Please Spy On Me

So, I’m innocently browsing the interwebs the other day and I stop on a site talking about music. As I’m browsing through the content, a Rain Computers’ ad pops up and offers me a Rain computer (oh, the irony).

In and of itself, this is not all that surprising. We do a fair amount of advertising and obviously people interested in music are potential Rain users. And so on I surf looking for other interesting content.

Two websites later I’m reading an article on PC Magazine’s site and as I scroll down, I’m met with an ad for B&H Photo in NYC advertising – you guessed it – Rain Computers. At this point I’m still thinking it’s not outside the realm of possibilities to see a couple of our ads during my morning surf. And I’m glad our dealers are doing their part too.

By the time I see the third, forth and fifth Rain ads on websites about Android apps, cow tipping and the increasingly ubiquitous “How To Tie A Tie”, I find myself composing the rant I will use to fire everyone in the marketing department for spending a king’s ransom on banner ads targeted at me, the person in this world who least needs to be advertised to about the benefits of a Rain Computer.

And then it dawns on me: I’m being stalked. And what’s even more interesting, I’m being stalked by a machine. Like a very tall Sarah Connor, my every move is being tracked by the Terminator – a relentless super computer leveraging every available shred of data to acquire its prey.

Am I worried? Nah. I actually think it’s kinda cool.

The power of skinny jeans (a slight tangent)

I like almost everything about America. I happen to think it’s the greatest country in the world. But there’s one shortcoming that has haunted me for decades. North American clothing designers are absolutely convinced that tall equals fat. I’m here to tell you that this is not so.

I know there are a lot of McDonald’s disciples out there who have seen fit to ensure that their waistband covers the same acreage as their inseam. And I fully support their right to have clothes that fit. I would simply like a handful of companies to accept the fact that some of us are tall and skinny. I don’t think that’s a lot to ask.

My theories about the state of our clothing industry notwithstanding, I’ll just say that sometimes it’s hard to find a good pair of jeans that really fit well. And when I do manage to locate a brand that caters to my particular – and apparently rare – body type, I go back again and again, patronizing their lithe sensibilities in favor of the classic American Muumu.

The bottom line: I’m interested in a particular product; yet, don’t have a lot of time to shop around.

Here’s where I get to the point

Our current environment finds us, one and all, under an avalanche of vitriolic verbiage regarding the CIA-like tendencies of our increasingly omnipotent online overlords, such as the likes of Google and Facebook.

“Our very privacy is as stake!” the pundits howl.

And they’re right – our privacy is incredibly important. And we’re very lucky to not live in North Korea where Big Brother carries brass knuckles and a baseball bat. We’re lucky that we have the right to shed the bonds of virtual snooping with the simple – if not nefariously obfuscated – privacy controls in Facebook.

But we are also a people of extremes. And as such, prone to demanding an all-or-nothing approach to matters such as these.

My argument is: Not all personalized advertising is bad.

No, I don’t want Google to know where I hide the spare key to my house. And I don’t want Facebook using my webcam to find out what color my underwear is today. But if Diesel happens to come out with a pair of jeans that have a 42 inch inseam and a waist that would suffocate a super model, I want to know about it. And in a world of on-demand movies and pizza delivered in 30 seconds or your money back, I don’t think I should have to work very hard (or at all) to find this kind of stuff out.

So, by all means put up your firewalls, don your anti-virus protective gear and make sure Sony doesn’t give your credit card number to some random dude on Craigslist (again). But remember: you don’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Smart advertising can introduce us to things that are relevant to our lives like useful mobile apps, new medication and yes, even well-fitted clothing. And even better, it can save us from pointless drivel like Snuggies, SlapChops and comprehensive life insurance for goldfish.

Just because the advertiser is getting a benefit doesn’t mean the advertisee is getting screwed.

Feel free to agree, disagree or share an anecdote about jolly ‘ol North Korea in the comments.

-KJ