and accurate profiles of each consumer’s interest thereby resulting in better ad targeting.
When I visit Amazon.com, they can track my interests so long as I stay within their website. Over time they will build up a good base of knowledge about the types of books I like, but they will have no information about the other websites that I regularly visit unless they place a tracking cookie on my computer. However, Norton software systematically removes such cookies, so that leaves Amazon pretty much stuck with monitoring my activities only at their website.
However, if tracking software is embedded in my ISP network, then I cannot remove it and the ISP will know what my website visitation pattern is better than anyone. As a result they should be able to better target ads to me than competing ad services.
Phil’s Take. While NeBuAd makes a good case that ISP embedded tracking software can provide superior customer profiles, there are two problems. First, the approach may be attacked by privacy advocates. Second, I am not sure that the same results cannot be nearly matched with tracking cookies. While Norton will remove them, I notice that they constantly reappear, so maybe my ISP is using cookies already and won’t need embedded software.
Categories: Podcast Video
Tags: digital media, Internet Advertising, Internet Tracking, ISP Embedded Advertising, NeBuAd, online advertising, Robert Dykes
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Phil,
The difference between what NebuAd is doing and the cookie approach is the persistence of the data. When Norton removes a tracking cookie from your browser and it is replaced, you have effectively started a new identity with the organization that dropped the cookie on you. There is no connection to the prior data that was associated with the prior cookie. In this way the ISP approach is vastly superior.
The other benefit is that data can be accumulated across sites that do not have to be part of or affliated with the ad serving company.
Finally, if privacy advocates are concerned about the ramifications of using this de-personalized approach, maybe they need to think a little more deeply about how much data companies like Google have on them with all the information that is gathered from search, gmail, Google Checkout, Google Maps and soon DoubleClick.