In the past few months I have had the opportunity to present at a number of different conferences. As a part of that presentation I talk about Big Brother – where we are about the concept and what people really think. Lots of people are very uncomfortable.
Right now:
- Everything you do!
- Everything you say!
- Everywhere you go!
- Everything you buy!
Is being monitored!
Companies are working VERY hard to develop marketing ideas to reach customers and prospects at the right time – companies believe if they market an offer to a person at the right time it will impact their buying decision. Rest assured this is happening and growing up really fast!
Because of this I have developed a chart to try and determine people’s feelings about big brother. In my opinion people fall into one of the 7 buckets which I have listed below.
click image to see full size
One end of the scale is absolutely no way. Don’t bother me with texts highlighting special deals, don’t show me a commercial that you think may interest me because of certain sites I may have visited. Some people went thru all six buckets very quick and are now in the implementation mode. I believe those people will find creative ways to increase their brand awareness and revenue by implementing this strategy. My position is this, if you can find a creative way to market to me on products that are on sale or restaurants that I frequent are now in my area I say do it. In fact please do it! When I watch TV please let me only see the commercials that interest me! When I am on my computer I understand you need to show me a commercial or at least want to – but please let me control what the subject is!
- What do you think of big brother?
- Which bucket are you in?
- Are you ok giving information if you get something in return?
- No matter what do you not want to be bothered at all?
Believe me this is a huge debate in my office. I may NOT agree with everyone’s opinion on the subject but I do respect their position.
- The question is what is yours?
I look forward to reading your comments.
Fee Sepahi says:
Hi Merrill,
I agree with your position.
I do get aggravated when company V. calls to sell me yet another bundle, when they haven’t even looked at my account to tell me how they can address my dozens of concerns about the rising costs and yet they want to push me another product.
I don’t connect my TV to anything, so I’m not a “target” for their ads, but I do agree that if I were connected, I’d sooner see ads related to cycling, investing, mega machines, golf or a host of other interests of mine, rather than car ads that I’m,not in the market for.
All the best, Fee
Ruthann Chesnoff says:
I am in the PISSED OFF bucket! I think we lost our identity! I hate that anyone can take a picture of you and post it on face book or u-tube. We have no privacy! I am more uptight now about answering any questions posted anywhere! Don’t want to share my thoughts with the world! Liked it better when nobody knew my business except the people I really trusted and wanted to confide in.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Ruthann,
Appreciate you being straight forward. Clearly you are not alone. I am curious would you be willing to give up information to get ads/offers/commercials etc that interest you? Or basically you want to be left totally alone?
Thanks.
Merrill
Carter Cathey says:
Short of going off the grid, giving up your phone, your computer, and living in a shack in the woods with no mail service, no deed or lease, and dodging the government men that will be tracking you down, I think the idea of being “left totally alone” is largely off the table.
We are all being counted, profiled, scrutinized, and documented. And, like Jane’s Gorillas, we largely get used to it if not fail to see it all together. The expectation of privacy is a thing of the past in public life and this is spilling at an increasingly fast rate into private life.
As far as this information collection goes, I think that the expectation of privacy is gone, but this does make me respect the companies more that seek informed consent. And, I like companies that lay out what is in it for me to participate. Given that I will likely see ads no matter what, I am not against companies collecting information to make the ads more appropriate and catered to my interests. It is a fine line, however, one abuse and I become skeptical of everybody.
It is an interesting time, to be sure.
–Carter
Robin Alex says:
Answer to your specific questions:
Big B: it has its pros and cons. Security and safety would be a huge pro while intentional intrusion would be a major con. In an era of Facebook et al where one has access to almost anyone’s info either directly or indirectly, Big B watching over me is the absolute least of my concern.
My bucket: not sure where I fit but I am okay with sharing info as long as I know what I am sharing. I can’t be in control of who has access to what I share which is exactly why I just want to be in control of the content of what I share.
Information in exchange for something: really depends on what type of info I am releasing and what am I getting in return. If it is another department credit card for 10% off then thanks but no thanks. If it is another sweepstakes entry then buzz off. But if it is a guaranteed maserati or a Ferrari then who am I to say no?
I do not want to be bothered but not because I want to be reclusive but because I would like to reserve the right to chose what I want and when I want and rely on the plethora of information sources out there to investigate my choices and options. I fear that if I get dependent on being spoon fed then I will be lost – just like I am in my own residential neighborhood without my GPS. I do not want to (entirely) lose the ability to think for myself even if it means I end up in someone else’s driveway in my neighborhood 🙂
Nice post Merril
Melanie says:
Cool discussion. I am in the Understanding bucket. We consumers are demanding. We want a lot, and we want it to be affordable. So big companies have a huge challenge to make their marketing more effective. We want free TV, but we don’t want commercials. We want free Internet, but we don’t want ads. We can’t have it all, at least not for free. So I understand their need to have advertisiers pay for my access. And I understand those advertisers needing to make that advertising work from an ROI perspective. And I understand the benefits to me personally to have campaigns that I care about presented to me.
That being said, it makes me uncomfortable. And it doesn’t always work. Just because I am XX years old, and I’m a female, doesn’t mean I need to be seeing weight loss ads all the time.:-)
Christing Cook says:
Merrill,
I don’t like it but I am fascinated by what marketing peeps come up with so I’m more curious.
I am dumb founded when I park my car at a convenience store to run in for something real quick and open the door to get out and look down to find the local lottery has an advertisement in the stripe on the ground (the parking lines that show you the spaces). Crazy, but think about it…most everyone looks down as they get in and out of their car.
I want to know what is going on out there. I am alway looking at these things and think “how can I relate this to my business? I can’t tell you how many ideas we have come up with thinking this way.
We have another new company initiative that we are implementing tomorrow that is super cool. I would have never thought about this had I not observed my 26 year old Social Media gal during our last two weeks of travel together. Watching her use social media and her response to ads and such gained a great new idea.
Tolerate for good reason; but can also be irritated when I can’t forward through the trailers on the rented movies :).
Christine