How much do advertisers really know?

In the most recent edition of Advertising Age there is an article titled My life, seen through the eyes of marketers. The article goes in-depth about how much database-marketing firms know about consumers. With the rise of the Internet, private information is quickly becoming public knowledge. The article battles the fine line between serving consumers advertisements that are applicable and overstepping the sacred line of privacy.



Michael Bush, a reporter for Ad Age finds out first hand just how much information is out there for anyone to find, the results are shocking. To being, the database marketing company knew that he was a Republican, that one of his parents had past away, that he was a college graduate, that he was married and had, "a number of bank, credit and retail cards at "low-end" department stores". The article also stated that the company found out how long he had lived in his house, how much it was worth and how much more he had to pay on it.



Although Bush's result are jaw dropping and at first make me want to step back and something is not right about this my advertising side steps in. If this data is used correctly and with respect the implications are endless. Instead of opening your email inbox to find numerous amounts of junk mail, an advertisement for something important, even useful to you would pop-up. The advertisement may be for something that you are unaware you even needed but serves as a reminder. Instead of being annoyed by the advertisement you are appreciative. Although this scenario is somewhat an ideal case I think that if information, such as the one the database company dug up about Bush, can be beneficial not just to advertisers but also to consumers.