Backwards Advertising- A Wish

February 8, 2008 · Comments

ads Advertisers and companies who rely on them, take note: I would very willingly help you build a database of the kinds of advertisements I’d like to see, and the various ways that I’d love for you to engage me. I’d spend five hours a week on the project, telling you that I want to know about cool events, that I want to know about neat things for my Mac, that I probably don’t need to know about your new car, that I travel a bit for work, but not that much for leisure.

I’ll share with you where I don’t mind seeing ads, and where I’d rather defer the ads until a different point. I’ll share with you my favorite ads (voting like Digg), and I will promise you as much data as you can manage.

You could build a fully functional database around me, and then I’d let you give that information to others. You could sell it. It would be your own personal Rosetta Stone to me, and I’d do it in a heartbeat, and I only want one thing in return.

Stop advertising to me the old way.

Photo credit, Montrasio International

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  • Chris, isn't advertising and marketing about making you need things you didn't know you wanted ;)

    If you gave a profile of what you're interested in, I think that you would either be overwhelmed by advertisers in those niches, or your profile would be ignored as incomplete by other advertisers.

    It's a bold plan but I'm not sure the advertisers would buy into the concept.
  • Amen, Chris. I particularly like your idea of "deferring" ads for viewing at a later time. Is that a business model? Time-shifted ads?

    I reckon a company could create a management system like the one you describe, in which users identify what ads/advertorial/marketing content they would be interested in experiencing. This content rolls out as a personalized RSS feed. Like your Digg-esque idea (or the excellent Amazon rating system), users could refine their interest (and future ads/recommendations) by voting up/down the content they receive. A customizable variant of permission marketing, distributed via RSS.

    Interestingly, ad networks could get in on the action by tapping that database (with customer consent, natch), and display similar highly-refined ad messages on website banners, etc. Build the technology, let online ad networks buy in with syndication rights, and you're set.

    Hell, slap a spiffy brand name on this sucker, get some VC players involved and it could have legs. Retire in style! (Just gimme a cut.) ;)

    --Hutch
  • *Big* idea, Chris, and well worth exploring.

    The problem, of course, is that plenty of advertisers *want* to interrupt you. They're just as happy not knowing your preferences, b/c in their heart of hearts they're probably pretty sure that you won't want them. That would force them to, y'know, come up with something better to sell you. Which is *such* a drag . . .

    I'll be mulling this one some more.
  • I kind of feel this way, sometimes. But, when I get my monthly statement from uPromise and know they've tracked *exactly* what we bought at the supermarket, it makes me feel kind of icky.
    There's something about 'too much information' about me that I can't abide.
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