In our previous blog post we discussed how Cell Carriers/Google/Facebook can combine information learned through your phone’s location to segment the phone’s owner into ‘audiences’ that can be targeted.
By any business with a Google account.
Know that Google combines your phone’s location data with your search history to identify your ‘interests’ and segment you into groups for advertisers to reach.
‘Audiences’ based on ‘affinity’ or interest can be targeted … “Fitness Buffs” includes people who take their phones on walks, to the gym or for a run. This is an ‘affinity group.’
‘Audiences’ can also be targeted based on predictive behaviour … Google knows, over time, indicators someone is ready to make a purchase. Say searches for furniture, colors, wallpaper is combined with your phone going to Hom Furniture and Schneiderman’s in the last two weeks.
This is an ‘In-Market’ audience that can be targeted.
With the concerns about privacy — about who knows where your phone has been and attempts to extrapolate what you were doing there — the flip side is that businesses compete to provide the most relevant ads to you.
You want to see ads for furniture sales when you are looking for furniture, correct? You want to see information about Fitness because you want to be fit, right?
That is the digital marketplace.