Personalised Ads

Last week, discussed with a few media partners on the various media options and their usefulness to reach out to the correct TG.

Apart from using the regular and much-used jargon of AI and other stuff, they also spoke about how the COHORTS help.

They said they can help us tell from which platform our products/categories are getting picked, the payment method they are using, the recharge of their DTH, OTT or mobiles they are doing, and what marketplaces they visit, etc.

Using all the above info, they can create multiple cohorts, and based on the requirement, they help us to reach out and promote our product to that particular TG.

When I raised the concern of stalking us everywhere and whatever we do, they said, we can’t help, and we can’t even escape now.

They left, and it made me think about it.

In that half an hour of discussion, they used a few words repeatedly — cohort, personalised ads, and tailor-made reach to the TG.

I have been using the smartphone for a long time. I surf the web, visit and buy from marketplaces, use digital modes of payment, and avail myself of on-demand taxi services.

But never have I encountered the personalised ad, tailor-made for me, on the subject I have an interest in. On the other hand, I get bombarded with the typical website hosting ads, home/rental brokers, realty, etc, which have nothing to do with me, or I have an interest in.

Whatever I watch online, it is full of ads from the above 3–4 types mostly.

I wonder whether anyone gets the related and so-called personalised ad.

But I am glad, I don’t get such personalised ads, as I don’t want to feel that I am getting followed by them, because of the digital footprints I leave behind.

In fact, instead of getting delighted, I would be a bit concerned about it.

We have seen multiple viral videos, how we get stalked, and our digital and social usage indirectly helps people gather info about us, using it to our disadvantage.

That joke, when someone asks, Do these Alexa or Siri, or many others listen to us all the time? There comes the answer, they do, otherwise how do they get active whenever we ask for it?

Whatever it may be, getting “too personal” won’t be liked by many.