Killer Innovations: reblog

Fast Company:

The face of the advertising industry has changed dramatically over the last few years, as the Internet has become increasingly dominant and has shouldered its way into the mainstream.

Although advertising professionals are still inevitably grappling with the notion of how best to harness the power and peculiarities of the Web in order to tell their stories in the most effective manner possible, much of what is generating interest is where this dynamic, volatile platform is headed next.

Chan Suh, president and CEO of Agency.com, explained that the Internet provides advertisers with clarity, measurement and increased accountability. Advertisers see the Internet as an opportunity to create a more “gauging relationship;” it provides them with multiple options to develop a deep relationship with, and a richer understanding of, their consumers.

According to Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps, through data mining processes nowadays, agencies are aiming to easily and anonymously create and collect consumer profiles that can then be used to fashion advertisements that are targeted in a manner that increases their relevance and effectiveness.

Blum went on to add that the click method of tracking involves the inherent danger of engendering a sense of resentment in consumers, who often feel their privacy is being invaded. His suggestion: advertisers should harness the opportunities presented by social media — ’scrape’ sites like MySpace and Facebook in order to make use of information that people make publicly available about themselves.

Photo by MSDesigns.